Fudgy Decadent Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

This cake is a once a year favorite for my birthday.  I got this recipe from my friend Julie.  She gave me some helpful tips to result in a dense, fudgy, decadent, unforgettable cake.  This starts with an incredibly moist chocolate cake, frosted with peanut butter cream cheese frosting, topped with peanut butter, dark chocolate ganache, and finished with chopped peanut butter cups. To Die For!!!
Follow these tips for best results: First, do not overbake the cake.  If you do, you won't get that fudgy effect.  Second, get the Hersheys special dark cocoa for an extra dark cake not only in taste but in color.  Third, the cake can be made a day or two before you need it, as it tastes better the longer the flavors meld together. 

Fudgy Decadent Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

Cake:
2 cups flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (Dark or dutch process)
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 c neutral oil such as canola or vegetable
1 c sour cream
1 1/2 c water
2 tbs vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray two 8 or 9-inch cake pans with cooking spray liberally. Line the bottoms with parchment paper.  Combine in a medium bowl the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.  Whisk to combine them well.  Add the oil and sour cream and whisk to blend.  Gradually beat in the water, then blend in vinegar and vanilla.  Whisk in the eggs and beat until blended.  Divide batter even;y between the two pans.
Bake for 30-35 min. or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean.  Let cool in the pans for 20 min.  Then freeze them in the freezer for about 30 min.  (this is so the cakes don't fall apart when you invert them.)

Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting:

10 oz cream cheese, softened
1 stick of butter, softened
5 cups powdered sugar
2/3 c peanut butter (creamy kind)

In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter till fluffy.  Add powdered sugar gradually. beat until fluffy.  Add peanut butter at the end until well combined.

Chocolate PB glaze:

1 c semi-sweet chocolate
3 tbsp smooth peanut butter
2 tbsp light corn syrup
1/2 half n half

combine all ingredients except for half in half in a bowl, microwave in 30-sec increments until chocolate is melted, whisk the mixture to make smooth.  Whisk in half n half, beating until nice and smooth.

Assemble the cake:  Place one cake round on a cake plate, cover liberally with frosting, top the next layer and continue to frost until cake is covered.  Pour ganache over cake and top with chopped peanut butter cups (About 6-7 peanut butter cups) (this is optional). Place in the fridge for a few hours for the cake to set.

Jenny J's Chocolate Chip Cookies

My dearest friend Jenny J lives here in Hawaii with me.  She is a wonderful baker.  She has been a true friend, and a constant support of my life! I love her and will miss her so much when we move apart.
Every year for Christmas she gives us some of her chocolate chip cookie dough, and it is seriously my favorite goodie during Christmas time.  Luckily, she gave me the recipe, and I can eat these cookies year around!   I love these cookies so much that I request them on my birthday for my special treat.

Jenny J's Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 c butter, softened
3/4 c sugar
3/4 c brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2  c + 3 tbs flour
1 c chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine butter and sugars together until blended.  Add egg and vanilla, mix.  Add flour, baking soda, and salt, and mix until combined. Dough will be stiff.  Add chocolate chips, stir. 
Scoop or drop dough by large tablespoons onto a cookie sheet (I use a jelly roll pan).  Bake for 8 min. 

Leftover Halloween Candy Bar Cookies

It's a couple days after Halloween, and we have ALOT of leftover candy.  Soccer season has ended and we have a potluck pool party we are going to.  I needed to bring something, and so the wheels turned in my head.  I used my favorite cookie base for chocolate chip cookies and instead of adding chocolate chips, I added all sorts of chopped up candy bars.  Snickers, Reese's, Baby Ruth, Malt balls, Hershey's bars, Nestle Crunch, M and M's....you name it, it went into the batter.  I went away from putting anything mint into the mixture and stuck with more of the caramel, nut, nougat, peanut butter profile.  These turned out incredible, and was a good way to use all those candy bars.  If you want to do one big chopfest, candy bar chunks can be stored a ziplock in the freezer for later uses.

Leftover Halloween Candy Bar Cookies

2 c. plus 2 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
12 tbs. butter, melted, then cooled till warm
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. sugar
1 egg, plus 1 egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla
1 -1 1/2 c. assorted candy bar pieces chopped up

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Melt butter in a large bowl in the microwave just until it melts, don't scorch it! Add sugars, vanilla, and salt to butter mixture. Add egg and egg yolk, blend. Add flour and baking soda, mix until blended. Stir in candy bar pieces. Scoop tablespoon sized cookies onto an ungreased, light colored baking sheet. Cook for 14 minutes, or until edges are lightly golden...do not over bake. Let cookies sit for 1 minute until removing them from the pan to cool.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownies

I made a great dessert tonight.  I love brownies and I love cookies.  Combine the two and you get a a unique dessert.  This was very simple to throw together and was much better than just the ordinary brownie.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownies

(Recipe Courtesy of Pinch of Yum)

1/2 c butter, softened
3/4 c sugar
2 tbs brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 c plus 2 tbs flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 c chocolate chips
18.9 ounce brownie mix(I used Giradelli brand from Costco)
(eggs, oil and water for brownie mix)

1. With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugars in a small mixing bowl. Add vanilla and egg; cream again until smooth. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir gently until incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips. Store in refrigerator until ready to use.
2. Preheat oven to 320 degrees. Prepare brownie batter as directed. Pour batter into a glass 8×8 or 9×9 baking dish. Scatter pieces of cookie dough over the top of the brownie batter.
3. Bake for 35-40 minutes (35 for gooey, 40 or more for fully baked), cover the top of the pan with foil until the last 10 minutes. The foil keeps the cookies from getting too brown on top. Let stand for 15-20 minutes and cut into pieces for serving.
4. You may have to adjust baking time, as you want the middle of the brownies to be barely set.

Reeses Pieces Nutty Buddies

There was a sale recently here in Hawaii on Chex cereals.  I loaded up on corn and rice Chex not only because they are good for breakfast, but also good for a quick sweet treat.  This recipe doesn't actually have the candy Reeses Pieces in it, but the mixture you put onto the Chex cereal tastes just like Reeses Pieces, which I'm a huge fan of.  Of course, you could throw in some Reeses Pieces candy into the bowl, but trust me there is no need.  I also feel like the corn Chex works best for this, as it adds better flavor.  The key to a good nutty buddy mix is the amount of powdered sugar you use.  You want the Chex mix to not be white like the powdered sugar, but just be coated enough to wear the Chex mix is not wet anymore from the chocolate mixture (like a fudge coating) I have made this in small batches when I have needed a sweet fix at night after the kids go to bed. DELISH!

Reeses Pieces Nutty Buddies

8 cups Corn Chex
1 c white chocolate chips
3/4 c creamy peanut butter
3 tbs butter, softened
1-1 1/2 c powdered sugar

Place corn Chex in a large bowl.  In another medium sized bowl melt white chocolate in the microwave, stirring 15 seconds at a time.  Add peanut butter and softened butter, and microwave for another 15 sec, or until chocolate/peanut butter mixture is smooth.  Pour over corn Chex, and coat the cereal.  Place 1 cup of powdered sugar into a large freezer ziplock bag.  Place Chex mixture into bag, and shake around to coat the Chex with powdered sugar.  Add more powdered sugar if necessary. 

Andes Mint Bars

I have a wonderful recipe for you!  Perfect for the holidays or whenever you are needing an Andes Mint fix.  Some stores sell Andes Mint baking bits.  If you see them, buy them (they are REALLY good).  They have the original chocolate and green mint bits, and then during the holidays they have the white chocolate peppermint bits.  You can use either in this recipe.  I loved how easy this recipe was to throw together.  (This recipe can be halved, if you prefer)

Andes Mint Bars

3 c flour
1 1/2 c butter
3/4 c sugar
pinch of salt
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed
2 c Andes Mint baking bits (any flavor)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a bowl combine the flour, sugar, butter, and a pinch of salt.  Using a fork incorporate ingredients together until nice and crumbly.  Press half of the crumble into the bottom of a 9x13 pan.  Set remaining crumble aside.  In a medium bowl, combine sweetened condensed and 1 cup of the Andes Mint baking chips.  Microwave the mixture, stirring frequently until chocolate has melted into the sweetened condensed milk.  Pour milk mixture onto crust.  Combine the rest of the Andes baking bits with the crumbly top, and sprinkle it over the sweetened condensed milk layer.  Bake for 20 minutes or until slightly golden around the edges.  Let cook completely before cutting.

Toffee Almond Chip Cookies

These are so good. It's like english toffee in a cookie form. They are the chewiest cookie I have ever had, and that is not a bad thing. I made this recipe during the holidays, and just remembered that I needed to post it. The baking time is finicky, as you do not want to burn the toffee bits. So, even though the cookies may not look done, remove from the oven once the edges start to turn golden and let sit on the cookie sheet. This insures a chewy cookie.They are truly a winner. By all means, if there is an ingredient that does not suit you, leave it out. But, you must, must, must include the toffee chips. (P.S. the dough is soooooooo good!)

Toffee Almond Chip Cookies

1 c butter
1 c brown sugar
1 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
2 c flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2-3/4 bag of toffee chips (I used heath bar chips)
1 c chocolate chips, chopped
1 c oatmeal
1/2 c coconut
1 c almonds, toasted and chopped

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix butter and sugars until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Add flour, salt and baking soda, mix until combined. Add oats, chopped chocolate, coconut, chopped nuts, and toffee bits. Stir to combine. On a baking sheet drop dough by rounded tablespoons. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or just until the edges turn golden. Let cool on cookie sheet before removing.

Candy Bar Cookie Cups

I tried a new recipe. I get a couple of cooking magazines, and this recipe comes from the Betty Crocker magazine for this month. There were a ton of recipes that were very tempting. I decided to try this one, because I liked the ease factor and also the flavor combination. I have always really liked the Betty Crocker cookie mixes that you just add an egg and a stick of butter to. They are really good, and speed up the whole baking process. You could use any candy bar for this recipe, they would be good with any. If you really want to go easy, buy the frosting in the tub, but I just had to make my own. And by the way, these would be good anytime of year, especially if you want to get rid of old Halloween candy.

Candy Bar Cookie Cups

1 pkg Betty Crocker Peanut Butter Cookie Mix (prepared as directed on the package)
18 miniture Snickers bites, cut each one in half
1 container pre-made chocolate frosting (or make your own...that's what I did)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Shape dough into 36, 1-inch balls. Press into ungreased mini-muffin pan. Press a piece of candy bar into the middle of each ball. Bake for 9-10 minutes, until edges are light golden brown. Cool completely in the pan before removing them. Spoon frosting into a small zip-lock bag. Cut the corner tip, and pipe the frosting on top of each cookie cup. use sprinkles to decorate the top.

The Smallest Batch of Cookies...EVER!

Sometimes I get a craving at night for cookies. Cookies are my 1st choice of dessert, and because they are so tempting to me I sometimes don't want alot of them around. I also sometimes don't want to cook a million batches late at night...it takes too much time.
My sister Lana and I, most of the time resort to making a batch of No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oat Cookies (I need to post this one, recipe to come). We have dwindled down the recipe so that it makes only about four or five cookies. That recipe is easy to downsize because it has no eggs or baking soda in it.
This cookie recipe is awesome for those times where you want a batch of chocolate chip cookies but don't want a ton..just enough to satisfy a craving. There are many variations to this recipe. Try putting whatever chips, nuts, or candy you want in them. For a peanut butter taste, add a tablespoon of peanut butter to the mix. If you want oats, add 2 tablespoons of oats. If you don't have a measuring spoon that measures out 1/8th of a tsp...eyeball it using the 1/4th measure.

The Smallest Batch of Cookies...EVER!

3 tbs butter, softened
3 tbs sugar
3 tbs brown sugar
1 tbs egg (crack egg into bowl, whisk it really good, and measure it into a measuring spoon.)
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt (just slightly under)
1/2 c flour
however many chips or mix ins you want (about 1/3 c)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine butter and sugar until creamy. Add vanilla and egg, mix well. Add baking soda, salt and flour, mix until combined. Add mix-ins. Spoon dough onto cookie sheet and bake for 7-10 minutes or until desired doneness. Makes about 8 cookies.

Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

Every time I think of this recipe, I want to make these incredible cookies. It has every flavor profile: sweet, salty, chewy, soft, flavorful! It's yet another way that chocolate and peanut butter go so well together. I love the addition of oats for some chewy texture. You could put any kind of chips in these. If you are a HUGE peanut butter lover, peanut butter chips would take these over the top in the peanut butter category. If you are feeling even more devilish, try putting a thin coat of chocolate frosting on the top. (Not that they need anything...they are good as is).

Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

1 c sugar
1 c brown sugar
1 c butter
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 c peanut butter
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 c flour
2 c oats
3/4-1 c milk chocolate chips

Combine sugars and butter until fluffy. Add eggs, and vanilla, mix. Add peanut butter, until combined well. Add dry ingredients to wet, mix until incorporated. Add chocolate chips. Bake at 325 degrees for 10-12 minutes (depending on how well done you like your cookies, adjust the time to more or less)

Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Pretzel Bites

I have yet another TDF recipe for you! I tried these a couple of years ago from one of my friends in Carlsbad. I fell in love with them, and could not stop eating them. I don't know why I haven't made them myself until now. They are the perfect treat when you don't want to turn on your oven, and have a craving for sweet, salty, crunchy, chocolate, peanut butter. My son Brent helped me make these and he enjoyed matching up the pretzel squares to sandwich the peanut butter filling. You can use either milk chocolate or semi-sweet to dip the bites into. White chocolate may be a cool alternative as well. We made a half batch yesterday on Saturday, and they are gone!

Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Pretzel Bites

1 c. creamy peanut butter
2 tbs butter, softened
1/2 c powdered sugar (may need a little more)
3/4 c brown sugar
1 bag of chocolate chips (semi sweet or milk)
1 bag of Snyders square shaped pretzels (called snaps)

Combine the first 4 ingredients to form a dough. You should be able to roll the dough between your hands without it sticking. If it sticks add a little more powdered sugar. Roll dough into teaspoon measured balls and set aside. Take 2 pretzels, sandwich a peanut butter ball in between, and press down slightly to form a sandwich. Place on a sheet tray and freeze for 30 minutes until slightly firm. Melt chocolate in microwave (start with 1/2 bag of chocolate chips to minimize waste). Dip each sandwich halfway into chocolate, place on a cookie tray lined with wax paper or foil. Refrigerate until set.