a bright spot in days of grey

I actually saw two rainbows through the winter snow while driving in Upstate New York. I have seen rainbows many times as I drove along I-90 but never in the winter. (Inclement weather waits for me to hit the road or it is an ever present thing in Upstate. I believe it is the latter.) It was like one of those black and white photos that have been colorized to emphasize a certain subject or aspect minus the cheese factor (we're all entitled to our opinions, maybe you love Comic Sans, too? There, there, your new prescription lenses are on their way.). Regardless, the affect was something I cannot describe. Kind of a little prezzie reminding me that even winter in its harsh, grey glory had gifts to give.

I am done waxing poetic. These are my little rainbow winter prezzies. They are easy and tasty and I have found that dudes and kids (synonymous, no?) enjoy them especially.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Rounds

Yield: about 6 dozen

INGREDIENTS
2 C all-purpose flour
1/4 C + 2 T Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 3/4 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
3/4 C unsalted butter, room temp.
1/2 C reduced fat creamy peanut butter
1 1/2 C + 1/3 C firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 t vanilla extract
1 medium (11.4 oz) package Peanut Butter M&M's®, 6 dozen counted and set aside, crush the remaining M&M's® into small pieces
6 dozen chocolate covered pretzels I used an entire box of these

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
1. Cream brown sugar, peanut butter and butter with an electric mixer. Add eggs and vanilla until combined.
2. Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture at low speed. Mix just until blended. Stir in crushed M&M's®.
3. Roll a half tablespoon amount of dough per each cookie, place 2 inches apart on baking sheet.
4. Bake one baking sheet at a time for 8-9 minutes or until set. Do not over-bake.

ASSEMBLY
1. Immediately after removing cookies from the oven, press a chocolate covered pretzel on the top of each cookie.
2. As the chocolate is melting slightly, quickly press an M&M® on top of each pretzel.
3. Move cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Nutrition: 85 cal, 4g fat, 56mg sod, 11g carb, 5g sugar, .5g fiber, 1g protein

what's shakin', bacon?

So now that you have digested the turkey and have vowed to avoid poultry for at least a month, why not make room for another farm fresh friend? Bacon has been riding the trendy train for the last couple years or so.  It has made appearances in everything from vodka to chocolate bars to band-aids (yes, Mommy Dearest, I will order these for you). The peanut butter bacon combo has seen a resurgence as a result. I have had it on "Skippy's Dare" pizza, "The King" burger and of course, the Elvis sandwich.  Various cookie, fudge and cupcake recipes have been popping up as well.  I felt that one tasty ingredient lacking, however: maple syrup.  As you know, I have it sitting around my house, but I felt like it was the finishing touch to the cookies (with a few small chocolate bits, naturally) and I beg you to suck it up and test these out.  I could see this working with fakey bacon, too, for all of the veggies.

Peanut Butter Maple Bacon Cookies

Yield: 20-24 cookies

INGREDIENTS
1/2 C reduced fat peanut butter
1/2 C unsalted butter, melted and browned
1/2 C dark brown sugar
1/2 C pure maple syrup
1 egg
1/2 T vanilla
2 C plus 2 T all-purpose flour
1/2 t baking soda
7 pieces maple-flavored bacon, cooked, cooled and crumbled
1 oz. bacon drippings
1/4 C mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
1. In a large bowl, stir browned butter, bacon drippings, brown sugar, maple syrup, egg and vanilla together with a spoon.  Let sit for a few minutes.
2. Slowly stir in flour and baking soda until just incorporated.
4. Stir in chocolate chips and cooled crumbled bacon. Drop by rounded tablespoon two inches apart on baking sheet (twelve to a sheet). Bake for 7-9 min, remove from oven and let cool on sheet for two minutes before transferring to a drying rack to cool fully.

Nutrition: 170 cal, 9g fat, 119mg sod, 20g carb, 9g sugar, .3g fiber, 3.5g protein

pairing autumn with peanut butter

Peanut butter and its bff's chocolate and banana have been executed often in this house. This is mostly because many of my loves have a soft spot for peanut butter. Actually, obsession is probably a better way to describe it.   I am always trying to think of combos with peanut butter to meet their standards while simultaneously feeding my need to experiment with new recipes in the kitchen.  I was wracking my brain for a twist on PB while using what I had stored up at home.   The pile of this season's apples and a gallon of maple syrup were calling. I thought the combo of peanut butter and apple slices as a diet mainstay for picky children all the way up through adults on the run could work in a baked good.  Who doesn't enjoy this combo?  Throw in some oats and perhaps this can even be considered a breakfast bite.

Peanut Butter Apple Crumble Bars

adapted from Foodologie, this recipe can also be made vegan with substitutions noted.
Yield: 32 bars

INGREDIENTS
base
1/2 C reduced fat peanut butter
1/2 C maple syrup
1 C flour, whole wheat or all-purpose
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
2 T unsalted butter or coconut oil at room temp.
1/2 t vanilla

apple filling
5 apples, peeled, cored and diced
1/3 C flour
1/2 C dark brown sugar
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 t vanilla
1/2 T cinnamon
1/4 t ground cloves
1/4 t nutmeg

topping
1/3 C flour
1/3 C oats
1/2 C dark brown sugar
3 T reduced fat peanut butter
2 T unsalted butter or coconut oil

DIRECTIONS
apple filling
1.Combine all ingredients for apples, let sit for 10 minutes while you prepare the base and topping.

base
Preheat the oven to 350° F and line a 9×13-inch baking dish with foil
1. In a large bowl with an electric mixer cream butter and peanut butter until uniform in color. Add vanilla and maple syrup.
2. Add in flour, baking soda and salt and beat until a dough forms.
3. Press dough into base of pan and chill in the freezer while making the topping.

topping
1. Melt together butter in a saucepan or in the microwave for 30 seconds. Pour into a medium bowl and stir in peanut butter until combined.
2. Add in sugar, flour and oats.

assembly
1. Remove dish from freezer, spread apple filling evenly over peanut butter base.
2. Sprinkle crumble topping over apples.
3. Bake for 30-35 min. Can be served immediately with ice cream or allow to cool and store in an airtight container at room temp. for four days.

Nutrition: 112 cal, 4g fat, 96mg sod, 19g carb, 13g sugar, 2g fiber, 2g protein

you can't judge a dessert by its topping

Firstly, sorry for the week off but if you have any idea what this melt-wave in the Northeast is doing to the majority of its residents, then you would get it. I can't complain, a week or two like this happens every year, just to solidify once again that people love to hate on the weather around here and that there will always be a topic for small talk. Needless to say, the kitchen has been closed. Fortunately, we've been running around with our heads cut off since this past weekend of July Fourthdom and I haven't been in the house much to experience the sweltering heat. I broke down and bought another fan. The air conditioners at Target mocked me but I'm too cheap and stubborn to do it. Plus, I think our windows are as old as our {cough}120 year old{cough} house. Not much keeping air in or out as a result.

These little yums were for an awesome family party we attended at our friend Bri's parents' house. I learned a couple of things this weekend: 1. There are some families as loud and fun and into food as my own (another party to see that match would be great!) 2. Cherry vodka and Pepsi take me back to a time when I could have more than one drink of the stuff without singing bad karaoke (I apologize for my Lady Gaga) 3. Paper licenses are not acceptable forms of ID in Massachusetts (and I assume, everywhere). I finally change my name legally and have to cough up my real ID "for a few weeks?" Fortunately I'm lame and don't get out much. Planning is smart.

Back to the eats. Are you getting déjà vu from my last post? Well, just because it looks similar does not mean that it will taste that way. Correction, they'll taste GOOD, just not the same. I have to make sure to throw that in there or you won't get any further into this. Actually, recent convert of sweet things, Rylan P. Doherty asked for seconds and I guiltily had to deny him so I'd have enough for the aforementioned soiree. I will be making more in the near future to make up for that.

These little bars are different from the last because they are baked and do not necessarily call for peanut butter or marshmallows. Rylan thought they tasted like graham cracker though so the s'more idea must have come across after all. Most people adore peanut butter and chocolate and the marshmallows just add that summery feel. I felt that they would go over well with a crowd whose palates I had not yet met. Definitely a good choice- I almost baked a pie and there was some All-American apple crumble that would have trounced that decision easily. So, where I have the additions of peanut butter cups and marshmallow, feel free to crumble up another kind of chocolate (Kit-Kats or Twix had crossed my mind) and stuff it inside and out!

Brownie and Chocolate Chip Cookie Layer Bars

Yield: 16 big or 32 small

INGREDIENTS
Your favorite brownie recipe (for a 9x13-inch pan)
Half of your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe (I omitted the chips so there wouldn't be chocolate overkill but some people love that)
3 C chopped peanut butter cups optional (I used milk, dark and white peanut butter cups because I just can't be simple, can I?)
3 C miniature marshmallow optional

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x13-inch pan with foil and if you still haven't tried that non-stick kind (AMAZING), grease it.
1. Prepare brownie mix according to your recipe. Pour mix in pan and bake for 20 min.
2. While brownies are baking, prepare the half batch of cookie dough. Leave it out to remain soft.
3. Remove brownies from oven and drop chopped peanut butter cups over top. They should begin to melt immediately.
4. Spoon softened cookie dough over peanut butter cups, trying to cover the chocolate as well as possible.
5. Put the pan back in the oven for 20-25min. or until the cookie dough layer is firm in the center.
6. Remove pan from oven and drop marshmallows over the top. Put pan back in oven for 3-5 min. or until marshmallows begin to puff and brown. Let bars cool before cutting.

Nutrition (1/32): 242cal, 13g fat, 109mg sod, 31g carb, 21g sugar, 0g fiber, 4g protein

no bake? no prob.

The seasons in the Northeast are pretty extreme and usually leave you crying for the opposite when they finally do change. Winter is unrelenting with biting wind and the pummeling of snow in all of its varieties (I don't think I'll ever understand what a "squall" is and all I can picture is a goose being whipped around in a snowstorm. Squall = squawk = goose). The summer is just as harsh with the heavy blanket of humidity and lack of breeze. Is it true that people on the other side of the country don't converse about the weather because it's so unchanging and picture-perfect? How do people make small talk in California then? I guess they are all so fascinating that they wouldn't have to worry about it.

With the glorious 80+ degree days (and I do sincerely mean that), I don't really feel like turning on my oven to contribute to my lack of air conditioning. The only time I have wanted to heat up in the dead heat of summer was when I visited my parents during their brief stint in Lawrenceville, GA. Yes, I felt cold in Georgia. That was the only time in my life that my family had central air and will most likely the last. Growing up it was practically a test in homeostasis as summer crept in: how many nights can you survive without a fan before heat renders you sleepless? Our house was peppered with box fans and adults threatening that fingers would be chopped clean off if we played with them. If you were too hot you could jump in a cold shower for a couple of minutes or down some grape KoolAid (my personal taste of summer) or solar tea. Having an air conditioner, let alone a whole system was like waving a white flag to the summer weather gods. It just isn't done. I have continued this prideful (stupid?) torch against AC in our house and fortunately Torren's family performed a similar summer ritual as we.

As a result, I do not feel like cranking up the oven and contributing to the stagnant, hot, sticky air. So what to do when you have a "baking" contribution but don't want to bake and really can't have a frozen option because it won't transfer well to your destination? No-bakes! These are so easy and usually consist of ingredients you have on hand. Often they call for peanut butter and oats or crumbs of some sort to sub in for flour. Usually eggless, I am sure that these can be made with a vegan alternative by subbing the chocolate and marshmallows and using Earth Balance for the butter. Will have to give it a go...

No Bake Peanut Butter Bars

adapted from Nestle
Yield: 32

INGREDIENTS
2 C reduced fat peanut butter, divided
3/4 C (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened I used light butter for half of the amount
2 C powdered sugar, divided
4 C Peanut Butter Puff cereal (like Reese's or Peanut Butter Cap'n Crunch)
2 C chocolate chips
6 C mini marshmallows (1 bag)

DIRECTIONS
Grease or foil line 9 x 13-inch baking pan.
1. Beat 1 1/4 cups peanut butter and butter in large mixer bowl until creamy.
2. Pour cereal into a food processor and blender and crush into crumbs (this should yield around 1 1/2 C of crumbs).
3. Gradually beat in 1 cup powdered sugar. With hands or wooden spoon, work in remaining 1 cup powdered sugar, cereal crumbs, 1/2 cup morsels and 2 C marshmallows.
4. Press evenly into prepared baking pan. Smooth top with spatula.
5. Melt remaining 3/4 cup peanut butter and remaining 1 1/2 cups morsels in medium, heavy-duty saucepan over lowest possible heat, stirring constantly, until smooth.
6. Spread over graham cracker crust in pan.  Drop remaining marshmallows over top and press down.  If you want to "toast" the marshmallows, you can put the pan under the broiler in your oven for 3 minutes but that would defeat the "no-bake" aspect, wouldn't it?  Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until chocolate is firm. Cut into bars. Store in covered container in refrigerator.

Nutrition: 235cal, 12g fat, 124mg sod, 31g carb, 20g sugar, 2g fiber, 4g protein

chubby up the hubbies

 I had mentioned a while back that I had a few recipes using the same batter and here is the final installment. I had such a hankering for baking with pretzels to achieve the always coveted sweet 'n salty taste. I kept wracking my brain for a good thing to pair pretzels with and I remembered one of my favorite snacks: peanut butter filled pretzels. From there my brain triggered the great combo of peanut butter, pretzels and chocolate, a la some ice cream place in Vermont.  Hooray, Chubby Hubby Brownies were born!  I am pretty sure my own dude is glad that they're not around right now to give him a bit extra around the middle.

Chubby Hubby Brownies

Yield: 32

INGREDIENTS
1 C unsalted butter
4 oz unsweetened chocolate
18 oz bitter sweet or semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 large eggs (or 1 C liquid egg sub)
1 1/2 C granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 C finely crushed pretzels
1 C lightly broken pretzels
1 C crushed Peanut Butter M&Ms®

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9" x 13" baking dish with foil, and lightly grease.
1. Melt 1/2 C of butter and stir with pretzel crumbs.
2. Press crumb mixture into pan, bake for 15 minutes.
3. While pretzel layer is baking, melt the other 1/2 C of butter, unsweetened chocolate and 9 oz. bitter sweet chocolate in the microwave (stirring every 30 seconds) or over the stove until contents are completely mixed.
3. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
4. In a separate bowl, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla at medium speed while gradually adding dry ingredients to mixture until fully combined.
5. Add in chocolate mixture and beat well, it will be thicker than traditional brownie batter.
6. Stir in the rest of the chocolate chips and the 1 C of broken pretzel pieces. Press brownie mixture over baked pretzel layer. Sprinkle crushed Peanut Butter M&Ms over brownie batter. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Nutrition: 284 cal, 16g fat, 62mg sod, 35g carb, 19g sugar, 2g fiber, 5g protein

hollaback: b-a-n-a-n-a-s

 L-A-Z-Y.  That is how I felt when I wanted to make something but didn't want to head to the grocery store and face the lovely people there for a second time today.  I am practically on a first name basis with a guy at Stop and Shop who meekly says "hello" and waves when I come in looking all frazzled after the gym.  I must seem like a nut: work out like mad, schlep over to S&S in my grossness, stock up for the week and inevitably do it all again in a few days because I forgot something or have a need to bake.  For someone who loves fashion as much as I do, I spend a lot of time in sweats, hoodies and the dreaded gym sneaker.

I am going to make a somewhat catty confession.  I have a huge pet peeve about wearing gym sneakers as every day shoes and will only wear them if I am coming directly from the gym.  My best explanation is that I feel gym sneakers are clunky and ugly and do not even look good with a pair of jeans (on both guys and the lady folk).  There are so many beautiful choices out there, why limit yourself to that one sweaty, stinky pair and parade it around town?  Hell, I'll take a freaking rubber flip flop over them.  Thank you for letting me get that out of my system and feel free to tell me you hate brown hair or something.

Back to bananas.  As I stated in the last banana-themed post, why do you always have to make the same loaf with those overripe potassium goldmines?  I still had some overripe ones sitting around and I also had some mayo in the fridge that will never get eaten unless I bake with it because we just don't consume it straight in this household.  In fact, I probably bought it to make the more traditional chocolate mayonnaise cake that my mommy dearest covets so.  So I had two things I wanted to use up I also have to admit that I honestly did not want to have peanut butter as a major player in these but I had a frosting snafu and due to the above mentioned indolence, I did not have confectioner's sugar and was trying to do a thick frosting without it.  So, after some wasted ingredients, money, and time, I came up with these and was pretty happy.  The fact that Torren has eaten three and is supposedly "watching what he eats" is a decent indication that they are edible.

Banana Mayonnaise Cupcakes

Yield: 12 regular sized cupcakes

INGREDIENTS
cupcakes
2 medium-small overripe bananas, mashed
1/2 C brown sugar (I often use dark brown sugar for added moisture and a deeper molasses taste)
1/2 C granulated sugar
1 egg or 1/4 C liquid egg
1/2 C mayonnaise (I used Hellman's Low Fat without an issue)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 C flour
1/4 C peanut butter

frosting
3/4 C brown sugar
2 T cream or half and half
1 1/2 T unsalted butter
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 T peanut butter

DIRECTIONS
cupcakes
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare muffin pan with grease or papers.
1. Beat bananas, sugars and eggs until smooth.
2. Add mayo and vanilla until no streaks are visible.
3. Carefully add flour and baking soda,  little at a time until fully incorporated.
4. Evenly distribute batter among cups (about 1/2-2/3 full)
5. Drop a teaspoon of peanut butter onto the center of each batter-filled cupcake liner.
6. Bake for 18-22 min. or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

frosting
1. Combine brown sugar, cream and butter in a saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves into liquid.
2. Bring mixture to a boil for about 3 min. (softball stage, 235-240 degrees F)
3. Remove pan from heat and add vanilla.
4. Place pan in a sink or bowl of cool water to bring mixture temperature down and keep stirring.
5. Stir in peanut butter.  If mixture cools too quickly and begins to harden, add a little extra cream.
6. Frost cooled cupcakes

Nutrition: 226 cal, 6g fat, 241mg sod, 43g carb, 12g sugar, 1g fiber, 3g protein

banana + peanut butter cups = lurve

 It has been a long weekend (I love spending more than eight hours in a chair taking exams!) and a relatively busy week with my new foray into the world of education. I have learned that my fashion sense is equivalent to that of a third grader thanks to myriad compliments I received on my cupcake hat at recess. I have repeatedly been told that because of my sartorial choices I will grow up to be either a crazy cat lady or an art teacher so let's hope for the latter.  Anyway, due to the running around, we ate little or ate out and apparently the groceries suffered. I hate wasting food and enjoy picking an ingredient and forming a recipe around it, hence the bananas.

OK, the subject title may be harsh. I do enjoy banana bread and have a couple of great recipes but let's take those overripe bananas and put them to creative use, shall we? After perusing the internets, I found banana bread pudding (a recipe I have in my fave cookbook that I will try SOMEDAY), Elvis-style with peanut butter and bacon (I already have a future plan for that mixture) and Bananas Foster reincarnated into bar cookies. The Bananas Foster in regular or newfangled form will be attempted, too, but I didn't feel like having the people at the liquor store question my need to buy multiple nips of rum. They always look at me like I have two heads and I should be buying large quantities of alcohol. SORRY, I prefer my rum in baked goods. I apologize for the digression. I decided to go with something portable because I want to get this stuff out there! I tweaked a great banana bread recipe and added Reese's Miniature Peanut Butter Cups. You cannot go wrong with the banana, peanut butter, chocolate combo. I will say that I wanted to use the new dark chocolate cups but I can only find them at Tar-jay (wonderful add-ins in their candy aisle!) and I was trying to be efficient for once and shop in one place.

On to the comfort food!  The lighting isn't so hot but I think you get the gist.

Peanut Butter Banana Bread Bites

Yield: 40 bites

INGREDIENTS
1/4 C unsalted butter (melted)
1 C brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3-4 small bananas (around 300g)
1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 6oz container of vanilla or banana light yogurt

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease mini cupcake pan. Unwrap candies. Combine melted butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla, mix well. Take half of the bananas and mash and add them to the mixture. Slice the other half and set aside. Combine flour and baking soda and add to the mix. Fold in yogurt and sliced bananas. Distribute batter (about a heaping tablespoon per section) evenly into the pan. Push a peanut butter cup firmly into each section, top up. Bake for 12 minutes. Allow bites to cool to room temp. until removal.  *After some testing, I think these are best when eaten frozen or heated up a little.*

Nutrition: 99 cal, 4g fat, 65mg sodium, 16g carb, 11g sugar, 2g protein

census: ideal chocolate chip cookie

My first attempts at sugar seduction with Torren were difficult.  As mentioned, he is willing to try pretty much anything; it's getting him to love it that is the challenge.  I wanted to be the bearer of his favorite dessert.  I am still not fully convinced that these are his fave considering it took him about four years to share his "secret birthday dessert" with me but I'll take his word for now.

After much use of the dreaded Scientific Method, I managed to make his ultimate chocolate chip cookie: chewy edge, soft center, medium thickness, very little crumb with, uh, Reese's Pieces (I know, I know, not a CCC exactly but I can't help his PB obsession).   I would agree that this recipe is probably tied for first with my personal favorite CCC, bringing up an interesting topic debated all over the food blogs: what is the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe?   This one, I believe, is purely subjective.

Before I found the Cooks Illustrated recipe that is beloved among many, my favorite CCC was the "puffy" cookie.  CCCs  and a little less flour yield what my mother calls the "poor man's chocolate chip."  My sister Tess' ultimate would be the prepackaged Toll House dough blobs, under baked.  Mommy Dearest is forever trying to recreate my Aunt Potty's flat, florentine-like CCCs.  My Grandma Sue's are a dark, crunchy, somewhat thicker version.  I remember people going crazy for Keebler Soft Batch cookies when they came out and then of course someone is always trying to recreate Mrs. Field's.  All of this fascinates me for some reason.  Come on people, do tell, what is your favorite CCC? Store-bought or homemade? Cakey? Chewy? Do they have to have a certain chocolate?  Or, {sacrilege}, maybe you don't even like them and would rather have a brownie.