Peanut Butter Scotchies and Happy Bday Stephen!

How to make Mother sad:

Mother sends package to Mexico to son on mission, in November, with Christmas gifts inside. December 25th. No package received.
Mother sends package to son mid-December with home made treats, hoping it will get there close to Christmas/New Year. No package received.
Mother sends package end of December for missionary son's January birthday.
Seven weeks after first package sent. Still, no packages received. Sob. Sob. Sniff, Sniff.

How to make Mother happy:

Mother talks to son on SKYPE (greatest invention, EVER) on Christmas day. Son doesn't care he didn't receive package, he is just beaming and so thrilled to be able to talk and see his family online!
Mother sends email just before son's birthday.
The email starts off with- Questions: PACKAGES????
Son's response in email later that day: "No packages, yet. Don't worry about it. I love you! I miss you a lot." 
Also in Mother's email to son: Do you need anything?
Missionary son: "I just want some homemade cookies or something haha." 

"And maybe some potato salad." 

Well at least HE still has a sense of humor about the packages not being delivered!
I'm grateful to have a son who has lost himself in service, and doesn't think it's a big deal to celebrate Christmas or his birthday without a gift.
Note to me: It's just stuff. 

I tried to send this treat( the recipe I'm posting today) a month before his b-day. I even saved one square, wrapped it up, taped a little note on it and set it next to my computer. The note said "do not eat till December 29th". A few of my friends saw my note taped to the treat, and were really amused by this. Do you think this is funny? Doesn't everyone do this?   I wanted to see/sample for myself how fresh it would taste if he received it two weeks after I sent it. Um. Well, whatever. For the record, it was still decent. Not super fresh, but if you were, say, living in a foreign country, and you hardly ever got home made treats, you would probably think it was wonderful :), even if it was a little less than fresh. That is, if you ever received your mail.   
Ok, enough of my rant about mail, treats and the lack of timely, or any delivery.
**Update 1/23  Letter home from Stephen. He received two packages on his birthday! His Christmas gifts were a little late. Next Christmas, Ill send in September. Yay! 

On to wishing Stephen a happy birthday!

How did you grow up so fast?? 

About 19 years later....Stephen (on the right) with his last companion, Elder Gallan. 

I'm posting these, because last year when Stephen left on his mission (yes, it's been 11 months!)- He requested Peanut Butter Scotchies for his farewell celebration. You can look back here to that day...
I thought his birthday was an appropriate day to post one of his favorite treats!
Happy birthday, Stephen.
love and miss you,
Mum

Peanut Butter Scotchies
aka, Chocolate Scotcheroos
print recipe

1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup white sugar
1 1/2 cups smooth peanut butter
4 cups Rice Krispies*
1 1/2 cups butterscotch chips (or one 11 oz package)**
1 1/2 cups  semi sweet chocolate chips (or one 11-12 oz package)**

Bring sugar and corn syrup to a boil . Add peanut butter and cereal.
Remove from heat, and press into a greased 9x13 pan.
Place the butterscotch and chocolate chips in a glass bowl in microwave for about 1 1/2  minutes, stirring  and place back into microwave for 30 seconds and repeating stirring until all chips are melted. This usually takes about 3-4 minutes total.
Spread the melted chips on tops of the cereal mixture in the pan. let cool and cut into bars.

Tips:
*The original recipe from Kellogg's uses 6 cups of cereal, I have always used 4.
**They also use only one cup each of the butterscotch and chocolate chips. I like to have a really thick layer of topping, so I use more chips.
-Don't over cook the sugar and Karo Syrup mixture, just bring to a boil and remove from heat. If you over boil, the bars will become very hard and difficult to cut.

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Chocolate Walnut Brownies

The holiday cookie extravaganza week continues. I know this isn't a cookie, but I love a little bit of chocolate on my holiday cookie tray. I under baked the brownie a bit and sprinkle with powdered sugar to give it a festive look. This treat comes from The Sweet Melissa Baking Book. It's based off a Julia Child recipe. I guess that says it all. If it's good enough for Julia, it's good enough for me :)


Chocolate Walnut Brownies
adapted slightly from The Sweet Melissa Baking Book
print recipe

1 cup unsalted butter
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped (I like Ghiradelli)
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2/3 cups walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place rack in center of oven.
Line a 9x9 pan with foil and grease the foil.
In a double boiler, melt the butter and chocolate, mix until smooth.
Set aside to cool.
In another bowl, beat together the eggs, sugar and vanilla until pale yellow in color. Stir in the chocolate and butter until all ingredients are incorporated. Fold in the flour, kosher salt and walnuts. Do not over mix.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 30-35 minutes. When a toothpick is inserted in the middle, it should come out with a few moist crumbs attached. Let brownies cool completely.
After cooled completely, sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Tips:
-If you are not a fan of walnuts, you may substitute chocolate chips. If you aren't a fan of chocolate chips, I think you dialed the wrong number.

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Sheri's Southern Peanut Butter Pie with Homemade Fudge Topping

I know you are probably pied out after Thanksgiving, but I thought it just wouldn't be right to keep this recipe for myself. Sheri taught Southern Side Dishes for the Holidays at South Fork in November, and made this pie. Everyone loved it. She's brought it to Pie Night several times and it always gets rave reviews. If you love pb and chocolate together, this is your pie.
p.s. The new cooking class schedule is up for December check it out here!




Southern Peanut Butter Pie with Homemade Fudge Topping
Sheri Bolding
print recipe


1 package chocolate graham crackers, ground fine
1/3 cup sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup chunky peanut butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup heavy cream, whipped

Preheat oven to 350º. Combine the cookie crumbs, sugar, and butter until well blended. Press the mixture onto the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch plate and bake for 15 minutes. Cool.

In a food processor, combine the cream cheese, peanut butter, and confectioners’ sugar. Process until almost smooth. Gently stir in the whipped cream and pour into the pie shell. Chill.

Fudge Sauce:
2/3 cup whipping cream
1/3 cup sugar
4 oz semi-sweet chocolate

Combine all ingredients and simmer until thick. Add a tablespoon of vanilla or other flavoring.
Top peanut butter pie with cooled fudge sauce after the pie has set up in refrigerator for 6-8 hours. Let the pie set up again with the fudge sauce on top for another 4-6 hours.

Tips:

-This recipe is really simple, make sure you set aside enough time for the pie to sit in the fridge before serving. This is best made the day before serving. Perfect for the holidays!

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Black Bottom Banana Cream Pie

Every year, I try out a new pie to go along with my traditional line up for Pie Night and Thanksgiving.
When I first read this recipe, I thought- this is it, the newbie for 2011. It's a combo of a few of my favorites: vanilla custard, chocolate custard, banana and whipped cream.  One of those recipes you read and know it's a winner. Oh my goodness. I was right. Again. 

I'm signing off till after Thanksgiving. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday! Thanksgiving has always been my favorite time of year. I love the gatherings. The food. The time to reflect on blessings. Here are a few things I'm grateful for this past year...

Baseball. From January to December.

 Time in the mountains with young women. 

 The flag. Our country. The people who sacrifice to serve and protect. 

 Two of my four kids living at home. 

One last hug (for two years)  from Stephen.  

Cousins. 

Sunday dinners with family. 

 Newly planted flowers. 

My little brother and his cute fam. 

 Another Eagle Scout. 

Mother and beaches. 

 New beginnings. 

 54-10

 A son who loves serving the Lord and people of Mexico. 

 When the leaves change in Btown. 

 14 & 15 year old boys. 

Gathering with people we love. 

 Friends who love me. 

 Neighbors who have become family. 

Sunday night walks to the temple. 

Grant. 

Oh, and good food. 

Definitely thankful for good food. 

Black Bottom Banana Cream Pie
Food and Wine Magazine 2011
print recipe


Crust
1 1/2 cups fine graham cracker crumbs (about 7 ounces)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling and Topping
1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
4 large egg yolks
2 1/2 cups milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1-2 medium bananas, sliced
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
chocolate shavings, for garnish

1. Make the crust. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  In a food processor, combine the graham cracker crumbs with the sugar, cinnamon, slat and melted butter and pulse until the crumbs are moistened.  Press the crumbs evenly into a 9- to 10-inch, deep-dish glass or ceramic pie plate.  Bake for about 10 minutes, until the crust is lightly browned and set.  Let cool completely.

2. Meanwhile, make the filling in a large saucepan (preferably with a rounded bottom), combine the granulated sugar with the cornstarch, egg yolks and 1/2 cup of the milk and whisk until smooth.  whisk in the remaining 2 cups of milk and cook over moderate heat, whisking constantly, until the custard is very thick, about 5 minutes.  Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla extract until the butter is melted.  Pour half o the vanilla custard into a medium bowl.

3.  Whisk the copped chocolate into the custard in the saucepan until it is melted.  Spread the chocolate custard evenly in the pie crust and top with the sliced bananas.  Carefully spread the vanilla custard over the bananas.  Refrigerate the banana cream pie until it is well chilled, at least 6 hours and preferably overnight.

4.  In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the heavy cream with the confectioners' sugar until it is softly whipped.  Mound the whipped cream on top of the pie.  Garnish the banana cream pie with chocolate shavings and serve.

Tips:
-To make ahead, prepare the crust a few days early and the custard the day before serving. Then put it all together early on Thanksgiving day. All it has to do is sit in the fridge and rest until you are done stuffing yourself with the big feast, and are ready for dessert. 

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Black and White Brownies

I've had this recipe marked in a cookbook for years. Last week I finally got around to trying it.
Oh my.
I love chocolate cake with vanilla frosting. This is the same idea, subbing a brownie for cake, add vanilla buttercream and then a takeitoverthetop thin chocolate glaze.
You have to try these.
Now.


























Black and White Brownie
adapted from Centennial Jr. League Cookbook, 1996
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Brownie Layer
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
2 sticks (1 cup) butter
4 eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Vanilla Buttercream Layer
8 tablespoons butter, softened
3 1/2 cups (1 pound) powdered sugar
1/4 cup cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

Chocolate Glaze
4 ounces semisweet chocolate
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter

For brownie layer:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour a 15 1/2 x 10 1/2- inch pan (next size up from 9x13 pan). Melt the chocolate and butter over hot water in the top of a double broiler.  Cool slightly.  In a separate bowl, beat the eggs until light and lemon-colored.  Gradually add sugar to the egg mixture.  Add the butter and chocolate; fold in the flour and salt. Do not over mix. Mix just until flour is incorporated into wet ingredients. Pour into the prepared pan.  Bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick poked in the center comes out clean.  Cool and chill in the refrigerator.

For vanilla buttercream layer:
Cream the butter thoroughly with an electric mixer.  Gradually add the powdered sugar alternately with the cream.  Add the vanilla and beat until very light and fluffy.  Spread evenly over the cooled brownie layer.  Chill in the refrigerator at least 10 minutes.

For chocolate glaze: Melt the chocolate and butter together in top of double broiler over hot water.  Beat well.  Drizzle over the chilled buttercream and smooth out with spatula. Chill 1 hour or longer.  Cut into squares and serve.

Tips:

• I used semi-sweet chocolate chips for the glaze layer. 
• This recipe keeps well in the fridge for about one week if covered with plastic wrap. 

linked to:

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Sour Cream Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

Here's the problem I have almost every time I make cupcakes. Well two problems.
1. They always seem a bit dry, even after following baking instructions perfectly.
2. They often sink in the middle.
Do you have the same issues? I mean, with cupcakes? Research time. I looked into this sinking problem. Googled "Why do my cupcakes sink in the middle?"  I found lots of solutions to my problems (if only all of the answers to life's questions were found on GOOGLE). After reading,  I felt the recipe had too much fat for the amount of flour, egg, etc. So, I adjusted the egg and flour. This is a common problem when baking at our altitude (4400 ft.).  For this recipe, I added a 1/4 cup of flour and another egg (yolk only).  To combat the dryness issue, I  removed 1/2 cup of butter and added 1/2 cup of sour cream.  First batch (without adjustments) yielded crater cakes, second batch- YUM.  If you are looking for answers to cupcake questions/problems etc, Cupcake Bakeshop by Chokylit is a good resource.
After working with this recipe, I was able to come up with a recipe that works wonderfully with our altitude and my oven :) Hooray!
Loved these.

Sour Cream Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting
A Bountiful Kitchen
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1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs plus 1 egg yolk, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1/2 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl.  Add the eggs and yolk one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla, sour cream and buttermilk, beat until all wet ingredients are incorporated. Add dry ingredients all at once, beat until batter is smooth, about 1 minute.
Scoop batter into cupcake liners.  Fill about 3/4 of the way full. Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes or until cake springs back when touched lightly in the middle.

Peanut Butter Frosting:
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/3 cup smooth peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk or half and half (added 1 tablespoon at a time)

Place butter, peanut butter and vanilla in a large bowl, mix well.  Add salt, powdered sugar and milk or half and half and beat until smooth.

Tips:
-To insure proper rising of your cake, make sure the normally cold ingredients (butter, eggs, sour cream, buttermilk) are at room temperature.
-I like to use an ice cream scoop or large cookie scoop to place the batter into the cupcake liners.
-This recipe yields about 18 cupcakes.  The frosting will cover the 18 cupcakes. I swirled the frosting onto the cupcake with a butter knife.  If you like to pipe the frosting, or like a lot of frosting on the cupcakes, double this frosting recipe.
-If you are piping the frosting on, don't add too much milk or half and half. Add the liquid a tablespoon at a time.

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S'mores Cookies

Time for another installment of the SRC. Yahoo! I love this club. This month my recipe comes from  Mary at Giving Up on Perfect.  Mary blogs about her life in Kansas City as a wife to her high school sweetheart and mom of one adorable little girl. She's a recovering perfectionist who has "given up on perfect and is trying to accept that perfection is probably not attainable in this life".  Oh good, the pressure is off.  If only you could see my house, Mary. 

I loved the idea of S'mores cookies. Mary has a little thing with S'mores recipes (here's a link to her list of recipes). I think she had 4 or 5 on her blog.  Oh, useless fact, August 10th is National S'mores day. Every year. 

Want to be voted best mom on the block? Try out this recipe when your kids go back to school NEXT WEEK.  Yes, a week from Monday. That's when we start back.  

Not sure how I feel about that yet.  Maybe we should have lunch on the 22nd and talk :) 

S'Mores Cookies
adapted from Giving Up on Perfect blog
print recipe

1 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup Golden Grahams cereal
1  1/2 cup mini marshmallows
4 regular size Hershey Bars
9 large marshmallows, sliced in half

Preheat oven to 375.
Cream butter with sugars. Add eggs, one at a time. Beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add vanilla.
Add flour, baking soda, salt  and chocolate chips to mixing bowl. Mix just until all dry ingredients are incorporated, about 1 minute.   Fold in  Golden Grahams and mini marshmallows with spatula, do not use mixer.  Fold just until evenly distributed into batter.
With large cookie scoop, or spoon, shape dough into 18 balls (about the size of golf balls) place on parchment lined cookies sheets, 6 cookies per sheet. Press down on each cookie a bit with the back of a large spoon or spatula.
Bake for about 7 minutes.
Remove from oven.
Place one half of a marshmallow on each cookie, put back in oven and bake for an additional 2 minutes.
Remove from oven again, slightly flatten and place 2 rectangles from a broken up Hershey bar on top of marshmallow.
Cook for an additional minute.
Remove from oven (for the last time), with a knife, spread the melted chocolate so it covers the marshmallow.


Tips:
-I used Golden Grahams instead of regular Graham Crackers, as called for in the original recipe. I'm going to be honest, although I absolutely LOVE Golden Grahams, I didn't like the way the cereal texture changed after baking. So next time, I will probably try regular graham crackers. 1 cup, chopped.
- I experimented with a whole large marshmallow on top, which I thought was too much marshmallow.
Also, no marshmallow on top, with out it, the cookie just lacked the "wow" factor.  I tried some with two squares of chocolate, swirled the chocolate, then pressed another square on top, so the Hershey name showed. I kind of liked the way it looked.

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Fresh Raspberry Chocolate Chip Pancakes

For breakfast on Jake's 15th birthday, I surprised him with one of his favorite treats in the world, chocolate chip pancakes. He LOVES chocolate in his pancakes.  I'm not a fan. But I do love fresh fruit in my cakes, so I threw in some raspberries I had in the fridge and sprinkled with chocolate.  Topped with Buttermilk Syrup. The result? One happy birthday boy.


Fresh Raspberry Chocolate Chip Pancakes
A Bountiful Kitchen
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1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh raspberries, or 1 cup thawed frozen berries
1 cup chocolate chips (I used mini)

In a medium bowl beat egg, buttermilk, melted butter and vanilla together with whisk.
Add all of the dry ingredients and mix once. The batter will be a bit lumpy. If it's too think add a little water.
Heat griddle to about 330-350 degrees or if using a pan on the stove about medium high heat. Grease the pan and add 1/4 cup of batter to the pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and raspberries, I broke the berries in half and placed the berries on the pancakes. Cook until bubbles rise and start to pop, then flip the pancake. Once. Do not pat down. Cook (about 2-3 minutes). To test, use the corner of the spatula and poke the cake in the middle.  If the pancake is done, it  will spring back.
Serve immediately with more chocolate chips, fresh berries, and home made Buttermilk Syrup.

Buttermilk Syrup

1/2 cup butter (not margarine)

1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup sugar
2  teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Heat butter, buttermilk, and sugar in a saucepan. Heat until boiling. Boil for about 1 minute. Remove from heat and add vanilla and baking soda (this will foam up, so make sure your pan is big enough to accommodate). Stir until combined. Serve immediately over pancakes or waffles.

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