Ultimate Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut butter cookies bring out the kid in my husband. Well, lots of things do actually; a freshly pressed golf shirt, a football game with the kids, pizza {he is one of those overly perky types and yes, I would love to be more like him but let's face it--I am victim to the "don't talk to me until I have coffee or wine"syndrome}, so give him a freshly baked-warm-out-of-the-oven peanut butter cookie stuffed with Reese's Pieces & Mini Peanut Butter Cups and you will see a smile that lights up all the way to his hazel eyes.  

That smile makes me smile! And I guarantee these cookies will make you melt somebody's smile too ;) 

I've been craving peanut butter cookies for a good month now and each time I've been to the store, I continue to buy peanut butter candies not realizing that I have already stocked up my pantry 4 times prior for cookies, so I figured it's time to bake or I will need to secretly eat 4 bags of candy before my children find them and I really was not in the mood for that guilt-fest. 

Happy husband and satisfied craving---I think we both win!!

Depending on your own cookie style, you can have a chewy PB cookie with Reese's pieces or a crunchier PB cookie with Reese's Mini peanut butter cups. The texture came out different on each cookie even though I used the same dough.  


No complaints here and if you are like me, you will make them both and happily eat them both. 

Have a Splendid Day!

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Ingredients 

adapted from simply recipes.com 

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon molasses
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2.5 oz Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Minis
• 1/2 cup Reese's Pieces Candies

Directions 

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Cream butter and both sugars using an electric mixer until smooth, about 2 minutes. Mix in the peanut butter and egg. Stir in molasses, cinnamon and vanilla. Mix together the dry ingredients - flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the sugar butter mixture.

Split dough in half and set one half aside for later. Stir in 1/2 cup Reese's candies. Roll dough with candies into 1 1/4 inch balls. Place about 3 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten in crisscross pattern with a fork. Bake until light brown, 9 to 10 minutes. Cool on baking sheets for a minute; transfer to rack to cool completely.

Shape other half of dough {without candy} into 1 1/4 inch balls. Place about 3 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten in crisscross pattern with a fork. Bake until light brown, 9 to 10 minutes. Immediately place 3 Reese's peanut butter mini cups in the center of each cookie. They will melt slightly. Cool on baking sheets for a minute; transfer to rack to cool completely.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Cinnamon Biscuit Kisses

"School's Out for Summer....no more teachers, no more school books, no more teacher's dirt-y looks." -Alice Cooper

School is offically out for the summer and it never fails that this song will ring in my head.  I am looking forward to fishing, gardening, sun-bathing, playing with my munchkins and most importantly.....not driving to various schools 3-4 times a day! 

I took it upon myself over this lazy Memorial Day weekend to surprise the kids with a special little treat from my childhood, rather than our standard Pancake Saturday...

...you should have seen the look on their faces when they bit into this chocolately, gooey, cinnamony delight! It was a cross between Christmas morning and a well-earned video game {which rarely happens!}.

Priceless.

I vaguely remember coming across this recipe, or at least some version of what I think I know, in a "kids can cook"cookbook, and my sister and I would make this as frequently as my mom would stock the house with Hershey kisses.

Not often enough to a child :)

Here's all you need.

I imagine the origin is derived from a Monkey bread, which I'm really not a fan of--too sweet and sticky.  I am sure some of you are cursing me at this exact moment.

Trust me. Please.

Especially since canned refrigerator biscuits are NOT a staple in my household.  This must be worth a try!

Have the kids do the dirty work.  They can unwrap kisses {sneak one or two is an absolute must}. And they can pat down the biscuits and place a kiss in the center of each one. 

Use some melted butter to seal up the pouch and on the outside of the dough as well.

I couldn't find my bundt pan so i just used a springform pan with an upside down bowl. Just stack the biscuits on top of each other-- I got three layers out of it.

Bake until Golden-Brown.

And then find a fork as quick as you can!

Enjoy!

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Ingredients for Cinnamon Biscuit Kisses

4 pack of 7.5oz Pilsbury Refrigerator Biscuits {10 biscuits each}

40 Hershey Kisses, unwrapped

4 Tbsp Butter, Melted

1/3 Cup Sugar

2 Teaspoons Ground Cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a bundt pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

Mix sugar and cinnamon well together in a low-sided dish. Set aside.

Remove biscuits from package and lay out individually, a few at a time.  Gently pat each biscuit down to a 1/4" thickness. Place 1 Hershey Kiss in the center of each biscuit. 

Use a pastry brush to lightly spread a small amount of butter around the edges of the biscuit.  Fold all sides together to fully enclose each chocolate kiss.  Lightly brush more butter across the outside of biscuit. Roll biscuits through the cinnamon-sugar mixture, covering all sides of biscuits. Shake off excess cinnamon & sugar. 

Place biscuits sealed side down in bundt pan, filling one row around the bottom.  Biscuits should be touching. Once there is no more room on the bottom layer, begin a second layer and then a third.  With each layer, you should have less biscuits in each row.

Bake uncovered in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until golden brown and biscuits are no longer gooey. Eat immediately while still warm.  Once cool, can be stored in an airtight container for a day or two.

Serves 6

Pear & Blueberry Crisp

Pear & Wild Maine Blueberries....an unsuspecting couple, yet matched perfectly together with sweetness from the berries and acidity from the pear.

A Perfect Pair?

I think so.

This is an easy go-to dessert for a crowd and works great as one big batch, or cute individual size {my favorite} portions in ramekins of some sort.

Soon enough blueberry season will be upon us so freshly picked blueberries will be just as delicious in this dessert too, but I really love the wild Maine because they are petite and sweet. You can find those in the frozen foods section of the grocery store in a perfectly sized resealable bag....great to throw into pancakes and muffins too. 

Although, picking fresh blueberries reminds me of the book "Blueberries for Sal" and I can hear the "ker-plink, ker-plunk, ker plank" of the blueberries hitting the pail, so maybe that's more fun?!



Crunchy, buttery topping, and silky, jammy fruit....stop reading and go make this!

Enjoy!

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Ingredients for Pear & Blueberry Crisp

by Splendor in the Kitchen

6 Pears, peeled, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces

2 Cups Frozen Wild Maine Blueberries

1/4-1/2 Cup Sugar, depending on tartness of pears

Juice & Zest of 1 Lemon

2 Tbsp Cornstarch

1 Tsp Ground Cinnamon

1/4 Tsp Freshly Ground Nutmeg

1/4 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream

For Crisp Topping:

1 Cup Flour

1 Cup Rolled Oats

3/4 Cup Brown Sugar

1 1/2 Sticks Cold Butter, cut into 1-inch pieces

Directions for Pear & Blueberry Crisp

Preheat Oven to 425 degrees.

In large glass bowl, stir together pears, lemon juice and zest.  Gently stir in blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cream. Set aside for about 15 minutes to allow the mix to thicken up.

In another bowl, mix together flour, oats and sugar.  Using a pastry knife, or fork & knife, cut in pieces of chilled butter until small clumps/balls of mixture form.

Divide fruit mixture amongst 6-8 ungreased ramekins, or pour all into 1 medium sized baking dish. Sprinkle the crisp mixture {flour/sugar/oat/butter mix} over the top, covering as much as possible of the surface.

Bake ramekins on a baking sheet about 20-25 minutes, or until top is crispy and fruit is bubbly.  If using a larger baking dish, bake about 30-35 minutes.

Serves 6-8

 

Gingerbread Fruit Pizza

Hi Everyone! 

I see a small shimmer of sunshine {I will take what I can get!} amongst the 6 feet of snow outside my window--I'm on a company retreat in the mountains and even though it appears to be winter outside, the calendar says Spring and that's what I choose to believe. So, I wanted to share this fruity-creamy-gingerbread-y dream that I came up with a few weeks ago and will go perfect for a Spring brunch, dessert, or even a "just because". 

It all acutally started with my son's 3rd grade class.  They participate in a "Feed Me Friday" program which instills healthy snacks into their bodies & brains every week, provided by the ever so supportive parents in his class.  And as they are scarfing down the healthy goodies, they get to discuss and introduce new flavors {with a mouthful, I might add}. 

Now I have this undying need to please everyone at some point or another in life --I think I may channel Martha Stewart slightly {maybe in my own imagination!}, so I wanted to ensure the kiddos and teacher were happy so I threw some health into a gingerbread cookie with whole-wheat flour and  a little greek-nonfat yogurt.

Good Stuff. 

Use any kind of fruit you like-- I used purple grapes, rasberries, strawberries, kiwi, plums, blackberries, and wild maine blueberries. As far as amounts go-- just use enough to cover the "sauce", no need to pre-measure or anything which will slow down the time frame of you getting to relish in the "fruits of your labor".  Pun intended, haha.

Enjoy!

  

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Ingredients for Gingerbread Cookie "Pizza Crust"

adapted from allrecipes.com

2 1/2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour 
2 Tsp. Ground  Ginger
1 Tsp. Baking Soda 
1 Tsp. Ground Cinnamon 
1/2 Tsp. Ground Cloves  
1/4 Tsp. Salt 
3/4 Cup Unsalted Butter, softened     
1 Cup Brown Sugar             
1 Egg, beaten      
1 Tbsp. Water       
1/4 Cup Molasses, unsulphered
1/4 Cup Greek, nonfat Yogurt

Ingredients for Yogurt-Cream Sauce

by splendor in the kitchen

1 Container Fat-Free Cool Whip, thawed    
11/2 Cup Non-fat Plain Greek Yogurt
1 Tsp. Honey 
1/4 Cup Lowfat Cream Cheese, softened at room temperature  
Zest of 1 Orange 
1 Tsp. Vanilla    
1/2 Tsp. Ground Cinnamon
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Ingredients for Fruit Topping

Assortment of fruit; blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, kiwi, grapes, plums, wild maine blueberries, fresh mint or orange mint {optional}

Directions for Gingerbread Cookie "Pizza Crust"

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C)

Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside.               

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the water, yogurt and molasses. Gradually stir the sifted ingredients into the molasses mixture. If dough is still sticky, add more flour, 1 Tbsp at a time.

Shape dough into round ball and roll out onto a lightly floured surface with a rolling pin until about 1/2 inch thick.

Place on baking sheet lined with a Silipat mat, or lightly greased with butter.

Bake for 25-30 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookie to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.              

Directions for Yogurt-Cream Sauce

Place all ingredients in medium-sized bowl and mix together until smooth.

Assembly
Spread yogurt-cream sauce over entire cookie crust.  Arrange fruit over the top of the sauce in rows.  Garnish with mint if you like. Store in refrigerator at least 30 minutes and pull out just before serving.

About 15 small pieces, or 10 large

  

My, oh My, Heart Attack Surprise!

Have you ever met a brownie that didn't make your heart beat fast? I know that I haven't, and while some may come close to melting your heart entirely this one for sure is borderline deadly with it's German chocolate, melting chocolate chips, and oh yeah, seductively gooey caramel. 

The ONLY medication for this diagnosis is an ice cold glass of milk for dunking!!

This recipe has been gracing our plates with its presence for decades now, although I really am unsure of the origin {sorry!}, other than it was given to my mom by a family friend. 

With some old school, simple ingredients though, it reminds me of a Retro Housewife donning an apron & some perfect hair, and baking away in her avocado-green kitchen {hence the super cute napkins in the photo}. My parents weren't big on sweets in our household growing up, so boy were us kids excited when the Heart Attack Surprise came out...mostly by request of my brother on his birthday. 

THANK YOU big brother!  Now my oldest son requests this delish dish for his birthday festivities, so I am now delighted to share such a fun treat with him and you all!

To make the brownies, it's a two-step process, but don't worry, all in all, it only takes about 30 minutes from start to finish.  These are are the caramels that I typically get {I suppose you could buy caramel sauce to drizzle but that takes the fun out of unwrapping & sneaking one or two for the kids}.

Do you love the retro-rounded corner s & 1960's color/style effect I enhanced this photo with?!

Be sure to let them cool completely prior to serving, otherwise you may have caramel battle wounds.  Go ahead and throw them in the fridge for a bit just to be safe, unless you prefer a warm brownie. 

Enjoy!

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Ingredients for Heart Attack Surprise

1, 14 ounce bag Soft Caramels {individually wrapped}

1/2 cup Evaporated Milk

1, 18.25 ounce package German Chocolate Cake Mix

1/3 cup Evaporated Milk

3/4 cup Melted Butter

1/4 cup Chopped Pecans or Walnuts {optional....I don't use them}

2 cups Milk Chocolate Chips

Butter for Baking Dish

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9x13 inch pan with butter.

Peel caramels and place in a microwave-safe bowl . Pour in 1/2 cup evaporated milk. Heat and stir until all caramels are melted.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together cake mix, 1/3 cup evaporated milk, melted butter, and chopped nuts {if using}.  Place 1/2 of the batter in prepared baking pan.

Place the remaining batter in the fridge.

Bake for 8 minutes. Remove brownies from the oven and sprinkle chocolate chips on top.  Drizzle caramel sauce over chocolate chips. 

Remove brownie mix from refrigerator.  Using a teaspoon or your fingers, make small balls with the batter and place on top of the caramel sauce across the entire pan.  You will still see caramel peeking through--that's ok, as the brownie batter will expand in the oven.

Bake for an additional 20-25 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool.