Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

Several food bloggers posted peanut butter pies in honor of a food bloggers husband who passed away unexpectantly. I had never made a peanut butter pie before, but decided to give one a try. I went to the Pioneer Woman's website and made her version which was so quick and easy. It is very rich so be sure to cut the slices small.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

Crust:

25 oreos - crushed

4 TBSP butter, melted

Pie Filling:

1 cup Creamy Peanut Butter

1 package of softened cream cheese

1 1/4 cup powedered sugar

1 package (8oz) Cool Whip, Thawed

Crust:

Combine the crushed oreos and butter. Press into pie pan and bake at 350 for 5 to 7 minutes, or until set. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

Filling:

Beat the peanut butter with the cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Add in the thawed Cool Whip and beat mixture until smooth, scraping the sides as needed. Pour the filling into the crust, evening out the top with a knife or spatula. Chill for at least an hour before serving.

Source: Pioneer Woman

Red Velvet Cake Balls

This seems to be my go to treat for teachers on Valentine's Day! I hope they enjoy them as much as I do!

Red Velvet Cake Balls

1 box red velvet cake mix ( cook as directed for 13 x 9 cake)

1 16oz can cream cheese frosting

1 package chocolate bark (regular or white chocolate)

wax paper

Cook and cool cake completely. Crumble cake into large bowl.

Mix thoroughly with frosting.

Roll mixture into quarter size balls and lay on cookie sheet.

Stick in freezer to chill.

Melt chocolate in microwave per directions on the package.

Roll balls in chocolate and lay on wax paper until firm.

Source: Bakerella

Blue Ribbon Brownies from Southern Plate

Because of all the football games on this weekend, I decided to bake some treats. Oh who am I kidding, I had a huge chocolate craving. These were posted on Southern Plate. I love the crust that forms on the top of the brownies. I did not add the nuts. Worth the effort.

Blue Ribbon Brownies

1 cup shortening

4 squares unsweetened baker's chocolate

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp salt

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

2 tsp vanilla

(1 cup nuts)

Melt shortening and chocolate together. Sift flour, salt and baking powder. Beat eggs and sugar until creamy. Add cooled chocolate mixture and blend. Add flour mixture, vanilla and nuts. Bake in greased 9x13x2 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. Check with a toothpick.

Source: Southern Plate

Butterscotch Oatmeal Bars

This recipe came from Southern Plate. It was originally posted as M&M Oatmeal Bars. This fall it was posted with a "fall" twist. Butterscotch and cinnamon. They are yummy and use baking mix so they are super fast to make.

Butterscotch Oatmeal Bars

1/2 cup rolled oats

1 cup butterscotch chips

1 cup brown sugar, packed

2 cups Bisquick baking mix

1 egg

1 stick butter, melted

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp cinnamon

Combine everything but chips in a bowl. Stir in chips and spread into greased 8x8 greased pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely and cut into bars.

Source: Southern Plate

Pumpkin Crisp

Yea! It's October! Time for a little pumpkin!

I was emailed this recipe from my friend Heather. It is the perfect fall dessert served with some vanilla ice cream.

Pumpkin Crisp

1 (15 oz) can pumpkin

1 cup evaporated milk

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 (18.25 oz) package butter flavored yellow cake mix

1 cup butter - melted

Vanilla Ice Cream - optional

Stir together first 5 ingredients. Pour into a lightly greased 13x9 baking dish. Sprinkle cake mix evenly over pumpkin mixture. Drizzle butter evenly over cake mix.

Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Remove from oven, and let stand 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Source: Heather via Southern Living

Pioneer Woman's Strawberry Shortcake Cake

I have made this cake 5 times now. It is a wonderful summer treat.. especially with strawberries from the farmers market. Check out the Pioneer Women's website for the recipe. Here is the link:

Strawberry Shortcake Cake

S'more Puffs

Bunco tonight and I saw this in a magazine and thought, "perfect!"

S'more Puffs

ritz crackers

hersey kisses

large marshmallows, cut in half

Preheat oven to 350. Place crackers on foil lined baking sheet. Top each with 1 kiss, and 1 marshmallow half, cut side down. Bake 8 minutes or just until marshmallows begin to melt. Let cool on wire rack 5 minutes.

Source: southern living

Key Lime Bars

One of my favorite desserts is Key Lime Pie. I knew I had to try this recipe from Cook's Illustrated. I love that website and magazine because they are very detailed and there is no question about how to make something. They have lots of illustrations of steps that might be confusing.

Key Lime Bars

Crust

5 ounces animal crackers

3 TBSP packed brown sugar

pinch table salt

4 TBSP unsalted butter - melted and cooled

Filling

2 ounces cream cheese - room temp

1 TBSP grated lime zest, minced

pinch table salt

1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

1 egg yolk

1/2 cup fresh lime juice (4 to 5 limes)

Garish (optional)

3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut, toasted until golden and crisp

1. Adjust oven rack to middle postion and heat oven to 325. Create foil sling for 8x8 pan. Spray foil with cooking spray.

2. Make Crust: In workbowl of food processor, pulse animal crackers until broken down, about ten 1-second pulses. Process crumbs until evenly fine, about 10 seconds. Add brown sugar and salt, prcess to combine, ten to twelve 1 second pulses. Drizzle butter over crumbs and pulse until crumbs are evenly moistened with butter. Press crumbs evenly and firmly into bottom of prepared pan. Bake until deep golden brown. 18 to 20 minutes. Cool on wire rack while making filling. Do not turn oven off.

3. Make the Filling: While crust cools, in medium bowl, stir cream cheese, zest, and salt with rubber spatula until softened, creamy and thoroughly combined. Add Sweetened condensed milk and whisk vigorously until incorporated and no lumps of cream cheese remain; whisk in egg yolk. Add lime juice and whisk gently until incorporated (mixture will thicken slightly).

4. Assemble and Bake: Pour filling into crust; spread to corners and smooth surface with rubber spatula. Bake until set and edges begin to pull away slightly from sides. 15 to 20 minutes. Cool on wire rack to room temperature. 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Cover with foil and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 2 hours.

5. Serve: Loosen edges with paring knife and lift bars from baking pan using foil extensions; cut bars into squares or triangle. Sprinkle with toasted coconut if desired.

Babe Ruth Bars

An old favorite. Taking it to dinner with friends tonight!

Babe Ruth Bars

1 cup light corn syrup

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

4 c. Rice Krispies cereal

6 oz semi sweet chocolate chips

6 oz butterscotch chips

Combine sugar and corn syrup in a sauce pan and bring to a full boil; remover immediately from heat. Mix in peanut butter and cereal. Press into buttered 13x9 pan. Melt chips and spread over as icing. Cool and cut into squares.

Chocolate Chip Cake

To celebrate my mother's birthday I made one of my family's favorite cakes. It is so easy and always turns out perfect! Chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate! Yum.

Chocolate Chip Cake

1 (18oz) yellow cake mix with pudding

1 (4oz) instant chocolate pudding

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup oil

3/4 cup water

4 large eggs

1 (8oz) sour cream

1 (6oz) chocolate chips

Combine the first three ingredients and stir with wire whisk until smooth. Add oil and next three ingredients and mix until combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into greased and floured bundt pan. Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Cool in pan 10 minutes.

After the cake is cooled I make the following chocolate glaze for the top.

Chocolate Glaze

4 oz chocolate chips

3 TBSP butter

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

3 TBSP hot water

Melt chocolate chips and butter over low heat. Remove and stir in powdered sugar and water. Stir in additional water if needed to reach drizzling consistency. Spoon over cake.

Peanut Butter Bars -aka- Clay's Cake

My mom's friend Claire passed this recipe to us. Her son Clay loved it so much he requested it every year as his birthday cake. Who can resist chocolate and peanut butter? Bunco tonight so this is what I decided to take with me.

Clay's Cake

1 1/4 cup crushed graham cracker crumbs

1 box 10x sugar

1 cup crunchy peanut butter

2 sticks butter

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Melt butter and mix with all ingredients except the chocolate chips. Press into 9x13 greased pan.

Melt the chocolate chips and spread over top. Cool and slice.