Peanut butter bars with Reese’s eggs, ground peanuts and peanut butter frosting

Calling all peanut butter lovers!  This is for you.  Peanut butter bars with finely ground peanuts, cut up Reese’s eggs smushed on top and frosted with peanut butter frosting.

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount (same goes for the powdered sugar.  Remember to preheat your oven before baking.

  • Ingredients
  • 1 cup oeanut butter
  • 1/2 cup butter crisco, crisco or butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup peanuts, finely ground in a food processor (opt)
  • Reese’s eggs, chopped up (opt)

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 9×13 cake pan with tin foil and spray with baking spray.  Set aside.  In a bowl, cream butter crisco, sugar, brown sugar and peanut butter.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Blend in dry ingredients.  Mix in peanuts.  Evenly spread into prepared cake pan.  Gently press pieces of chopped up Reese’s eggs on top like so.

Bake for 25 minutes,  no longer.  Let cool completely.

  • Frosting ingredients
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 2 tbs milk (or more)
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3 cups powdered sugar

Combine butter and peanut butter in a small sauce pan.  Over low-medium heat, bring to a boil.  Remove from heat.  Add milk, vanilla and powdered sugar.  You may need to add more milk or powdered sugar to get the consistency you want.  Frost cooled bars.  Store in covered container.

Vanilla cake-like cookies

For my work friends who prefer vanilla treats over chocolate and are not fans of peanut butter.  These are a soft, thick vanilla cookie, with a cake like texture and topped with vanilla frosting.  Frosting is not my strength,  as you can see.  I either make it too thin or too thick.  Regardless,  I think people will enjoy the cookies!

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.   (Same goes for the powdered sugar in frosting).  Also preheat your oven before baking.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cup crisco (or butter, softened)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3 cups flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Directions – in a bowl, cream crisco or butter and sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Blend in dry ingredients.   Scoop out 2 tbs of dough and roll into balls.  Chill doughs  for a few hours in fridge.  When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and stagger cookies. 

Bake 10 minutes, no longer.  Tops will be gushy.  You can firm them up in fridge or let them firm up at room temp.  Cool completely.

  • Frosting ingredients
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 to 4 tbs milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla

In a bowl, blend powdered sugar and 2 tbs milk and vanilla.  Add more milk ,(or powdered sugar) to get the consistency you want.  Store in covered container.

Browned butter/bread flour chocolate chip cookies

Another variation of chocolate chip cookies.  These use browned butter and bread flour.  The bread flour makes the cookies thick and chewy.  I used a combo of semisweer chocolate and mini chocolate chips.

Browned butter is super simple to make.  You cook the butter over low-medium heat until little brown specs appear.  It take 8 to 10 minutes. 

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the correct amount.  I also recommend forming the dough into tall mounds after you scoop it out and chilling it  for a few hours or freezing it for 30 minutes.  And preheat the oven to 350 degrees before baking so they oven cycles to the right temp.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cup butter, browned and cooled
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 1/4 cups brown sugar, firmly packed into measuring cups
  • 1 egg
  • 1 yolk
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp heavy cream
  • 2 1/2 cups bread flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup chocolate chips
  • 1 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions – in a bowl, combine butter, sugar and brown sugar.  Blend in egg, yolk, vanilla and heavy cream. Fold in dry ingredients.  Mix in chips.  Scoop out 1/4 cups dough.  Form tall mounds.  Chill a few hours or freeze for 30 minutes.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with nonstick baking liners.  Stagger cookies on sheet.  Bake 10 to 11 minutes, no longer.  Cool completely.   Store in covered container.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Milk Chocolate Chip cookies with finely ground macadamia nuts

I thought it was time for another batch of  chocolate chip cookies.  These are made with milk chocolate chips and finely ground macadamia nuts (I actually ground them in the food processor a little too long, so they were more like a nut butter 😀)

I recommend chilling the individual mounds of dough.  for a few hours or freeze them for 30 to 60 minutes to keep them from spreading. 

I used butter flavor crisco.  You can use regular crisco or butter if you prefer.

Also, you can use a different type of nuts or none at all.

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  Also, preheat your oven before baking.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cup butter flavor crisco
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 1/4 cups brown sugar (firmly packed into measuring cups)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tbs vanilla
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tbs cornstarch
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 cups milk chocolate chips
  • 1 cup macadamia nuts (finely ground)

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter crisco, brown sugar and sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Fold in dry ingredients.  Blend in chips and nuts.  Scoop out 1/4 cups dough.  Chill a few hours. (I froze mine for an hour to speed up the process).  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or nonstick baking liners.  Stagger cookies on sheet. 

Bake 12 to 13 minutes, no longer.  Cookies will be gushy, but bottoms will be golden brown.  gentlt press extra chips on top of cookies.

  Pop cookies in fridge to firm them up.  Store in covered container.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

For part one of tomorrow’s treat for ESPN Radio – browned butter chocolate chip cookies.  Browned butter adds a slightly different flavor to the cookies.  It is pretty easy to “make.”  You place the butter in a saucepan pan, cook over low-medium heat, stirring occasionally,  until brown specks appear at the bottom.  Immediately turn off stove burner and remove from heat.

These also used bread flour, which makes the cookies a little thicker and more dense.  I would not sub all purpose flour in this recipe.  If you don’t have bread flour, I have plenty of other chocolate chip cookie recipes that use AP flour.  remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  Pouring flour directly into your measuring cup can result in packing in the flour, making for a dry cookie.

I recommend chilling the individual doughs overnight, so they stay puffy while baking.   Also preheat your oven before baking.

  • Ingredients list
  • 1 cup butter, browned, then cool for 5 to 10 minutes
  • 1 1/4 cups brown sugar (packed into measuring cup)
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tbs heavy cream
  • 1 egg
  • 1 yolk
  • 2 1/4 cups bread flour (scooped from flour bag into your measuring cup)
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 cups chocolate chips

Directions – in a bowl, mix browned butter, sugar and brown sugar.  Add eggs, yolk, vanilla and heavy cream. Blend in dry ingredients.   If dough seems a little dry, add another tbs of heavy cream.  Mix in chocolate chips.  Scoop out 1/4 cups dough.  Chill individual fridge overnight.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper or nonstick baking liners.  Stagger cookies doughs on prepared sheets.  Bake 10 to 14 minutes, no longer.  Cool completely.  If cookies seem too gushy, pop them in the fridge a bit to firm them up.  Store in covered container.

Thanks so much for stopping by today.

Week 9 victory treats part 2 – fudgy brownies

Such a big Bills win was worthy of not one, but 2 treats.  Plus not everyone loves peanut butter, so i present an alternative – fudgy brownies with chocolate chips. 

  • Ingredients list
  • 10 tbs butter
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 3/4 cup plus 2 tbs unsweetened baking cocoa
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line an 8×8 pan with tin foil and spray with baking spray.  In a microwave safe bowl, melted butter, sugar and cocoa for 45 seconds.  Stir smooth.  Blend in eggs and vanilla.  Add flour.  Mix in chips.  Evenly spread into prepared pan.  Bake 20 minutes (toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs)  cool completely.   Store in covered container.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

XXXL peanut butter cookies with peanut butter chips and peanut m&ms

To celebrate a week 9 Bills heart stopping win over the Dolphins (thank you, Tyler Bass),  I present XXXL peanut butter cookies with peanut butter chips and peanut m&ms.  It was a wonderful win and I felt these cookies were the appropriate victory treat. 

I was so happy for our kicker, Tyler Bass.  He’s had some rough times this season and he nailed a 61 yard field goal for the win.  After the game, I was really touched to see how emotional he was, his coaches and teammates were for him to hit such a big kick.

 

  • Ingredients
  • 1 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup peanut butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 3/4 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 cup peanut butter chips
  • 1/2 cup peanut m&ms

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter, brown sugar, sugar and peanut butter.  Mix in eggs.  Fold in dry ingredients.  Blend in chips and m&ms.  Divide evenly into 8 mounds of dough.  Chill at least an hour.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.   Stagger 4 cookie mounds on each sheet.  Bake 12 to 14 min (no longer).  Cool completely.   Place in fridge for an hour or so to firm up.  Store in covered container.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  I hope you have a wonderful day! 

Go Bills!

Football friday #7 (and happy birthday Eric)

Today’s Friday football treats is a request from my coworker, Eric, who’s celebrating a birthday today.   They are a version of Little Debbie brownies, which I  loved as a child.  These even have rainbow chips on top (shout out to Price Rite for having them)

I made these amid a crazy game three of the ALCS between the Yankees and Guardians.  What a nutty last few innings – the Judge and Stanton home runs.  The Noel and Fry home runs.  Rob and I are Yankees fans (but he is more invested than me).  He was quite mad afterwards and broke into hot brownies (which I warned him against).  He mangled them, as you can see below.

Remember to scoop your flour and baking cocoa from your containers into measuring cups so you get the right amount.  Also, preheat your oven for 20 minutes so it cycles to the right temp.  If you don’t have milk chocolate chips, you can use all semisweet for the ganache.

  • Brownies ingredients list
  • 2 1/2 sticks of butter, melted
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar, packed into measuring cup
  • 1 3/4 cups unsweetened baking cocoa
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 yolks
  • 2 tbs corn syrup
  • 1 1/3 cups flour
  • 2 tbs cornstarch
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degre3s.  Line a 9×13 cake pan with parchment paper and spray with baking spray.  In a bowl, mix butter, sugar, brown sugar, and baking cocoa.  Add eggs, one at a time,  yolks, corn syrup and vanilla.  Blend in dry ingredients.  Mixture will be very thick.  Evenly spread into pan.  Bake 30 to 40 minutes (until toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs).  Cool completely.

  • Ganache ingredients
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions – in one microwave safe bowl, heat chips for 1 minutes.  In another microwave safe bowl, heat cream for one minute.  Combine cream and chips.  Stir smooth.  Let sit 5 minutes.  Spread on cooled brownies and sprinkle with rainbow chips or m&ms

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  Wishing you a day filled with joy, peace and love.  Also remember to be kind!

Sugar smashed peanut butter cookies

Some friends are coming over and love peanut butter treats, so I wanted to make them some peanut butter cookies.  I ended up frosting these.. but I think next time, melted milk chocolate chips or hershey kisses would be better.

Remember to scoop your flour and powdered sugar from their respective containers so you get the right amount.  If you have time, I recommend chilling the dough so the cookies  spread less.

  • Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup butter softened
  • 1/4 cup crisco
  • 1 cup peanut butter
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tbs water
  • 2 eggs
  • 4 cups flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • Extra sugar

Directions – in a bowl, cream butter, crisco, peanut butter, sugar, powdered sugar and water.  Add eggs.  Fold in flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt.  Scoop out 1/4 cups of dough.  roll into balls.   Spray the bottom of a glass with Pam and dip in extra sugar.  Gently smush cookies (I left mine kind of thick).  Chills for a few hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Bake 9 to 11 minutes (no longer).  Cool completely.  Top with melted milk chocolate.  Store in covered container.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Gameday Week 3 treat # 2 – brownies

These Bills  gameday treats for week 3, a request from Rob- brownies.   I grabbed the wrong size pan (8×8) instead of what my recipe indicated (9×9), so these are thicker and took a bit longer to bake. Oops! 🙂  I will have the directions for the 9×9 pan in this recipe.

Remember to scoop your flour from your flour bag into your measuring cup so you get the right amount.  Also preheat your oven so it cycles to the right temp. 

  • Ingredients list
  • 12 tbs butter
  • 1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 9×9 pan with tin foil and spray with baking spray.   In a microwave safe bowl, melt butter and chips in 45 second increments until you can stir smooth.  Add brown sugar and sugar.  Mix in eggs, one at a time, and vanilla.  Fold in flour and salt.  Blend in chips.  Evenly spread into prepared pan.  Bake 25 to 30 minutes (toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs).  Sprinkle warm brownies with powdered sugar.  Cool completely.   Cut and store in covered container. 

Thanks for stopping by today!  Go Bills!