Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

I've had these brownies bookmarked for ages now, but have not made them because my husband doesn't like peanut butter and chocolate together (freak!). So since he was on a diet and I was craving a sweet, I pulled the recipe from the archives and I'm very glad I did! These were fantastic, I loved the peanut butter filling especially. The brownie was good, but was a bit cake like for me personally. Next time I'd omit an egg to make them a bit fudgier. But all in all, these were delicious and absolutely hit the spot!

Ingredients
Source: Martha Stewart

FOR THE BATTER

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus more for pan
2 ounces good-quality unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
4 ounces good-quality semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

FOR THE FILLING
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan and line with parchment, allowing a 2-inch overhang. Butter lining (not overhang).
2. Make batter: Put butter and chocolates in a heatproof medium bowl set over a pan of simmering water; stir until melted. Let cool slightly. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
3. Whisk granulated sugar into chocolate mixture. Add eggs, and whisk until mixture is smooth. Stir in vanilla. Add flour mixture; stir until well incorporated.
4. Make filling: Stir together butter, confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, salt, and vanilla in a bowl until smooth.
5. Pour one-third of batter into prepared pan; spread evenly with a rubber spatula. Drop dollops of peanut butter filling (about 1 tablespoon each) on top of batter, spacing about 1 inch apart. Drizzle remaining batter on top, and gently spread to fill pan. Drop dollops of remaining filling on top. Gently swirl peanut butter filling into batter with a butter knife, running the knife lengthwise and crosswise through layers.
6. Bake until a cake tester inserted into brownies (avoid center and edges) comes out with a few crumbs but is not wet, about 45 minutes. Let cool slightly in pan, about 15 minutes. Lift out; let cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into squares. Brownies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.

Candy "Eyeballs"

It's been far too long since I made peanut butter balls (I think the last time I made them was Christmas! The very idea sends shivers down my spine!) So when I saw the idea for peanut butter eyeballs on Allrecipes.com I was so excited to break out the jar of peanut butter and make little eyeballs for work. I'm actually not very "into" Halloween to be honest. The only thing that appeals to me are the cute treats that I get to make. But besides that, my husband and I really don't do anything to celebrate. Not to mention we live in a very rural area and haven't gotten a trick or treater, well, ever.

But everyone at work certainly appreciates my treats so I knew they'd get a kick out of these little eye balls. And not only did I make Peanut butter eyeballs, but cake eyeballs as well! These went over so well. Not only did they taste great, everyone thought they were hysterical! These would be so great for a kid OR Adult Halloween party!

Happy Halloween!

Oh yeah - and since I probably won't be posting on Sunday, happy 2 year bloggiversary to Le Petit Pierogi! Thanks to everyone who still reads, despite the fact that I don't get to post as often as I'd like to anymore!!!

Peanut Butter Eyeballs

Ingredients
Adapted from Allrecipes.com

1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 - 1 lb confectioners sugar
White candy melts
Aprox 1 tbsp. shortening

Directions
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add peanut butter and stir until mixture is very smooth. Add vanilla. Slowly stir in confectioners sugar until desired consistancy is reached. When mixture is cooled, form into balls on a parchment lined cookie sheet and place in refrigerator at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile over a double boiler, melt white chocolate candy melts with a small dollop of shortening and stir until white chocolate is melted. Dip peanut butter balls in chocolate and place back on cookie sheet. To make the "iris" and "pupil," add some white chocolate into small, separate bowls. Add a bit of gel food coloring (in desired color) to the white chocolate and stir to combine. With a small paintbrush, glob on colored white chocolate to complete the "eye!"

Cake Eyeballs

Ingredients
Cakeball Recipe from Bakerella

1 box cake mix
1 can frosting
white chocolate candy melts
1 tbsp shortening

Directions
Cook cake according to package directions in a 13 x 9 pan. After the cake is done baking, allow it to cool completely. Then crumble it into a large bowl (I use my kitchen aid stand mixer - it makes combining the cake and frosting SO much easier). Add the entire can of frosting and stir by hand, or using the paddle attachment of you mixer. Form into balls on a parchment lined baking sheet and cool in the refrigerator. Meanwhile over a double boiler, melt white chocolate candy melts with a small dollop of shortening and stir until white chocolate is melted. Dip peanut butter balls in chocolate and place back on cookie sheet. To make the "iris" and "pupil," add some white chocolate into small, separate bowls. Add a bit of gel food coloring (in desired color) to the white chocolate and stir to combine. With a small paintbrush, glob on colored white chocolate to complete the "eye!"

No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

If you are looking for the easiest dessert on the planet, look no further.

I had to make a sweet treat for a work party, but the night before I was SO busy and knew I wouldn't have time to make much. So I found this recipe online and thought it looked like a great, easy dessert. And it was. It only took about 15 minutes to make and what I liked was that it made enough to serve a decent size crowd (or a really hungry small crowd, like my office!). This ended up being a treat that everyone loved and one that I will definitely make again!

So if you are in a hurry and want to make something quick, this is a great recipe to try.

Ingredients
Source: Nestle Toll House

2 cups peanut butter, divided
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar, divided
3 cups graham cracker crumbs (next time I would use 2 1/2 cups, my bars ended up being a little crumbly)
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) Nestle Toll House Semi-Sweet Mini Chocolate Chips, divided

Directions

Grease a 13 x 9-inch baking pan.

Beat 1 1/4 cups peanut butter and butter in large mixer bowl until creamy. Gradually beat in 1 cup powdered sugar. With hands or wooden spoon, work in remaining 1 cup powdered sugar, graham cracker crumbs and 1/2 cup morsels. Press evenly into prepared baking pan. Smooth top with spatula.

Melt remaining 3/4 cup peanut butter and remaining 1 1/2 cups morsels in a bowl over a double boiler. Stir constantly, until smooth. Spread over graham cracker crust in pan. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until chocolate is firm. Cut into bars. Store in covered container in refrigerator.

Roasted Peanut Potatoes

When I saw this recipe on Tastespotting, I was really excited to try it out!!! I'm always on the hunt for new side dishes, and this seemed to fit the bill perfectly.

These potatoes were so easy to make, and were perfectly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The flavors all work great together. They are really a great side dish, and they look pretty too! Additionally, they paired perfectly with Thai Turkey Burgers! Definitely a winning recipe!

The original recipe called for par boiling the potatoes first, but I thought that would be quite unnecessary. Why dirty another pot?! So I simply tossed them with the sauce and then roasted them for about 45 minutes and they came out perfect!

Ingredients
Adapted from Dutch Girl Cooking

1 pound potatoes (I used about 5 small/medium potatoes)
3 tbsp peanut butter
5 tbsp chicken broth (I didn't measure, but I know I used less then this!)
1/8 tsp ground ginger (I used freshly minced ginger...about a tbsp. worth)
1/4 tsp curry powder
1 small chili pepper (I omitted)
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 garlic clove
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp oil
1/8 tsp sesame oil (I added this)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Wash and peel potatoes and cut them into 1 1/2" pieces. Place in large bowl and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients until everything is combined and a nice think sauce forms. Pour over potatoes and toss to coat completely.

In a baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick spray, add potatoes and bake, uncovered, for about 45 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. Additionally, toss potatoes 2 or 3 times during the course of cook time.

Thai Turkey Burgers

It's that time of the year where the grill is finally uncovered, cleaned up and brought to its proper place. The days are longer, the sun is brighter and the men are ready to start grilling. That's why I thought these Thai Turkey Burgers as seen on Cara's Cravings would be a perfect meal for my husband to grill up for dinner.

They were quick to come together and had all of the great Thai flavors that my husband and I love so very much. All of the flavors worked perfectly together which resulted in a very flavorful burger. I topped the burger with a Cilantro Lime Aioli which lent itself perfectly to the flavors of the burger. Honestly, this is one of the best burgers I've personally had; I absolutely loved it. But while my husband said he liked it, he didn't think that it could compete with an old fashioned beef and cheese burger. Oh, men. But he did say I could make it again which is lucky for him because I am going to make it again!!!

Overall, a great burger and fantastic departure from the traditional "beef and cheese" burger. Packed with flavor, this burger was definitely a winner in my book!


Ingredients
Adapted from Cara's Cravings
Originally from A Good Appetite

1 package ground turkey
1 medium carrot, shredded
1 large scallion, minced
1/4 tsp sesame oil
1/4 tsp red curry paste (I added this)
2 tbsp peanut butter (I used reduced fat)
freshly ground salt & pepper
1/2 tsp ground ginger (I used a small piece of freshly grated ginger)
2 cloves garlic, minced (I added this)
1 small bunch cilantro, minced (I added this)
Juice of 1/4 to 1/2 a lime (I added this)


Directions

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and form into patties. Grill burgers until they are done in the center. Or you can heat a skillet over medium-high heat and cook for about 7-10 minutes per side, until cooked through. Serve with Cilantro Lime Aioli on fresh hamburger buns.

Chicken Satay with Thai Peanut Sauce

I bought a jar of curry paste at the Grocery store and swore I would do something with it, because I had never eaten it before. It sat in my cabinet for about a month or two, until I came across Good Things Catered's Chicken Satay which sounded really good, but turns out it was really great! My husband and I just loved it because it was just so different from what we normally eat. And I finally got to eat curry (which was very good)! This was a meal for my husband and I so I didn't put it on skewers and I cooked it in a baking dish. I also used "my" recipe for Thai Peanut sauce and drizzled it over the chicken pieces.

Ingredients:
Adapted from Good Things Catered

3 large chicken breasts, sliced lengthwise 1 - 1 1/2 inch wide
1/4 c. soy sauce
1 Tbsp canola oil (omitted, because I didn't have any)
1 Tbsp sesame oil (omitted, because I didn't have any)
Instead, I used: 2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
juice of 1/2 lime
1 Tbsp curry powder (I used paste)
1/8 c. packed brown sugar
1/4 c. fresh cilantro, minced
2 green onions, white and light green portions sliced

Directions:
-In large bowl, combine soy sauce, oil, lime, curry, brown sugar, cilantro and green onion and and stir to combine.
-Add chicken pieces and toss to cover completely.
-Cover bowl and place in fridge for 1-2 hours.
-Remove chicken from fridge, line baking sheet with foil, top with cooling rack, and turn broiler on low. (I arranged the chicken pieces in a well greased 13x9 baking dish and poured the leftover marinade over the chicken)
-Weave chicken strips through bamboo skewers and place on cooling rack-topped baking sheet. (did not do)
-Place in middle of oven and broil until tops begin to brown slightly, about 5-7 minutes. (I broiled for 15 minutes)
-Remove from oven, flip chicken over and place back in to cook.
-Broil on low until cooked through, about 5 more minutes. (I broiled another 15 minutes)
-Remove, let cool for 3 minutes, and serve with Thai peanut sauce.

Thai Peanut Sauce

This is "my" recipe for peanut sauce. It's the same sauce in my "spicy peanut penne" and it's just so very good!

Ingredients:
Adapted from "More Healthy Homestyle Cooking" by Evelyn Tribole

2 Tablespoons Honey

2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce

3-5 fresh chives

1/2 cup Creamy reduced fat peanut butter

1 tsp Cilantro

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. ground Ginger

juice of 1 Lime

2/3 Cup skim milk
1 1/2 Tbsp Cornstarch

Directions

In a medium mixing bowl add Peanut butter, honey, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, juice of 1 lime, cilantro and chives. Set aside. In a small saucepan, whisk together milk and cornstarch. Put over medium-low heat and let thicken (continue to whisk every so often), about 5 minutes. When thickened, pour over peanut butter mixture and whisk together until smooth.

I poured over my chicken but it would also be great as a dipping sauce.

Peanut Butter Balls

Some of my fondest childhood memories are from Christmas time, one of them being making Peanut Butter Balls with my mom. It was, and still is, the treat I most look forward to during Christmas. Where she got the recipe or learned to make them, I have no clue. Mom doesn't really make PB balls any more...she says she just likes eating mine instead. So here is my "recipe" and even though they super easy to make, they are a treat that most everyone will enjoy!

Ingredients
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup butter
3-4 cups Confectioners (powdered) sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
aprox. 1 bag of semi sweet chocolate chips
1-2 tbsp shortening (I use Crisco)

Directions
Melt Butter over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Add peanut butter and vanilla until very smooth. When smooth, add confectioners sugar a little at a time until one large "ball" forms and the mixture is hard to stir. When thoroughly combined, set aside to cool.

When the mixture is warm but not hot, lay out a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Form balls out of the Peanut butter mixture, and place in rows on the lined cookie sheet. Let cool completely.

Over a double boiler, melt semi sweet chocolate chips with Crisco. Stir the mixture every so often, and when completely combined and smooth, dip Peanut Butter balls into the chocolate, then back on the cookie sheet using a spoon. Allow the chocolate to set up completely before serving.

Notes:
This great little tool is what I use to measure things like Peanut butter, honey, and other sticky things! I love this kitchen tool and use it quite a bit.
Make sure your Peanut butter and butter are completely smooth before adding Confectioners Sugar!
After adding Confectioners sugar, your peanut butter should look like this:

Peanut Butter Blossoms

These are a must-have on every Christmas Cookie tray. Nothing too fancy or complicated about them, they are super-simple and everyone loves them. I got the recipe from the Hershey's website.

Ingredients:

• 48 HERSHEY'S KISSES Brand Milk Chocolates
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 3/4 cup REESE'S Creamy Peanut Butter
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Granulated sugar

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Remove wrappers from chocolates.

2. Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture.

3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet.

4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate into center of each cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. About 4 dozen cookies.

Spicy Peanut Penne aka "Thai Pasta"

adapted from "More Healthy Homestyle Cooking" by Evelyn Tribole

This meal is a staple in our house. For a while, we ate it once a week. I found it in one of my favorite cookbooks, "More Healthy Homestyle Cooking" by Evelyn Tribole. I got it on sale at Barnes and Noble and I have made so many great things from it! It's like a collection of all my favorite meals...but healthy(er)!

I've made a lot of changes to this recipe...for one it's not exactly spicy because I don't like spicy food. My husband will add some ground red pepper to his meal after I take mine! :) I also omitted and added ingredients and changed some measurements...so I'll post "my" take on this great meal!

Ingredients

1 box of Penne Pasta

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Cooking Spray

1 small-medium onion (can be omitted...I use this because my husband loves onions)

2 Tablespoons Honey

2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce

3-5 fresh chives

1/4-1/2 cup Creamy reduced fat peanut butter

1 tsp Cilantro

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. ground Ginger

1 Lime

2/3 Cup skim milk

1 1/2 Tbsp Cornstarch

Salt

Pepper

Directions

Bring large pot of water to a boil seasoned with salt and extra virgin olive oil. Cook Penne Pasta aprox 12-13 minutes, then drain. While pasta is cooking, cut up chicken breasts into bite sized pieces and season with salt and pepper. Add chicken to a medium-large frying pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray and cook through. Halfway through cooking, add onions to the chicken and let cook so they are translucent and just start to carmelize. Remove from heat.

In a medium mixing bowl add Peanut butter, honey, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, juice of 1 lime, cilantro and chives. Set aside. In a small saucepan, whisk together milk and cornstarch. Put over medium-low heat and let thicken, about 5 minutes. When thickened, pour over peanut butter mixture and whisk together until smooth.

Pour cooked and drained penne back into an empty large bowl or pot (I use the same one I used to cook the pasta in), add chicken and then add peanut sauce. Mix well. Serve with a salad or bread.