TWD peanuttiest blondies

This week Nicole of Bakeologie chose the Peanuttiest Blondies f/m page 119 of BFMHTY.

Well, sadly these are kindof a fail for me.  I baked them for the suggested minimum 40 minutes and the edge pieces are like rocks!!  my teeth hurt from trying to eat one :(

The batter was fabulous, so I think if I bake them less they will be perfect--and I may try that very soon!  Kinda bummed about this big plate of blondies that are too hard to eat, but I'm thinking that would be fabulous ground up in the food processor and used as a cookie crust for something delicious...

Thanks for the pick Nicole (check her blog for the recipe), and everyone be sure to check the TWD lyl post to see if they didn't become rocks for someone else!

peanut butter tart

A few days ago I was browsing the blogs and ran across an amazingly simple and delicious looking peanut butter tart on Joy the Baker's blog.  I knew immediately that I would be making it for my first Bible study meeting with my new group!

Seriously, it only takes a few minutes to whip up--and no baking at all!  Gotta love that on a hot summer day!  I made this one in my rectangle tart pan and had nice square slices for everyone. 

The girls loved it!  Everyone gobbled up a good-sized piece, and then Butch enjoyed licking up the crumbs :)  (she also loved licking the bowls while I was making it)

Thanks to Joy for inspiring me to make this super easy delicious tart!

No-Bake Peanut Butter Tart
adapted from Martha Stewart
makes one 9-inch round tart
Print this Recipe!
For the Crust:
12 double graham crackers (the kind that measure about 5 x 2 1/2-inches)
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
pinch of salt
For the Filling:
1 3/4 cups heavy cream, divided
1 cup natural peanut butter
3/4  (6 ounces) cup cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup plus 2 Tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
Crust the graham crackers in a food processor, in a plastic back with a rolling pin or with your hands in a bowl.  Make sure they are very well crumbled with no large chunks remaining.  Add the melted butter and stir thoroughly, making sure all of the crumbs receive some butter love.  Pour the graham cracker and butter mixture into a 9-inch tart shell with a removable bottom.  Press the mixture along the sides of the tart pan and along the bottom until evenly coated.  Carefully place the tart pan in the freezer while you prepare the filling.
To make the filling combine the peanut butter, softened cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk in the bowl of an electric mixer fit with a paddle attachment.  You can also use the food processor if you’d like.
Blend the three ingredients until thoroughly incorporated, but don’t over blend or some liquids will separate.
In a separate bowl, whip 3/4 cup of heavy cream to soft peaks.  Add the whipped cream to the peanut butter mixture and fold together until well incorporated.
Remove the tart pan from the freezer and spoon in the peanut butter filling.  Spread evenly.
Whip up the remaining cup of heavy cream to stiff peaks and add to the top of the peanut butter filling.  Refrigerate for at least two hours, or overnight.  Top with salted mixed nuts and serve in giant slices.  Seriously.

Dinner w/the neighbors and a chocolate peanut butter cheesecake!

Tonight we had the very fun priveledge of having a dinner party with our new(ish) neighbors!  I have to admit one shameful thing...they have lived next door since november and last week was the first time that I went over to introduce myself!  This past year has been so crazy, but we have finally established a relationship.  : )

I introduced myself to Rachel last weekend after I made a batch of sourdough bread and took some to share, and then this Saturday afternoon she had slipped the sweetest letter into our mailbox asking us over for dinner!  She also asked if I would like to make dessert since I had mentioned how much I love to bake, and of course I gladly agreed : )  They are just a lovely couple...but I must admit I feel very young and inexperienced compared to them!  I don't think they are too much older, definitely not over 10 years, but are both astronomers from Australia, and have lived all over Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, and the US.  They are here teaching at our alma mater which is just wonderful for WKU!  We also got to meet the couple who live on the other side of them--English teachers at the local community college.  It was fun and also kinda rare to have 3 houses in a row with young couples who don't have kids.  Not that I have anything against children or only want friends who don't have kids, but most of the other people on our street have families and there is a bit of a difference in how we all relate. 

This was also a fun time for me to get to make anything at all that I wanted!  Since the TWD recipe for this week is biscuits I looked through my other magazines, cookbooks, and bookmarked recipes for a great dessert, and finally settled on this Paula Deen recipe that I have been drooling over since 2007!  It was perfect b/c I had a bunch of mini peanut butter cups left over from Easter too.  After I made it I had a bit of second-guessing myself...what if they don't eat peanut butter or are allergic?? so I made a fudge pie too just to be sure ; )
Well, everyone definitely did eat peanut butter and everyone raved about this cheesecake!  After our huge meal (steak, chicken thighs, asparagus, salad, mashed potatoes and bread) only a few people had room for tiny slices of fudge pie too...but everyone ate the cheesecake!

I made half the recipe in a 6 in. springform b/c I was short on cream cheese, and i'm glad b/c it was so rich i still have nearly half a cheesecake left to take to work tomorrow.

I couldn't get a picture of the sliced chicken before dinner, but I wanted to show you the chocolate layer...YUM!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake

Paula Deen's Best Desserts 2010 or Holiday Baking 2007

I baked half the recipe in a 6 in. springform pan, but for the same time

Crust:

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/3 cup butter, melted

Chocolate Layer:

6 (1 oz.) squares semi-sweet chocolate

6 tbsp. butter

1/2 cup sugar

2 large eggs

2 tbsp. all-purpose flour

Peanut Butter Layer:

3 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

3 large eggs

1 egg yolk

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

Chocolate ganache:

3 (1 oz.) squares semi-sweet chocolate

2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Garnish: chopped peanut butter cups

• Preheat oven to 300 * F.
• To prepare crust; In a small bowl, combine cracker crumbs and brown sugar.  Add melted butter, stirring to combine.  Press crust into bottom and 1 in. up sides of a 9 in. springform pan.  Bake for 6 min; let cool.
• To prepare chocolate layer: In a medium bowl, combine chocolate and butter.  Microwave on High in 30 second intervals, strirring after each, unil chocolate is melted and smooth (about 1 1/2 min. total).
• Whisk in sugar, eggs, and flour until combined.  Pour into bottom of cooled crust and bake for 15 minutes.  let cool.
• To prepare peanut butter layer: in a large bowl, beat cream cheese and brown usgar at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.  Beat in peanut butter until combined.  Beat in eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Stir in cream.  Pour over cooled chocolate layer, and bake for 1 hour and 15 minues.  Remove from oven, and gently run a knife around edges to release crust from sides of pan.  Let cool completely.
• To prepare chocolate ganache: in a small bowl, combine chocolate and cream.  Microwiave on High in 30 second intervals, stirring after each, until chocolate is melted and smooth (about 1 min. total) Spread over cooled cheesecake.  refrigerate a least 8 hours before serving.  Garnish with chopped peanut butter cups, if desired.

"The best peanut butter cookies in the whole world"

Okay, I'm not necessarily claiming that these are the best in the world, but some others may say so...
 

My dear coworker Crystal has some of the most adorable little girls that I have ever known!  They come to the office whenever they're sick, or sometimes just to hang out before going to the babysitter, and they always come and visit me in my "room."  I have several little toys on my desk--including a bobblehead bulldog that they call "butch"--and they always come see me and play with my toys.  Lately, every time that Magaily comes in to the office she comes up to me and says (in her adorable three year old voice) "Sarah, you make the best peanut butter cookies in the whole world!"  Seriously, she has said that every time she has come by in the past few months!!  It absolutely melts my heart :)

 Magaily visiting me in my "room"

Maddy & Magaily on their Christmas picture from 2009

The first time that I made these cookies Crystal took some home to her girls, who apparently went crazy for them and declared them to be their favorites.  A little bit later she was taking them shopping and was going to get some cookies from the store, and apparently Maddy started to cry because she can't get her very favorite cookies from the store--only from me!  She then asked her mom if maybe I would make her some if she drew a picture for me.  Well, we can do better than that!  I invited her over and we baked cookies together, and she drew me a beautiful picture that is still on my fridge :)

 Baking (or eating?) with Maddy

 The beautiful picture!: "I Love You and I Like You"

Usually Crystal asks for these cookies for her birthday (or Christmas...or Wednesdays...), but this year she asked for strawberry cake (or cupcakes) instead.  Then later she said that the girls might get mad that she didn't get any of the cookies...so I made both for her birthday. 

 Strawberry cupcakes iced like flowers :)

 And a mountain of peanut butter cookies!

These cookies are pretty darn amazing...but I can't take credit for them.  I found them in Taste of Home's Best Loved Cookies & Bars special edition around Christmas '08, and I have made them over and over!  Absolutely wonderful!  Unlike your average peanut butter cookie, these have a layer of peanut butter icing on top.  The original recipe calls for you to drizzle some chocolate icing over the tops, but I leave that out--yep, I want pure unadulterated peanut butter please!  Also, I generally shy away from using shortening over butter in my recipes, but the shortening in these really does make for the soft and chewy texture--I wouldn't substitute butter...just my opinion.

Here is the recipe in case you want to make the best peanut butter cookie in the world!

Fancy Peanut Butter Cookies
Taste of Home Best Loved Cookies & Bars 2008
Cookies:

• 1 cup shortening
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt

 Frosting:

• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• dash salt

Chocolate Icing: (optional)

• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted
• 2 Tbsp. milk

Instructions:

• In a large mixing bowl, cream the shortening, peanut butter, and sugars until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in milk and vanilla.  Combine flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well.
• Roll into 1 in. balls.  Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets.  Bake at 375' for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. (I take them out right at about 11 minutes when they are still pretty light)  Remove to wire racks. 
• For frosting, in a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, shortening, peanut butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy (i combine the fats, then add the sugar) Beat in the milk, vanilla, and salt until smooth.  Frost cookies.  Combine melted chips and milk, drizzle over frosting.