Peanut Butter Brownies

I got this recipe from my sister-in-law Janetta who I love :) She made them around the same time we found out Kale had a small peanut allergy.... I was breastfeeding the sweet baby boy at the time and let's just say my husband talked me into just tasting one... I then wanted the whole plate!!! Lucky for both Kale and I he has grown out of his allergy. I would hate for him to miss out on wonderful peanut butter brownies and all of their deliciousness! Has NOTHING to do with my OWN love for the stuff.... :) Enjoy! You will LOVE these. So moist and just yummy! Way better than peanut butter cookies.

Ingredients:

1 c. sugar
1/3 c. brown sugar
2 lg. eggs
1/2 c. peanut butter
1/4 c. butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
1 3/4 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 T. milk

Frosting:

1/3 c. peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. powdered sugar
4 T. milk

Directions:

Mix sugars, eggs, butters, milk and vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix w/sugar/butter mixture. Spread into lightly greased 9x13" pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 min. Cool and frost. Enjoy!

Chocolate Lasagna

I have made this recipe from mandysrecipebox.blogspot.com on numerous occasions. Everyone goes nuts over it, including me.... It is the perfect combination of flavors and textures. Love it. Just a note... I have changed the recipe to my liking by subbing my own whipped cream for the cool whip. Nothing is as good as the real thing! But if you must, you must. No hard feelings :)

Ingredients

1 (15.5 oz.) package of Oreo cookies

1/2 c. butter, melted

2 pkg. (3.9 oz each)  Chocolate Instant Pudding

3 1/4 c. cold milk 

1 pint heavy cream, whipped & sweetened with powdered sugar & vanilla to taste

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 c. powdered sugar

Directions

Crush all Oreo cookies in a food processor until crushed. Save 1/2 c. of the crumbs for the topping. Pour the remaining crumbs into a 9x13 dish and add the melted butter. Stir and press into the bottom of the dish to make a crust. In a bowl, whisk together the pudding mix and milk. Set in the fridge for now. Blend cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar. Mix and fold in half of the whipped cream. Spread over the crust. Add pudding and spread over the cream cheese mixture. Top with the remaining whipped cream. Sprinkle the 1/2 c. Oreo crumbs over top. Chill and serve! SO ADDICTING!!!

Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream

Can I just say that I love my ice cream maker? Holy moly homemade ice cream is simply amazing. The occasional beautiful weather in Utah this last month has really gotten me craving a summery treat. My parents are stopping by on their way through town tomorrow, so I decided to whip up this strawberry deliciousness. I use a cuisinart ice cream maker and first got this recipe out of their recipe book. Best strawberry ice cream I have ever had. Enjoy!

Ingredients

3 cups fresh ripe strawberries, stemmed and sliced
4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1-1/2 cup sugar, divided
1-1/4 cups whole milk
2-3/4 cups heavy cream
1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Instructions

In a small bowl, combine the strawberries with the lemon juice and 1/2 cup of the sugar. Stir gently and allow the strawberries to macerate in the juices for 2 hours. Strain the berries, reserving juices. Mash or purée half the berries.
In a medium mixing bowl, use a hand mixer on low speed to combine the milk and remaining granulated sugar until the sugar is dissolved, about 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream, reserved strawberry juice, mashed strawberries, and vanilla. Turn the machine on; pour the mixture into freezer bowl, and let mix until thickened, about 20 to 25 minutes. Five minutes before mixing is completed, add the reserved sliced strawberries and let mix in completely. The ice cream will have a soft, creamy texture. If a firmer consistency is desired, transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and place in freezer for about 2 hours. Remove from freezer about 15 minutes before serving.

New York Times Bestselling Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have two favorite versions of Chocolate Chip Cookies. I have already posted the others called "Absolutely the Best Chocolate Chip Cookies". I came across this recipe from the New York Times months ago and was in love. Seriously dangerous recipe.... My husband LOVES them! They are big and gooey and crispy on the edges. Just delicious! I will be baking these Friday and selling them for $10/dozen. A little pricey, but so is baking them :( If you are not up for buying any, here is the recipe :) Enjoy!

The BEST Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe | New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookie
Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 18 large cookies

Absolute best chocolate chip cookie you'll ever eat!

Ingredients

2 cups minus 2 tablespoons (8 1/2 ounces) cake flour
1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate (I used Ghirardelli chocolate chips )
Sea salt

Instructions

Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.
Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.
Scoop 6 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm, with a big napkin.
Notes

Recipe from Jacque Torres and The New York Times

*NOTE CHILL TIME of 24-72 hours- it WILL yield a better cookie

Mom's Cherry Dessert

I am not a cherry pie fan, but I could never turn down this dessert made by my mother. I tried to make it the other night for some friends. I was avoiding a trip to the store and made it without having all of the right stuff. It was still delicious, but I promised I'd post the real recipe soon. So here you go! Enjoy :)

1 yellow cake mix
2 21 oz. cans cherry pie filling
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. slivered almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour cherry pie filling in the bottom of a 9x13" pan. Sprinkle cake mix on top. Top with butter shavings. Last, top with almonds. Bake about 50 minutes or until golden. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. YUM! Thanks Mom :)

Peach Crisp with Maple Cream Sauce

I found this on Sisters Cafe but this recipe is from the book "The Pioneer Woman Cooks". As you know I have been making lots of crisps and cobblers lately. Well let me tell you, to me, this blows any peach cobbler out of the water. We topped ours with the maple cream sauce and added a small scoop of ice cream. Not exactly low cal.... but hey, it sure was delicious :)

1 cup flour
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. (one stick) butter, cut into bits
5-6 cups, peeled, sliced fresh peaches
Juice and grated zest of ½ lemon
2 T. maple syrup
Maple cream Sauce (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350. Combine flour, sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in medium bowl. Cut in butter with fork or pastry blender until mixture is the consistency of coarse meal. Place peaches in 9-inch square baking pan or smaller baking dish. Gently mix in lemon juice, rind and maple syrup. Top with crumb mixture. Cover tightly with foil and bake about 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake20 to 30 minutes more or until top is crisp and brown. You might want to broil fora couple of minutes to ensure good color. Serve warm with maple cream sauce.

Maple Cream Sauce
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
5 T. maple syrup
3 T. light corn syrup

Combine all ingredients in heavy sauce pan; cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly until thickened and reduced by 1/3, approximately 20 minutes. Chill until thickened. Drizzle generously over Peach Crisp.

Calphalon - Apple-Cranberry Crisp

I know it isn't anywhere close to being Fall, but I have been in a cobbler/crisp mood lately. I was checking out some new cookware at Calphalon (which is AMAZING!) and came across this recipe on their site. SO GOOD. Enjoy!