Mel’s Peanut Butter Layered Dessert

I had this dessert a few weeks ago at a reunion for our team that went to the Dominican Republic in July. My friend and co-worker Melissa made this dessert and it was so delicious! And incredibly easy. Unfortunately, it doesn’t photograph well, but you get the idea. I’ve made desserts similar to this before, but never exactly the same combo. It definitely works. I served this at a picnic recently and there were probably 20 different dessert choices—this was the only one that was gone at the end of the night.

Mel’s Peanut Butter Layered Dessert

1st layer:

1 package oreo cookies (crushed)–I used the food processor

3/4 stick butter (melted)

Mix together and press into a 9×13 inch pan

2nd layer:

3/4 cup peanut butter

1 cup powdered sugar

8 oz. cream cheese

8 oz. cool whip

Mix all these ingredients together (I used a stand mixer and made sure they were all softened) and put on top of the oreo crust.

3rd layer:

1 large package instant chocolate pudding mix

2 cups milk

Mix together and let sit for a minute to harden. Put this layer on top of the last one.

4th layer:

8 oz. cool whip

Top with this and then add crushed candy bars. I used Butterfingers in this recipe but you can also use Reese’s, Snickers, Heath bars—anything that sounds good to you!

Source: my friend Melissa

Moist Banana Cake

My parents have a lake house in Michigan (about 2 hours from Chicago, where they live). There are only 22 homes in the gated community, so everyone is very close. My mom has a little 8-year-old boy, J.P, and his little brothers who just adore her. They actually cook together frequently. Once he and his little brother were invited to have dinner and a movie at my mom’s house. They showed up with collared shirts, slicked back hair and flowers for her. How cute is that? This cake is a recipe from their grandmother. The only modification that I made was to add cream cheese to the frosting–which was definitely a delicious addition! Excuse the picture–I had to take it in a hurry before the hoards descended on it!

Moist Banana Cake

1/2 cup butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 cup banana pulp

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 cups cake flour (or 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour)

1/2 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter. Add sugar and mix well. Add eggs one at a time. Add banana pulp and mix until combined. Dissolve baking soda in water and add to sour cream. Sift baking powder with flour and add alternatively with sour cream mixture.

Bake in a 9×13-inch pan for 35 minutes or until dark.

Frosting

1 cup milk

1/4 cup flour

1 stick butter

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 ounces cream cheese

Combine milk and flour and cook until it boils. Place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap until cool.

Cream butter with sifted powdered sugar. Add vanilla and mix until combined. Finally, add cooked milk mixture with the cream cheese and beat until smooth.

Source: a family friend

Mom and 4-year-old Kellen

Giant Chocolate Sugar Cookies

I got this recipe from one of my best friends, Elise, who lives in Nashville. I think it is originally from Martha Stewart. They are excellent–and very easy. The ingredients consist of things that most people would have in their pantry. An extra special treat—make sandwiches with two cookies and a scoop of premium ice cream….yum!

Giant Chocolate Sugar Cookies

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder (unsweetened, high quality Dutch)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter (unsalted, soft)

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter—yep, another one

1 large egg

1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.

Put 1 stick of butter and sugar into a mixing bowl with paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high until pale and fluffy. Mix in the second stick of butter. Add egg and vanilla and mix until creamy. Reduce speed to low. Add flour and mix until just combined.

Use 2 1/2-inch ice cream or cookie scoop and drop batter onto cookie sheet.

Bake 18-20 minutes.

Black Bottom Cupcakes

This is a recipe that my mom always used to make for us as kids for after school snacks. I have such fond memories of these cupcakes—they are so delicious! And very easy to make. I use cupcake mix to make it a little quicker, but you could certainly do everything from scratch.

Black Bottom Cupcakes

1 box chocolate cake mix–plus whatever ingredients necessary to make cupcakes from box (eggs, oil, water, etc…)

8 oz. cream cheese

1/3 cup sugar

dash of salt

1 egg

1 cup chocolate chips

Mix cupcakes as directed on box until time to fill cups.

Mix together cream cheese, sugar, salt, egg, and chocolate chips.

Fill cupcake tins half full. Add 1 spoonful of cream cheese mix into cups.

Bake as directed on box.

Brownie Trifle

This is a really easy dessert. It is delicious and looks festive to bring to a party. And kids will love it too!

Brownie Trifle

1 package fudge brownie mix

6 toffee bars, crushed

2 cartons (8 oz. each) frozen whipped topping

1 small box chocolate instant pudding

1 cup pecans, toasted

Prepare and bake the brownie mix according to package. Prepare chocolate pudding mix; cool and mix with 8 ounces whipped topping. Crumbled brownies, divide into 3 portions and place one portion on bottom of trifle bowl (or another large bowl). Then add 1/3 of chocolate mix, 1/3 of whipped topping, 2 crushed toffee bars, and 1/3 cup toasted pecans. Repeat layers two more times. Cover and chill for several hours before serving.

Source: a family friend

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins

Another recipe from Annie’s blog that I have loved!! These were delicious—and very easy to whip up with things I already had in the pantry. These make a great breakfast….yum! And can you ask for a better combo—peanut butter and chocolate chips? I think not. Make sure you have plenty of milk on hand.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients:

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

2/3 cup brown sugar

6 tbsp. butter, melted and cooled

½ cup peanut butter

2 large eggs

1 cup milk

¾ cup chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°. Line a muffin pan with 12 paper liners.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and brown sugar. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, peanut butter, eggs and milk until smooth. Add in the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Divide batter evenly between prepared muffin tins, filling each to the top.

Bake for 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Source: Annie’s Eats

Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

Another one of my friend Nikki’s recipe. I remember her telling me last Fall how much her husband, Ben, loves these pumpkin bars. My pumpkin experience had been limited to pie and bread, so I decided to try this. It was definitely a hit! My husband also loves it—the cake part is really moist and fluffy, and the cream cheese frosting is heavenly! You must eat these warm—so nuke it for a second when eating leftovers. I did not have the pan listed in this recipe, so I used a 9×9 brownie pan and it worked just fine.

Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 eggs, beaten
1- 15 oz. can pumpkin
1 cup cooking oil
1/2 recipe Cream Cheese Frosting (see below)

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 8 oz package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 tsp vanilla
5 3/4 to 6 1/4 cups sifted powdered sugar
In a large bowl stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the eggs, pumpkin, and oil until combined. Spread in an ungreased 15×10x1-inch baking pan (or 9×9 pan).

Bake in a 350 oven for 25-30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 2 hours on a wire rack.

For the frosting:

Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually add 2 cups of the powdered sugar, beating well. Gradually beat in additional powdered sugar to reach spreading consistency. This frosts tops and sides of two 8- or 9-inch layers. (Halve the recipes to frost a 13×9x2-inch cake.) Cover and store frosted cake in the refrigerator.

**Can also substitute one 15-oz jar of applesauce for the pumpkin if wanting to make Applesauce Bars. (Have not tried this yet)

Source: Pennies on a Platter

Healthy Crispy Rice Treats

In my quest for eating healthier, I saw this made on the Food Network and have been meaning to try them for awhile. I’m not normally a fan of Rice Krispy treats, but these have peanut butter—and chocolate!! How can you go wrong? They are delicious! I might use a touch more honey and peanut butter–or a little less cereal because they were not quite sticky enough and crumbled a bit.

Healthy Crispy Rice Treats

Ingredients:

1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup natural chunky-style peanut butter
6 cups crispy brown rice cereal (I actually couldn’t find this at my normal grocery store, so I used organic regular rice cereal)
2/3 cup chopped dried cherries (3 ounces) or chocolate chips (I used the chocolate chips, but will use cherries to make my own type of breakfast bar sometime soon)
Cooking spray

Combine honey and peanut butter in a large pot and heat over medium-low heat until melted, about 2-3 minutes.

Add brown rice cereal and cherries and stir to combine until mixture is sticky.

Press into a 9 by 13-inch pan sprayed with cooking spray.

Let cool, then chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Cut into 15 (2 1/2 by 3-inch) squares.

Per Serving:

Calories 160; Total Fat 5 g; (Sat Fat 0.5 g, Mono Fat 0 g, Poly Fat 0 g) ; Protein 3 g; Carb 26 g; Fiber 2 g; Cholesterol 0 mg; Sodium 35 mg

Source: Adapted from Food Network’s Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger

Black and White Banana Bread

Another recipe from Dorie Greenspan. While this recipe was good—and very moist. I much prefer my mom’s banana bread with chocolate chips. I think I might use this banana bread recipe sometime and put chocolate chips in instead. My husband, on the other hand, would rather see plain banana bread—he doesn’t like “mix ins” like nuts or chocolate.

Black and White Banana Bread

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 1/2 ripe bananas, peeled

Squirt of fresh lemon juice

Grated zest of 1/2 lemon

1 tablespoon dark rum (omitted because I didn’t have it)

3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 stick plus 2 tablespoons (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2/3 cup packed light brown sugar

1/3 cup sugar

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup whole milk

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter an 8 1/2-x-4 1/2-x2 1/2-inch loaf pan, dust the insides with flour and tap out the excess. Place the pan on an insulated baking sheet or on two regular baking sheets stacked one on top of the other.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg.

In a small bowl, mash the bananas with the lemon juice and zest, then stir in the rum.

Melt the chocolate and 2 tablespoons of the butter together in a microwave oven or in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the remaining stick of butter at medium speed until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the sugars and beat for another 2 to 3 minutes, until light and smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in the vanilla. The batter will look curdled, and it will continue to look curdled as you add ingredients. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add half the flour mixture, mixing only until it is just incorporated. With the mixer running, pour in the milk, and when it is blended, add the remaining dry ingredients. Scrape down the bowl and mix in the mashed bananas. The batter will look even lumpier.

Pour a little less than half the batter into the bowl with the melted chocolate and stir to blend. Drop alternating spoonfuls of both batters into the prepared pan, then, using a table knife, swirl the batters together, taking care not to overdo it.

Bake for 1 hour and 20 to 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted deep into the center of the cake comes out clean. Check after 30 minutes and if the cakes starts to brown too much, cover it loosely with a foil tent. Transfer the cake to a cooling rack and let it rest for about 15 minutes before unmolding, then cool the cake to room temperature right side up on the rack.

Serving: Makes about 8 servings. This cake is good cut thick or thin, served plain or with some ice ceam. It’s very good with coffee or tea and especially good with chocolate milk, hot or cold.

Storing: Wrapped in plastic wrap, the cake will keep for 4 to 5 days at room temperature, wrapped airtight, it will keep for up to 2 months in the freezer.

Playing Around: If you’d like to add a little more texture to the cake as well as another flavor, add 1/3 cup chopped toasted pecans to either of the batters.

Source: Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

Death by Chocolate Cake

Today is my friend Lori’s birthday, so I decided to make a cake! I also made my amazing spinach artichoke recipe (see appetizers tags). This cake is beyond easy to make and it is so delicious!

Death by Chocolate Cake

4 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup oil

1 pkg. chocolate cake mix (Devil’s Food is good)

1 pkg. instant chocolate pudding

12 oz. semisweet chocolate chips

Beat eggs, sour cream, water and oil together in a large bowl until thoroughly mixed.

Add cake mix and pudding mix.

Beat until smooth.

Stir in chocolate chips.

Pour into bundt (this is what I used) or regular cake pan (will most likely fit 2 round pans–so the cake will be stacked).

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Substitution: Can replace 1/4 cup of water with Grand Marnier (so 1/4 cup water and 1/4 cup Grand Marnier)

I decided to use a caramel glaze for this cake thanks to inspiration from friend Jeni, who calls her rendition of this cake “Anti-terrorist” cake because if more people would eat this eat, then they might like Americans more. I think that is an excellent idea.

Here is the recipe for caramel glaze that I came up with based on what I had. I think it turned out wonderfully.

Caramel Glaze

2 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons half and half (I actually didn’t have this—so I made my own using 2 tablespoons of melted butter and 210mL of whole milk)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter .

Add the half and half and brown sugar, stir to combine.

Boil vigorously for 1 minute.

Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar.

Let cool for a minute and then add the remaining powdered sugar and vanilla.

Depending on desired consistency, may need to add additional half and half (I think I added another 2-3 tablespoons).

Quickly spoon over cake before the glaze gets too hard!