Surprise Peanut Butter Cookies

Who does'nt love peanut butter and chocolate? We sure love it in this house!
These cookies are very good and very rich. The cookie is on the dry side, but the moisture from the peanut butter balances the cookie so you get a perfect blend of chocolate and peanut butter. It taste a lot like a peanut butter cup. Who doesn't like that!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1/2 cup chopped milk chocolate
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 3/4 cup peanut butter
• granulated sugar (to roll cookies into)

Directions

1. In small bowl blend flour, cocoa, baking soda, and chopped chocolate. Mix until well blended.
2. In large bowl beat sugar, butter or margarine and 1/4 cup peanut butter, until light and fluffy. Add vanilla, milk,and egg, beat. Stir in flour mixture until blended. If the dough seems to dry, add more milk.Set aside.
3. To make Filling: Combine confectioner's sugar and 3/4 cup peanut butter. Blend well. If it seems to dry, add a little more peanut butter.
4. Use a large cookie scoop to get about 23 cookies. Measure 1 scant Tablespoon of peanut butter mixture to equal the same amount of cookies.Shape into a ball.  For each cookie, flatten each piece of dough to fit around peanut butter, covering completely. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Roll each cookie in granulated sugar.
5. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 7-9 minutes

You can make these ahead, cover and refrigerate until ready to bake.

Marshmallow Cookies

If you have never made homemade marshmallows, you have to try this. They are very easy to make and taste so much better than store bought.  I got this marshmallow recipe off of the Food Network from Alton Brown. I altered it a little.
You will need one recipe for Marshmallows, 1 box of Nilla Wafers, Chocolate Chips (whichever is your favorite) and shortening

Ingredients for Marshmallows

• 3 packages unflavored gelatin
• 1 cup cold water, divided
• 12 ounces granulated sugar, approximately 1 1/2 cups
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Directions

Place the gelatin into the bowl of a stand mixer along with 1/2 cup of the water. Have the whisk attachment standing by.
In a small saucepan combine the remaining 1/2 cup water, granulated sugar, and corn syrup Place over medium high heat, cover and allow to cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Uncover, clip a candy thermometer onto the side of the pan and continue to cook until the mixture reaches 240 degrees F, approximately 7 to 8 minutes. Once the mixture reaches this temperature, immediately remove from the heat.
Turn the mixer on low speed and, while running, slowly pour the sugar syrup down the side of the bowl into the gelatin mixture. Once you have added all of the syrup, increase the speed to high.
                                        This is what it looks like when you first add the liquid.

The bottom picture is how high it whips up.

Continue to whip until the mixture becomes very thick and is lukewarm, approximately 12 to 15 minutes. (It might not need to go that long) Add the vanilla during the last minute of whipping.
                                             

                                                       The marshmallows hold their shape

While the sugars are coming to the right temperature, get out 2 cookie sheets and line them with waxed paper. Line up the cookies on the sheets so they are ready to pipe the marshmallows on top.Get a large Zip Lock bag and cut a small hole in one lower corner. You want to make it big enough for the marshmallow to come out. Too small and it will be very hard to squeeze through.

                                                  The bag I used to pipe the marshmallows

When marshmallows are done whipping, scoop out marshmallows and place in bag. Working quickly. pipe a blob of marshmallow on top of each cookie. 

Let them rest about an hour or so.
Melt some chocolate chips (or your favorite chocolate) and shortening. I didn't measure this, I just dropped some in. Once all melted, dip each cookie into melted chocolate to cover completely. Place back on waxed paper to dry.

If you would like to make marshmallows for hot chocolate or s'mores or anything else, this is what you should do with the marshmallows. I don't recommend making the marshmallows into Rice Krispie Treats.
For regular marshmallows:

Combine 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar and  1/4 cup of cornstarch in a small bowl. Lightly spray a 13 by 9-inch metal baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Add the sugar and cornstarch mixture and move around to completely coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Return the remaining mixture to the bowl for later use.
When ready, pour the mixture into the prepared pan, using a lightly oiled spatula for spreading evenly into the pan. Dust the top with enough of the remaining sugar and cornstarch mixture to lightly cover. Reserve the rest for later. Allow the marshmallows to sit uncovered for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
Turn the marshmallows out onto a cutting board and cut into 1-inch squares using a pizza wheel dusted with the confectioners' sugar mixture. Once cut, lightly dust all sides of each marshmallow with the remaining mixture, using additional if necessary. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks

Our first attempt at Cake Pops

So my mom and I got a book a while ago titled "Cakepops" we finally deiced to try out some of them. Here are the results:



He's staring into your soul!



Chicks (or as I call them 'Chickidees')





These little guys came out pretty good. We had to double coat most of them in the chocolate and we learned that they absolutely have to be very cold(but not frozen) for you to even think about dipping them, but overall, they worked out fine.

Flowers

In the end they were probably my favorite, but these were a huge pain in the beginning. They were really easy to decorate, but we lost one when we were dipping. Thier extremely top heavy so during our first dip, the cake popped off the stick

Ladybugs (the Anti-Christ)

Frustration to the umpteenth degree! I can't even look at these, that's how much I hate them. dipping them was no harder than any of the other ones, but decorating them was a pain in the butt. the eyes were too pointy, the dots were different shapes, the antennas just look like awful. Just looking at this picture pisses me off.

For our first try at cakepops I'm pretty proud. Yeah, they're not perfect, but that's okay.

Happy (Late) Pi Day!

Yes, I know pi day was Monday, but I was busy that day. For those of who who don't know what pi day is, it's basically a holiday set aside for math nerds to express their mathitude or according to piday.org,
"Pi, Greek letter (), is the symbol for the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. Pi Day is celebrated by math enthusiasts around the world on March 14th. Pi = 3.1415926535…"

 Better late than never right? I made these cupcakes for my math class on Monday. Get it, pie cupcakes for pi day?

Cookie Dough Truffles

This first one I have been making for years.  This is one of those recipes that everyone loves. Who doesn't love cookie dough!
Caden likes to eat it without them dipped in chocolate. I usually make a double batch and keep them in the freezer.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or  margarine, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
14 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 TB shortening
PREPARATION:
Beat butter and sugars and in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add milk and vanilla. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt and mix on low speed. Stir in chocolate chips.
I like to scoop out the dough with a cookie scoop, then put in the refrigerator for about an hour to chill. This makes it easier to roll into a ball. When dough is firm enough to handle, form dough into 1” balls and arrange on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper. Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Melt chocolate chips and shortening in a double boiler or in a microwave according to package directions. Using a spoon or a dipping tool, dip cookie balls into candy coating and cover completely. Return chocolate-coverd truffles to the wax paper-lined baking sheets and refrigerate until set. Store, chilled, in an airtight container for up to 1 week, or freeze, if they last that long.



S'mores Cookie Dough Truffles
This one is a new recipe I found online. I wasn't sure how the graham crackers or the marshmallows would taste in the cookie dough. You can taste the difference from the chocolate chip truffles, but don't have the texture of graham crackers or marshmallows.  I think I like them better than the chocolate chip cookie dough. They are a little sweeter than the chocolate chip ones.  But, that never stops me!

1/2 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs, divided
1/4 tsp salt
dash of cinnamon
1 stick butter, softened (it is even okay if it is melting a little)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup chopped Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bar
3/4 cup mini-marshmallows, halved

2 cups milk chocolate chips

2 TB shortening

In a medium bowl combine the flour, 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs, salt, and dash of cinnamon. In a second larger bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract until creamy. Slowly beat in the flour mixture until smooth. Stir in the chocolate and marshmallows. Roll the mixture into quarter size balls and lay on cookie sheet lined with wax paper (Should make approximately 20) Chill for several hours or freeze for 15-20 minutes until firm.

Melt milk chocolate and shortening in the microwave or in a double broiler. Gently dip the cookie dough ball into the milk chocolate . Once covered remove and softly tap and rotate until the excess chocolate falls off. Sprinkle with remaining graham cracker crumbs. Place on a cookie sheet lined with waxed paper. Refrigerate.

Heart Shaped Maple Chocolate Chip Pancake Muffins

I wanted to make a cute breakfast for the kids, also easy since we leave so early in the morning. I found this recipe on http://www.bakerella.com/ .
They are really good and easy to make. The night before, I mixed all the dry ingredients in one bowl, then in a separate bowl mixed the wet ingredients(except for the melted butter) and left in the refrigerator.  In the morning, I melted the butter and mixed it all together, then baked! The kids loved them.  Caden ate the rest after school that day.


 Maple Chocolate Chip Pancake Muffins.
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2/3 cup milk
1 egg
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar in a medium bowl. Sift together with a wire whisk.
• In another bowl, stir milk, egg, maple syrup and melted butter until just combined.
• Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir with a spoon until combined.
• Stir in chocolate chips. Reserve a few chips to sprinkle on the tops.
• Bake for 8-9 minutes.

Let cool slightly and remove from the pan. You may need to use a toothpick around the edges to separate the pancake muffins from the pan.
Serve immediately with warmed butter if you like or even just with maple syrup

Soft Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels

My mom gave us this recipe. This is one of Kaylee's favorite. She loves just about anything cinnamon-sugar!

I made them in mini muffin cups instead of pretzel shapes. Which can end up being dangerous since you just pop them in your mouth!

After they come out of the oven, then you dip them in melted butter, then cinnamon-sugar mixture. YUM!

Soft Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels
2 pkg. (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast
2 cups warm water (110-115 degrees)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 egg
6 1/2 - 7 1/2 cups all purpose flour
melted butter
cinnamon-sugar mixture

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add sugar, butter, egg, and 2 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough flour to form stiff dough. Place in greased bowl, turning once to grease top.
Cover and refrigerate 2-24 hours.
Punch down dough. Turn onto lightly floured surface, divide in half. Cut each half into 16 pieces. Roll each piece into 20-inch rope and shape into pretzel. Place on greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled in size, about 25 minutes.
Bake 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden.
Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar on top

* After mixing the dough, I greased silicone mini muffin cups. I scooped out the dough and shaped into a ball. Placed one ball into each cup. I placed plastic wrap on top and placed in refrigerator. I left them overnight.(You can leave them in the refrigerator for about 2 days before baking) Took them out in the morning and let them rise for 1/2 hour. Baked at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes. Brushed with melted butter and sprinkled with cinnamon-sugar.