Foodie-bia

Friday, December 4, 2009

PB & Chocolate Chip Cookies

I made these PB & Chocolate cookies a few weeks back and brought them to a party. Not surprisingly, cookies containing peanut butter and chocolate were a big hit. The recipe calls for peanut butter chips, which were impossible to find at the time I made these. Since then, they started carrying the chips at Safeway (for Christmas I guess) and I have since picked them up every time I've been there. I'm not kidding. I have 5 bags in my pantry right now. I think these cookies would have been even better if they had more of a peanut butter flavor, and if I'd used the peanut butter chips called for, they would have been even more perfect.

You start with 1 cup of peanut butter, which in my opinion is a great beginning. A huge cup of peanut butter makes me hungry just looking at it.

First you combine your 1 cup of peanut butter with 1/2 cup softened butter. I used my stand mixer, but it's not required.

Peanut butter butter. Don't mind if I do.

Now beat in 1/2 cup brown sugar and 3/4 cup granulated sugar until smooth.

Now add 1 egg and combine thoroughly. Then add 1 tablespoon milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla and mix.

In a separate bowl, combine 1 1/4 cups flour, 3/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add the flour mixture to your peanut butter mixture and mix until fully combined.

It's chip time! If you have peanut butter chips, you will add 1/2 cup peanut butter chips and 1/2 cup chocolate chips (I added 1 cup chocolate chips).

When your dough is combined, it's a bit crumbly. It makes adding the chips more difficult than in chocolate chip cookie dough, but it's also a bit easier to roll into balls.

I admit, I thought one cup of chips wasn't enough, so I added a bit extra. However, it was pretty much impossible to get the dough to accept the extra chips. I can't really explain why you couldn't get the extra chips in, but they lay on the bottom of the bowl all sad and asking me to eat them (so I did).

Get out a small bowl or plate of sugar. Form your dough into one-inch balls and rolls them thoroughly in the sugar.

Place on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet and flatten with a spatula. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes. (Smitten Kitchen warns not to over bake the cookies)

Look at all these beauties cooking and waiting for me to eat every last one. (Note that I don't have cookie racks and have to use a grill rack on top of plates - pathetic!)

If you like peanut butter cookies, and I know you do, you might as well take them to the next level by adding some chocolate. Right? I promise it doesn't overwhelm the peanut butter flavor either. I am planning on making these again in about ten seconds - with the peanut butter chips of course. Unbeatable.

Update: I have made these cookies twice since this posting and the texture of the batter was much smoother for some reason (which means you could add more chips - hooray!). Also, the combination of chocolate chips and peanut butter chips really is to die for. Your life will never be the same again. Nor will your saddlebags.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

From Smitten Kitchen

1 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar (plus more for sprinkling)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 large egg

1 tablespoon milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/4 cups flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup peanut butter chips

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat 1/2 cup softened butter and 1 cup peanut butter together thoroughly. Add 3/4 cup sugar and 1/2 cup brown sugar and beat until smooth. Add one egg and mix until combined. Mix in 1 tablespoon milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla . In a separate bowl, combine 1 1/4 cups flour, 3/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add flour mixture to peanut butter mixture and beat thoroughly. With a spatula, stir in the peanut butter chips and chocolate chips. In a small bowl or plate, place about 1 tablespoon sugar. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and then roll in sugar. Place on parchment paper-lined cookie sheets and lightly flatten with a spatula. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. Be sure to not over bake.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Outtakes

My dad took photos of John and I this weekend while my parents were visiting for Thanksgiving. We're planning on using one of the shots for our Christmas card this year (yes, we have stooped to that level). My dad has a certain fondness for pictures where he makes me peek out from behind a tree. I have decided I am too old for such photos and decided to rebel this year. I got John on my side too.

Not exactly Christmas card material.

But we ended up laughing so hard that my dad succeeded in capturing a cute imagine, despite my best efforts. Luckily, because it's my own Christmas card, I get to choose which shot makes the cut, and this one will not.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Pumpkin Butter Bars

I went to Natalie's house this afternoon to spend some quality time making and eating these amazing pumpkin butter bars. The bars are actually made out of this fancy pumpkin pecan butter Natalie got at Williams Sonoma. The bars don't have a strong pumpkin flavor (if you aren't into that) and the cinnamon and pecans give it a slight taste of pumpkin pie. You mix yellow cake mix with with a stick of butter, so you know it's good. There are three delicious layers - a butter cake layer, a pumpkin butter layer, and a crumb topping layer. Can you resist? I couldn't!

Here's what you need - 1 package yellow cake mix, 1/2 cup butter (melted), 3 eggs, 1 jar of Pecan Pumpkin Butter, 2 tablespoons milk, 1 tablespoon flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1/4 cup butter (softened), and 1 teaspoon cinnamon.

Pour the yellow cake mix into a large bowl, and remove one cup of the cake mix (place it in a separate bowl). Mix in 1/2 cup melted butter. Cake mix + butter = awesome. Kind of the opposite of that "diet coke cake" where you mix cake mix with a can of diet coke and bake it.

Add one egg and mix thoroughly.

It ends up looking a bit like bread dough, though much, much sweeter.

Flatten out your thick cake batter into a greased 9x13 pan.

This is the delicious pecan pumpkin butter that the recipe depends upon. I'm so glad Natalie had foresight to buy this.

In a small bowl, dump all your delicious pecan pumpkin butter.

Now add 2 tablespoons milk...

And add your remaining two eggs. Mix thoroughly to finish your second layer.

This is pretty thin and easily spreadable.

Which is good because you have to spread it all over the first layer.

The color of this stuff reminds me of taco sauce. Feel free to ignore my random thoughts.

Here it is all spread out and ready for layer number 3.

In the small bowl with your 1 cup of reserved cake mix, add 1 tablespoon flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/4 cup softened butter.

We decided to mix the topping together with our hands because a fork just wasn't cutting it.

Natalie then got the pleasure of crumbling it over the top.

Here it is after all her hard work. Now it goes in a 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes.

Fresh out of the oven and totally goopy.

I took a small piece to start and then had about 3 more in the next hour. These are so addictive. A hint of pumpkin, a rich pecan flavor, and a delicious buttery cake. I doubt you guys need more convincing. If you can snag some of this heavenly pecan pumpkin butter, make these bars immediately.

Pumpkin Butter Bars
By Muirhead

1 package yellow cake mix, one cup set aside
½ cup butter, melted
3 eggs
1 jar of Pecan Pumpkin Butter
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon flour
2 tablespoons sugar
¼ cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 350° F. Place yellow cake mix in a large bowl and remove one cup of the mix. Add 1/2 cup melted butter and one egg into the cake mix and combine thoroughly. Flatten the mixture into the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan. In a new bowl, combine a jar of pecan pumpkin butter, two eggs, and 2 tablespoons milk. Pour this mixture over the cake mix layer. To the reserved cup of cake mix, add 1 tablespoon flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1/4 cup softened butter, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Combine together with hands until crumbles form. Sprinkle crumbles over top of the pumpkin layer. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool for a good 15 seconds or so before diving in.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Foodie Gift Guide

I am a total sucker for gift guides on the internet. I obsessively look at every item in every gift guide I come across. I hope I'm not alone in this because I'm doing my own gift guide now for you guys. This gift guide is good for your favorite foodie or anyone that enjoys spending time eating or cooking! Please keep in mind that lots of Etsy shops will remake items. If you click an Etsy link that says an item is already sold, feel free to look at the seller's other items and you will likely find the same item you were looking for. Enjoy these fun foodie gifts!