Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

If you like chocolate and peanut butter together, you're going to love these. They're chocolate-y, peanut butter-y, crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside and totally delicious.
I wasn't entirely sure if there were going to work as they were an experiment, but they did and I'm really happy with the result.

Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
Prep: 25 mins | Bake Time 10 minutes | Yield: 3-4 dozen

Ingredients:
1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
2 squares semi-sweet baker's chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Method:
1. Cream together the butter and the sugars until smooth and creamy using a wooden spoon. Add the peanut butter and mix well. Add the melted chocolate (make sure it has had some time to cool because you don't want it to melt the butter) and mix well. Add the vanilla and the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each egg.
2.  Add the flour and baking soda to the peanut butter/chocolate mixture. Blend until just mixed. Add the chocolate chips and stir until incorporated
3. Drop by small teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased, non-stick cookie sheet, about 1 inch apart (if your cookie sheet is not non-stick, grease lightly with a bit of vegetable oil or no-stick spray or line with parchment paper).
4. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-11 minutes. Check after 10 minutes - if the cookies are very puffy looking, bake for 1 minutes more (this will give them the crunch on the outside ad the chewy centre).
5. Let sit on baking sheet for 1 minute. Transfer to a wire rack and cool for 3 minutes. Put them in an air-tight container while they are still warm.

Be sure to enjoy one or two while they're still warm from the oven with a tall glass of milk

Kitchen Tips - Part 1

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

Everyone has their favourite chocolate chip cookie recipe; whether it's the cookies your mom used to make as an after school snack, a secret family recipe passed down through the generations, a recipe you discovered at the back of a magazine, or simply the recipe from the back of the chocolate chips package.
I don't claim to have the best recipe - in fact, I have a sister-in-law and a friend who both make better chocolate chips cookies than I do and, to me, my Grammie was the reigning queen of baked treats (her double chocolate snaps, nutmeg logs with pink icing and coloured sprinkles, boiled raisin cookies and butterhorns were the best things around), but I found a good recipe (on the back of the chocolate chips package) that suits me just fine.
There are, however, a few tips for making GREAT chocolate chips cookies, no matter the recipe.

1. The fat you use - I always use butter and have found that it creates the best flavour. I have tried shortening (when I really wanted cookies but had no butter) and they were okay, but butter works best. Hard margarine works to, but I avoid margarine at all costs as it contains a huge number of ingredients I can't pronounce and is about 2 ingredients away from being plastic. Truthfully, you can use any kind of fat that is solid at room temperature (butter, hard margarine, shortening, lard) but no oils (your cookies will be a funky texture if you use oil). Also, do not melt the fat (same funky texture as using oil). Changing the fat will change the taste.
2. The sugar you use - Many chocolate chip cookie recipes will call for a combination of white sugar and brown sugar. They key here is that a higher ratio of brown sugar will make the cookies chewier; more white sugar will make them crispy. I personally like a soft cookie, so my recipe has twice as much brown sugar as white. (Brown sugar  has molasses added to give it its distinct colour and flavour. It varies in darkness depending on the molasses content. I generally use "golden" or light brown sugar because I think it gives the best flavour). Measuring brown sugar is different than measuring white sugar. Brown sugar needs to be "packed" (scoop it into your measuring cup and then press down with the heel of your hand so it compresses ("packs") some. Then add more sugar and press down until you have the full measurement. Perfectly packed brown sugar will keep its shape when you tip it out of the measuring cup.
3.  The crucial first step - most cookie recipes start the same: "Cream together the butter and sugars. Add the eggs and vanilla." Creaming the butter and sugars together is sooo important in getting the texture right. The butter must be room temperature soft (be careful if you microwave the butter to soften it - a few seconds too long and it's melted and that is not good for your cookies). You need to beat the sugars into the butter for several minutes (please, please, please, use a wooden spoon, not an electric mixer! Using an electric mixer makes the texture too fine and besides, cookies taste better when mixed with a wooden spoon) - you will notice that the mixture gets very creamy and the colour will get lighter than when you started mixing. Only then are you ready to add the eggs. Add them one at a a time and fully mix it in before you add the next one. 
4. The flour - This step is more important when making cakes and pastries, but it's not a bad habit to get into for cookies. When measuring the flour, use a smaller scoop/cup to spoon the flour into the measuring cup, then level the top with a flat edge like a butter knife. Spooning the flour into the cup gives you a more accurate measurement. If you just scoop it up with the measuring cup you're using  and then level it off, it packs the flour into the cup and you will actually get more than you really need. 
5. Baking - once you've added all the other ingredients, you're ready to bake. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto the baking sheet and bake for the shortest time as suggested by the recipe, then check them. For a softer cookie, they should just be golden around the edges; for a crispier cookie, they should have a light golden colour on the top and darker edges. To keep soft cookies soft, put them into an airtight container when still slightly warm. 
6. Be sure to eat one or two when they are still warm from the oven with a big class of cold milk!

Featured Recipe

I ADORE apple crisp. A lot. The soft apples, the cinnamon, the crunchy granola topping....yum! And my mom makes the very best apple crisp in the world. Sadly, my husband cannot eat cooked apples so I do not make it very often. Plus, it's a lot of work to have just 1 person eat it. So.....I have come up with a 1 serving version that is super quick, low carb, low fat and totally delicious!

Guiltless 5 Minute Apple Crisp

Ingredients:
1 medium McIntosh apple (soft apples like McIntosh work best)
2 shakes of cinnamon
1 tsp brown or white sugar
2 TBSP Kashi Go Lean Crunch cereal or other granola (Go Lean Crunch is the best for this but Harvest Crunch would be good too)

Method:
1. Peel apple and cut into bite-sized pieces. Place in a microwave safe bowl and sprinkle with the cinnamon and sugar
2. Cook in mircowave on high heat for 1 minute. Stir and cook for another 30 seconds or so.
3. Top with cereal and let sit for 1 minute to cool.

For an added treat, top with vanilla ice cream or vanilla yogurt

Featured Recipe

Today's recipe is a variation on basic baking powder biscuits but they are more like a scone than a biscuit. They are sweet but not too sweet and have a pleasant texture. They are particularly good warm from the oven with a bit of butter. I substituted vegetable oil for the traditional shortening as I hate cutting in shortening - it does give it a spongier texture than shortening, but it is much faster and less hassle.  I added Peach/Passionfruit curd that I had in my pantry, but you could add apricot or peach jam instead. The curd is nice because it is made with butter and it is not as sticky as jam. Lemon curd would be really lovely too. You could add blueberries or blackberries instead of raspberries if you wanted.   

Peach/Passionfruit Raspberry Biscuits

Ingredients:
3-3/12 cups all purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 TBSP white sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup peach/passionfruit curd
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup frozen raspberries

Method:
1. Mix together 3 cups of the flour, the baking powder, salt and sugar in a medium sized bowl
2. Add the veg oil, milk and fruit curd. Mix well. Add the frozen raspberries and mix well. The dough should be really soft and a bit sticky, If it is too sticky, add more flour
3. Gently pat about 1/2 cup of the dough into a disc about 1.5 cm thick and about 6-8cm in diameter. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, leaving about 3 cm between biscuits. It should make between 9-12 biscuits
4. Bake at 450 for 8 mins, then turn the pan 180 degrees (so the the biscuits that were at the front of the oven are now at the back) and bake for 5 mins more. They will be light golden on the top and a rich brown on the bottoms when they are done.
6. Let cool at least 10 mins before serving. Freeze any leftovers

Featured Recipe

Peanut Butter Banana Bread

I've had this recipe in my file for quite some time but only tried it for the first time yesterday. You should try it too because it is delicious. The recipe comes from Cooking Light Magazine and the link can be found here. I made a few changes to the recipe and it turned out really well (see the recipe below - the notes in blue are my changes). This bread is not super sweet, but the glaze is and makes it more like a cake than a loaf. It's really nice served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream 

Ingredients

• Bread:
• 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana
• 1/3 cup plain fat-free yogurt (I used vanilla yogurt)
• 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter 
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted 
• 2 large eggs 
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar 
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 6 3/4 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1/4 cup ground flaxseed (I don't like the texture of flax seed in things so I added an extra loose handful of flour)
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice (This is a very strong spice - I used it but I would leave it out next time as I think it is a wee bit overpowering)
• 2 tablespoons chopped dry-roasted peanuts (I omitted these and added 2 handfuls of chocolate chips instead) 
• Cooking spray
• Glaze:
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon 1% low-fat milk (I substituted for chocolate milk)
• 1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter 
• 1/4 tsp cocoa powder

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. To prepare bread, combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed. Add granulated and brown sugars; beat until blended.
3. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through allspice) in a small bowl. Add flour mixture to banana mixture; beat just until blended. Stir in nuts. Pour batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 5 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Remove bread from pan; cool.
4. To prepare glaze, combine powdered sugar, milk, and 1 tablespoon peanut butter in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle glaze over bread.

Maureen Callahan, Cooking Light
OCTOBER 2010

 

Featured Recipe

I have had a craving for lemon cake for about a month now and nothing I've tried has quelled this craving (Liberte brand lemon yogurt almost worked) so I gave in and made lemon cupcakes tonight. You're welcome.

I've tweaked my Grammie's "Good Cupcakes" recipe and figured out how to make lemon buttercream without it curdling, which is quite a feat as citrus and dairy don't play well together. These are really fairly simple to make and ready in about 30minutes.

Lemon Cupcakes

1/4 cup plus 3 TBSP lard or shortening
2 tsp lemon extract
zest of 1 lemon (this is a good use of a micro plane)
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice and pulp (approx. 3 lemons worth)
1/2 cup milk
3 tsp baking powder

1. Beat lard, lemon zest, lemon extract, sugar and eggs together until creamy.
2. Sift together salt and flour into a small bowl. Add 1/3 of the flour to the batter. Stir to mix. Add the lemon juice and stir. Add 1/3 of the flour and mix well. Add the milk and stir to mix (it will curdle a wee bit, but that is okay). Add the rest of the flour and mix well.
3. Sprinkle baking powder over mixture and stir in.
4. Grease silicon muffin tins (metal works too but I like the silicon ones), or line with muffin papers, and fill about 2/3 full with the batter. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. When they are done the edges and tops should be a tiny bit golden and a toothpick will come out clean when inserted in the middle.

The recipe will make about 15 cupcakes (it's a weird amount, I know. My Grammie's original recipe says it makes 24 cupcakes, but it never makes that many). If you end up with a weird number and you're not able to fully fill a muffin tray, put about 1 cm of water in each of the empty holes to promote even baking and to prevent your pan from burning.
These cupcakes are not super yellow but you could add a few drops of yellow food colouring if you wanted that yellow colour. Same goes for the icing. 

Lemon-Lime Buttercream

1/3 cup butter, softened (do not substitute butter for anything)
zest of 1 lemon
2 tsp lemon extract
3 TBSP lemon juice (can use bottled lemon juice if you want)
1 TBSP lime juice (can use bottled lime juice)
2-3 cups (or more) icing sugar

1. Mix butter, lemon zest and lemon extract until fully incorporated.
2. Sift in 1/2 cup of icing sugar, 1/4 cup at a time. Add 1 TBSP lemon juice and stir until smooth. Continue adding icing sugar and lemon/lime juice alternately until you have a thick but spreadable icing. It may take a bit of practice to get the right ratio of icing sugar, just keep tasting the icing and checking the consistency. You will be able to tell when you get that perfect combination of sweet and tart and the perfect consistency.
4. Frost your cupcakes and enjoy!

Featured Recipe

Strawberries are starting to appear on the shleves at the grocery store again and spring is on it's way, so it's time for a spring/summer recipe. I came up with these last summer and they are so amazing and so simple. I took them to my neighbour's for a bbq and they were a hit. Beware, these are addictive.

Cheesecake Strawberries

1 package cream cheese
250ml whipping cream
1 cup icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 pounds strawberries
2 squares baker's milk chocolate

Method:
1. Whip cream with a mixer until fully whipped (if the bowl is cold and the beaters are cold, the cream will whip faster and nicer). Set aside in fridge
2. Beat cream cheese with a wooden spoon until soft. Sift in icing sugar (use a sifter so you don't get lumps) and whip into cream cheese. Stir in vanilla
3. Fold whip cream into cream cheese  and sitr until completely mixed and smooth. Set aside in fridge.
4. Wash strawberries. Hollow the strawberries out with a sharp knife (put your knife in at the edge of the green stem and plunge it about 2/3 of the way into the strawberry. Cut all the way around the green stem. Discard the cut out. You should end up with a "well" in the strawberry. Be careful not to cut all the way through; you want to keep the bottom in tact).
5. Put the cream cheese mixture in a large freezer ziploc bag. Cut a small corner off the bag (this will act like a piping bag. You can use a piping bag if you have one). Pipe the cream cheese mixture into your hollowed out strawberries. Place strawberries on a baking sheet lined with wax paper.
6. Melt chocolate in a small saucepan stirring until smooth. Remove from heat. Dip strawberries in chocolate so that they are about half dipped (this part is a wee bit trickey. It helps if you have a small spoon to spoon the chocolate onto the berries). Place on the wax paper lined baking sheet. Refirgerate for about a half hour until the chocolate has cooled.

That's it! You will not regret eating these.   

Featured Recipe

Sweet Cinnamon Scones

I was just thinking about these and how delicious they are and how I really want one right now. They're also not too hard to make and are good in the morning for coffee break.
I found this recipe a little while ago and it comes courtesy of The Pioneer Woman Cooks website.

This recipe calls for cinnamon chips; if anyone can find cinnamon chips anywhere, PLEASE let me know and I am dying to try them!!

Here's the link to the recipe: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/03/sweet-cinnamon-scones/

Featured Recipe

Chocolate Peanut Butter Snowballs

These taste like Christmas in your mouth. The perfect combination of peanut butter and chocolate and not too sweet. They are really easy to make, but taste like they're a lot of work. Rolling them gets a little messy and they freeze really well. My friend Kristy introduced me to them and my friend Tahnee told me I had to post the recipe after I gave her a sample - this is for both of them! Courtesy of the Kraft Canada Website

http://www.kraftcanada.com/en/recipes/chocolate-peanut-butter-snowballs-82742.aspx