"Melt in Your Mouth" Peanut Butter Cookies

This is my favorite recipe for Peanut Butter Cookies!  I got it from the cookbook The Ultimate Cookie Book, by Catherine Atkinson.  I hope you love them too.

Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 c. butter, at room temperature, diced

3/4 c. firmly packed brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup crunchy peanut butter (or creamy, if you prefer)

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

pinch of salt

Directions:

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  In another bowl, mix the egg and vanilla, then gradually beat into the butter mixture.  Stir in the peanut butter and blend thoroughly.  

Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt and stir into the mixture to form a soft dough.  Chill dough for at least 30 minutes, or until firm.  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly grease two baking sheets.  Spoon out teaspoonfuls of dough and form into balls.  Place on baking sheets and flatten with fork, making a crisscross pattern.  Bake for about 12 minutes or until lightly colored.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool. 

ENJOY!

Sinfully Rich Fudgy Brownies

Another family recipe that comes from a very old dessert cookbook. It is now out of print, but I was able to find a used one when I moved away from home. If you want to know, it's titled Cookies by Natalie Hartanov Haughton. I remember making these brownies with my Grandma for my class when I was in elementary school. They are probably SO unhealthy, but they are very very good. I had to make a dessert for a church activity so I decided on these. I hadn't made them in years, because when I do, I eat too many. The title pretty much describes them perfectly...

SINFULLY RICH FUDGY BROWNIES

Ingredients:

4 oz. unsweetened chocolate (1 oz.=3 Tablespoon cocoa + 1 Tablespoon oil)
1 cup butter
4 eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour

*Chocolate-Marshmallow Frosting-
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate (1 oz.=3 Tablespoon cocoa + 1 Tablespoon oil)
1 cup butter
2 eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 (1-lb.) pkg. powdered sugar (3-3/4 cups)
4 cups miniature marshmallows

Directions:

Brownies- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 9x13 in. baking pan. In a large saucepan, combine chocolate and butter. Heat over low heat until melted and smooth, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Beat in eggs, granulated sugar, vanilla and salt until thoroughly blended. Stir in flour, blending well. Spread evenly in bottom of greased baking pan. Bake 25-30 minutes; brownies should be moist. Do not overbake! Cool in pan.

Frosting - Meanwhile, prepare Chocolate-Marshmallow Frosting. In a medium saucepan, combine chocolate and butter. Heat over low heat until melted and smooth, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Add eggs, vanilla and powdered sugar, beating until smooth. Stir in marshmallows. While frosting is slightly warm, spread over the cooled brownies. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Cut chilled brownies into bars. Store in refrigerator.

I did not prepare mine soon enough in advance, so the frosting was a bit runny, but still good.

ENJOY!

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Bars

Another sweets recipe. I got this one from my dear friend Erica's blog, Erica's Pantry. They are so so yummy. They made lots so thank goodness I had some people to take some to. Little B loved them (what child wouldn't). We had fun getting flour all over the kitchen with his help and as soon as they came out of the oven he was asking for a "ookie." They were the perfect thickness and sweetness and they were good days after I made them too. This is the perfect recipe to make with your kids help. It will be messy that way, but forget about that and have fun! Thanks Erica for sharing!

THICK AND CHEWY CHOCOLATE CHIP BARS
originally from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Ingredients:

2 1/8 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
12 tablespoons butter (1 1/2 sticks), melted and cooled slightly
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups chocolate chips (use your preference of semisweet, bittersweet, milk, white, peanut butter…the options are endless!)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325. Adjust the oven rack to lower-middle position. Line a 9X13-inch baking pan with foil, letting the excess hang over the edges of the pan by about 1 inch so you can grab those edges and pull the brownies from the pan after they have baked. Spray the foil-lined pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Mix the flour, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside. Whisk the melted butter and sugars in a large bowl until combined. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture until just combined; do not over mix. Fold in the chocolate chips and turn the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with the spatula.

Bake until the top of the bars is light golden brown, slightly firm to the touch, and edges start pulling away from sides of pan, 24-28 minutes. (It took about 30 minutes in my oven) Cool on a wire rack to room temperature. Remove the bars from the pan by lifting the foil overhang and transfer them to a cutting board. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve.

ENJOY!

Butterscotch Roses

With this pregnancy, I have had a serious sweet-tooth. I cannot get enough of all things sweet! A few months ago I came across this recipe at ifood.tv, saved it as a bookmark, but I just never got around to making them. Last week I was craving something sweet again, so I decided to finally give it a try. They turned out so well! They were really easy to make, even with my extra set of little hands pouring and sticking fingers in the dough. He loves eating them too. This is on my list of things to make for my family when they come when the baby is born. The recipe, with my modifications and pictures, is below. Or you can get the original here.

BUTTERSCOTCH ROSES

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup nuts, chopped (if desired)
2 cups flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup shortening (or I used light margarine and they turned out well)
7/8 cup milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 °F (220 °C). Butter 8 large muffin pan cups (I was actually able to get a full 12 out of this recipe). Set aside. In a bowl, cream butter and brown sugar. Mix in nuts, if desired. Spoon 1 tbsp (15 mL) mixture into each cup. Set aside remainder. In a bowl, sift flour, baking powder and salt. Mix in shortening until granular. Make a well in the center. Pour in milk. With a fork, gently mix to a soft dough. Flour a clean, even surface. Roll out dough to a square, 12 inch (30 cm) wide by 1/4 inch (0.5 cm) thick. Spread remaining caramel mixture over dough. Roll.

Slice into 8 rounds. Place over caramel in muffin cups. Bake in oven 20 minutes or so.

Unmold at once!!! If you don't they might just be stuck in there...

(This picture does not give them justice!)

Enjoy warm or cool with a nice glass of milk!

ENJOY!