Triple Peanut Butter Cookies

If you're anything like me and love peanut butter, then this recipe is perfect for you! It's a peanut butter lover's dream. There is peanut butter in the dough as well as in the chips and mini cups mixed in and pressed on top. The cookie itself is a bit crunchy on the outside but moist and full of rich flavor on the inside. Stephen isn't always the biggest fan of cake-like cookies but he requested these... and ate three of them in a matter of minutes. The recipe calls for Dutch-process cocoa powder... don't skimp. It's really what gives the base of these cookies their flavor. If you think buying "expensive" cocoa powder is a waste of money, think again. I use it for brownies, cookies, cupcakes, ice cream, and muddy buddies. In fact, I need to order another pouch of it from here. Anyway, I hope you'll give these a try. You won't be disappointed.

Triple Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
1 c. all-purpose flour
7 tbsp. Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
8 tbsp. (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1/4 c. creamy peanut butter, heaping
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tbsp. whole milk
1 c. chopped peanut butter cups (I quartered mini ones)
1 c. Reese's peanut butter baking chips

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Gently whisk to combine.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine sugars, peanut butter and butter. Beat on medium speed for approximately 1-2 minutes until creamed. Add the egg, vanilla extract and milk. Mix until smooth.
4. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients until incorporated.
5. Remove from mixer and gently fold in peanut butter chips and 1/2 c. chopped peanut butter cups  with a spatula (reserve the other 1/2 c.).
6. Using a dough scoop, drop dough (about 3 tbsp.) onto the lined baking sheets (the cookies will not spread very much, so they can be about 2 inches apart from each other). Gently press to flatten them a bit, then press a few pieces of the remaining peanut butter cups into each cookie.
7. Place in oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating the pan half way through the baking process (the cookies will look slightly underbaked, but that's ok, you don't want to overbake them). Remove from oven and let cool on sheets for 8-10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

*Makes approximately 24 cookies.
Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour

Doughnut Muffins

They're the best of both worlds. Need I say more?

Spiced Doughnut Muffins

Ingredients:

1/4 c. butter

1/4 c. vegetable oil

1/2 c. granulated sugar

1/3 c. brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

3/4 tsp. salt

1 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

2 2/3 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. milk (1% works great)

OPTIONAL 3/4 c. cooked granny smith apples (1/4" cubes)

Topping options:

*GLAZE*

3 tbsp. butter, melted

1 c. confectioners sugar

3/4 tsp. vanilla

2 tbsp. milk

*CINNAMON AND SUGAR*

1 tbsp. butter, melted

1/4 c. sugar

1 tbsp. cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:

1) Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a standard muffin tin. Or line with 12 paper or silicone muffin cups, and grease the cups with non-stick vegetable oil spray; this will ensure that they peel off the muffins nicely.

2) In a medium-sized mixing bowl, cream together the butter, vegetable oil, and sugars till smooth.

3) Add the eggs, beating to combine.

4) Stir in the baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla.

5) Stir the flour into the butter mixture alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour and making sure everything is thoroughly combined.

6) Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared pan, filling the cups nearly full.

7) Bake the muffins for 15 to 17 minutes, or until they're a pale golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the middle of one of the center muffins comes out clean.

8) Remove them from the oven, and let them cool for a couple of minutes, or until you can handle them. While they're cooling, melt the butter for the topping (this is easily done in the microwave).

9) Use a pastry brush to paint the top of each muffin with the butter, then sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar. Or simply dip the tops of muffins into the melted butter, then roll in the cinnamon-sugar.

10) Serve warm, or cool on a rack and wrap airtight. Store for a day or so at room temperature.

(recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour)

Holiday treat #3

A while ago when we were stopped at a gas station on our way back from Utah, we discovered mini Reese's peanut butter cups. They were delicious on their own, but I though they'd be even better in brownies. The other day when we were at the store I saw that they were being sold in big pouches, so I bought one and made up a batch of these- 

Deep Dark Peanut Butter Cup Brownies
Ingredients
1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2¼ c. granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1¼ c. Dutch-process cocoa
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. espresso powder (optional)
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour
1 c. chocolate chips
1 c. mini Reese's peanut butter cups chopped in half

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan.
2. In a medium-sized sauce pan over low heat, melt butter, remove from heat and then add sugar and stir to combine. Return the mixture to heat until it is hot but not bubbling. It will become shiny and glassy. Continue to stir.
3. While the mixture is heating for the second time, crack 4 eggs into a large mixing bowl and beat them with the cocoa, salt, baking powder, espresso powder, and vanilla until smooth.
4. Add the butter/sugar mixture and combine, stirring until smooth.
5. Add the flour, stirring until smooth. Wait until mixture has slightly cooled (10 minutes or so) to add chocolate chips and peanut butter cups.
6. Pour batter into the greased pan and bake for 30-35 minutes until a cake tester inserted into the center of the pan comes out clean. The brownies should look set and crusty around the edges and the middle should look moist and shiny.
7. Remove from oven and cool on rack for 30 minutes before serving.
Adapted from King Arthur Flour, Deep-Dark Fudgy Brownies | Makes approximately 24 bars

Holiday treat #1

Mini cake doughnuts. 

Apple cinnamon with cinnamon sugar.

Apple cinnamon with vanilla glaze.

Chocolate with powdered sugar.

Chocolate with vanilla glaze.

Yum.

for KAF doughnut mixes click here

Baking helps

It's no secret that I love King Arthur Flour, so naturally I'd love to have these on my cookbook shelf- also I think this batter dispenser is a great idea and would be quite handy.