Super Simple Peanut Butter Cookies

Exactly as the title says, super simple, no flour, peanut butter cookies. And yes, they do turn out just fine.

1 egg
1 cup sugar
1 cup peanut butter

Preheat oven to 350. Mix ingredients together. Drop spoonfuls on cookie sheet. Bake 6-10 minutes depending on how done you want them.

Enjoy!

'Potluck' Marshmallow Bars

My brother and I were trying to figure out something to make with the bad of mini-marshmallows in the cupboard and we started discussing these treats known only as - those things with the rainbow marshmallows that we always had at potlucks. We both remembered them as being rainbow mini marshmallows covered in some sort of goo, which I remembered consisting of peanut butter and butterscotch and he remembered as including chocolate as well.

So, armed only with childhood memories, we went hunting. And we found this...

1 pkg butterscotch chips
1 pkg (about 2 cups) chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter

1 pkg mini-marshmallows

Line 9x13 pan with tinfoil. Grease tinfoil. In a large bowl microwave together chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and peanut butter in 30s-1min intervals until melted. Add marshmallows. Pour into pan. Refrigerate until solid.

Okay, so we realized why these are brought to potlucks - because one or two is tasty but anymore gets a little much. So I don't know if I'll make them again.

Fudge Puddles (aka Fudge Puppies)

I made these Fudge Puddles the other day and for some reason my mother started calling them Fudge Puppies. They're pretty tasty, peanut butter cookie outside with a fudge centre.

1/2 cup margarine, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cups flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 325. Spray muffin tins or mini muffin tins with PAM. Mix together margarine, peanut butter and sugars. Stir in egg and vanilla. Sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Stir into 'wet' mixture. Roll dough into balls and place each ball inside a muffin tin compartment. Bake for 14-16 minutes.

1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup regular chocolate cups
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla

Melt chocoate chips together in a double boiler. Stir in sweetened condensed milk and vanilla. Mix well. Set aside and allow to cool slightly.

As soon as you remove the cookies from the oven (while they are still warm and soft) make wells in them by pushing down the centres with a melon baller. Allow the cookies to cool in the pans for a bit and then remove carefully so that they don't fall apart. Spoon fudge mixture into the wells in the cookies.

Perfect peanut butter inside, chocolate outside, kind of the opposite of my mum's favourite chocolate bar.

Easter Treats

These were originally posted on Facebook April 12, 2009. I did an insane amount of Easter baking/cooking this year so this will be a huge post. I ended up giving quite a bit of this stuff away.So for the last several days there have been strange tin foil covered cookie trays in the fridge at my house. There was a sign on them saying "No Peeking, if I find out you get NONE!" Today my family got to find out what was under the tin foil. Amazing amounts of Easter Treats! Because I'd made them all in small batches, I didn't realize how much I'd made until this morning when I finally was able to pull everything out and take a look.

So here goes....

Chocolate Covered Easter Eggs

My Grandma's Recipe

1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 lb butter
3 lbs icing sugar (or more or less depending on the dough consistency that you want)
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp salt
Chocolate Chips

Cream together butter, condensed milk, vanilla and salt. Slowly add in icing sugar. You may need to use your hands near the end. Knead until smooth. Divide into 2/3 and 1/3. Dye one part yellow and form into balls, these are the egg "yolks" Wrap the plain dough around the yellow dough and place on cookie sheet. Refrigerate 1-2 days or more. Then melt some chocolate in a double boiler and dip the "eggs" in the chocolate, roll them around with forks until they are well coated and then pull them out and put them on a cookie sheet. Refrigerate until chocolate is hard.

My grandma made these for us when we were little kids. My dad loves them, but they're really really sweet and so my Mom doesn't make them and my grandma doesn't make them anymore either. Anyway, I decided to make them for my Dad as a surprise this Easter so I called my grandma and got the recipe. I also promised my uncle I'd freeze some for him when he comes for birthdays in a few weeks. Anyway, I did cut the recipe in half though but it still made a couple dozen and because they're not my mom's favorite I tried another recipe as well.

Allrecipes Chocolate Covered Easter Eggs

Base:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1 pkg (250 g) cream cheese
2 1/2 lbs icing sugar (Again, more or less depending on the consistency of the dough, I don't actually know how much I used I just kept dumping in sugar until it felt right)
Add ins (Optional):
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup cocoa
1 cup coconut (RJ hates coconut, so I didn't use this one)
Sliced Almonds
Almond Extract
Chocolate Chips

Mix together the butter, cream cheese and vanilla. Slowly add in icing sugar until it is the right consistency. You will probably need to use you hands near the end. Split into parts for add ins. Leave one part plain. Add peanut butter to another. Add cocoa to another. Add almonds and almond extract to the other part. Roll dough into egg shapes and put on cookie sheet. Refrigerate for a few hours until hard. Melt some chocolate in a double boiler then dip in the eggs, make sure they are well coated and then pull them out. Refrigerate until the chocolate is hard.

I haven't had a chance to try these yet but apparently the peanut butter ones taste exactly like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and my brother's friend says the cocoa ones are amazing. These aren't nearly as sweet as my grandma's ones.

I also made some fudge for my mum.

Triple Chocolate Fudge

This recipe I created by modifying/combining a bunch of Allrecipes fudge recipes.

1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Line a 8x8 pan with tin foil/parchment paper/wax paper. Heat 1/3 of the sweetened condensed milk with the semisweet chocolate chips until smooth. Remove from heat, stir in half the vanilla and spread into pan. Heat another 1/3 of the milk with the milk chocolate chips. Remove from heat, stir in the rest of the vanilla and spread on top of the dark layer. Heat the rest of the milk and white chocolate chips. Spread over top of the milk layer. Refrigerate until hard.

Allrecipes Foolproof Chocolate Fudge

3 cups chocolate chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk
3/4 cup nuts (optional)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Melt together sweetened condensed milk and chocolate chips until smooth. Remove from heat and add in vanilla and nuts. Spread into lined 8x8 pan. Refrigerate until hardened.

This recipe I halved because I had to use up the other half can of sweetened condensed milk from halving my grandma's recipe. It turned out nicely.

Anyway, so long story short we have about 6 dozen chocolate covered sugar eggs and two pans of fudge in our house. But it's all tasty.

And I made truffles a few days earlier. But I can't find the photos to go with.

Chocolate Truffles

3 cups chocolate chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla
Your choice of: Chopped Walnuts, almonds, sprinkles, coconut, whatever you can think of for toppings.

Melt together chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk on low heat until well combined. Put into a bowl and if you want to make some almond flavoured ones, separate dough into a separate bowl. Add vanilla to one bowl and almond extract to the other. Cover and chill in fridge for an hour or so. Then form into balls and roll in your choice of toppings

Crepes and Crack Bars

Originally posted on Facebook June 28, 2009

This morning I was up a little early. So I made Crepes. Crepes have always been a special treat breakfast in our house because they take so long to make. When I was little I always thought that was because they took hours to chill. But it turns out it only takes one hour to chill. Anyway, so if you're up early and want to make a tasty breakfast or brunch, these are pretty awesome. (Although not filling at all)

Crepes
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp melted butter
1 cup flour
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt

In a mixing bowl beat together eggs, milk, water and butter. Then add flour, sugar and salt. Stir until smooth. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour. Stir before cooking.
(I don't actually know how to do the cooking part, the following is my best description of how my parents cook these things) Drop a small amount of batter into the pan. Tilt the pan around to spread the batter. Cook until bubbles form on one side. Carefully flip and brown the other side. Transfer onto a plate for serving. Serve with lemon juice and icing sugar. (Or your favourite crepe toppings)

These are amazing and get eaten far to fast for a picture to be taken.

Originally posted on Facebook, June 7, 2009

These are a family favourite of ours. The boys and their friends call them crack bars because you can never eat just one. They're good for breakfasts, lunches and swapping with your friends to get better lunch food. They're great because they're so tasty and filling.

Peanut Butter Granola Bars

1 egg
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/3 cup margarine
2 tsp vanilla
3 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup raisins
1/3 cup wheat germ
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 9x13 pan. Beat together peanut butter, sugar, syrup, margarine, egg and vanilla until smooth. Stir in remaining ingredients. Bake for 20 min, cool before cutting.

All the ingredients after the rolled oats are optional. I usually use sunflower seeds, wheat germ and chocolate chips.

Cupcake Fest: Part 3

Part 3 of the Cupcake Fest is entirely devoted to Grad Cupcakes. The idea for these cupcakes came from the immensely talented Bakerella. I made two rounds of them with two different flavours of cupcakes each time.

Decadent Brownie Cups
1 cup butter (margarine)
* 4 (1 oz) squares unsweetened chocolate
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
Mini peanut butter cups

*Each Unsweetened chocolate square can be substituted with 3 tbsp of cocoa powder and 1 tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare 18 muffin cups. Melt together chocolate and butter. Remove from heat and mix with sugar. Add eggs, one at a time. Stir in vanilla. Then add flour and salt. Spoon into muffin cups. Press a peanut butter cup into the centre of each. Bake for about 18 minutes.

Classic Chocolate Cupcakes
1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup milk
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
**8 (1 oz) squares semi sweet chocolate, melted and cooled slightly

**I substituted 1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips for the semi sweet chocolate squares. They can be easily melted in the microwave

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare 18 muffin cups. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add oil, milk, eggs and vanilla. Stir until well blended. Stir in melted chocolate until well mixed. Spoon into prepared muffin cups. Bake 25-30 min.

Chocolate Surprise

2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup margarine, softened
3/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
3 egg whites
1 cup chocolate chips, melted
30 mini Reeces peanut butter cups

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare 30 muffin cups. Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Mix well. In another bowl beaet sugar and butter. Add milk and vanilla. Beat in flour mixture slowly. Add egg whites. Stir in melted chocolate. Spread one heaping tablespoon of batter into the bottom of each muffin cup. Add one mini peanut butter cup and then cover with more batter. Bake 24-26 min.

Peanut Butter Cupcakes

1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup margarine
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare 18 muffin cups. Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. Beat butter and peanut butter together. Beat in sugars. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Add in flour mixture and milk alternating in small batches. Spoon into muffin cups. Bake 23-25 min.

For the peanut butter frosting I just added an extra 1/2 cup or so of peanut butter to my regular frosting recipe.

For the grad hat toppers. Take a mini Reeces cup, turn it upside down. Put some frosting on the top. Top with a square chocolate. Then add a Reeces pieces and a licorice, securing with more frosting.

Oh, and as a note, I think I should add my frosting 'recipe'

I don't really have a recipe for icing. Basically you start with 1/4 cup or so with butter and stir in a cup or so of icing sugar. Then you add a teaspoon of vanilla, a few tablespoons of milk and enough icing sugar until it is the consistency you want. For chocolate icing just add 1/3 cup or so of cocoa powder to the second batch of icing sugar addition.