Dayrecipe Food Community

Remember the commercial that re-created the invention of Reese’s Peanut
Butter cups? A woman is walking down the street eating a chocolate bar, and a
man is walking the other way eating a tub of peanut butter. They bump into
each other, causing the chocolate and peanut butter to mix. Overcome by the
new taste sensation, they immediately check into a motel (I may be
misremembering that last part). I’ve never cared for the chocolate-peanut
butter combo, so if that idiot had ruined my chocolate bar, I would have
pushed him into oncoming traffic. But my mom, who says she’s going to have
chocolate with peanut butter for her last meal, swears by these cookies. She
thinks they’re even better than Traditional Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Makes 40-50 cookies

INGREDIENTS

• preparation time: 20 minutes
• baking time: 30 minutes (10 minutes per batch)
• rating: easy1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature, plus more for
  greasing
• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups (12-ounce package) semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup peanut butter chips
• 1/2 cup dry-roasted peanuts

DIRECTIONS Place an oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly rub two cookies sheets with butter, or use nonstick baking
sheets. Set aside.

Put the butter, peanut butter and the sugars in a large bowl. Beat with an
electric mixer or a wooden spoon until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs and
vanilla and beat again. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt,
and beat on low speed until well blended. Add the chocolate chips (see Mom
Tip), peanut butter chips and peanuts and mix thoroughly.

Using a teaspoon as a guide, scoop a portion of the dough and, with your
hands, roll each portion into a ball. Place the balls on each cookie sheet, 3
cookies per row in 5 rows. Flatten the balls with the heel of your hand or
the tines of a fork so that they spread to about 1 1/2 inches in diameter.
Bake each batch, one cookie sheet at a time, for about 10 minutes. The
cookies will be firm to the touch and just beginning to brown.

Remove from the oven and cool on the sheet for about 3 minutes. Then transfer them with a
spatula to a cooling rack. Let the cookie sheet cool for 1 or 2 minutes more
before reusing so the dough doesn’t melt. Store in an airtight container.

Mom Tip: If you want chocolate coating on the top of each cookie, reserve 1/2
cup chocolate chips when mixing the batter. After the cookies are formed and
placed on the cookie sheets, lightly press 5 chocolate chips into the top of
each cookie. When the cookies come out of the oven, gently spread those
partly melted chocolate chips over the top of each cookie with a knife to
make a thin chocoalte layer. Cool as directed.

Look for peanut sauce in the Asian foods section of the supermarket. Serve with: Couscous and a cucumber-romaine salad tossed with mint-yogurt dressing. Dessert: Mango sorbet and coconut macaroons.

Makes 4 servings.

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4cup purchased asian peanut sauce
• 2tablespoons soy sauce
• 1tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• 83/4- to 1-inch-thick loin lamb chops

DIRECTIONS Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Whisk together first 4 ingredients in small saucepan. Brush about 5 tablespoons of sauce over both sides of chops. Reserve remaining sauce.
Grill chops to desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Place 2 chops on each of 4 plates. Bring remaining sauce to simmer. Drizzle over lamb and serve.

Makes 24.

INGREDIENTS

• brownies
• nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 5ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 4ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1/2cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 1/2cups sugar
• 4large eggs
• 1teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2cup all purpose flour
• 1/4teaspoon saltfrosting
• 1cup creamy peanut butter (do not use old-fashioned or freshly ground)
• 3tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2/3cup powdered sugar
• 1teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS For brownies:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 13×9x2-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving 2-inch overhang on both short sides. Spray foil with nonstick spray. Combine both chocolates and butter in heavy small saucepan. Stir over low heat until melted and smooth. Cool to barely lukewarm. Using electric mixer, beat sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract in large bowl on high speed until mixture thickens and is pale yellow, about 5 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low; beat in flour and salt, then melted chocolate mixture. Transfer mixture to prepared baking pan.

Bake brownies until tester inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs still attached, about 20 minutes. Transfer baking pan to rack; cool 15 minutes. Press gently on edges of brownies to level with center. Cool completely in baking pan.

For frosting:
Combine peanut butter and butter in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat until smooth. Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract and beat until well blended and smooth. Spread frosting evenly over brownies in pan. Refrigerate at least 1 hour. Using foil as aid, lift out brownies from pan. Cut into squares. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving.)

Sue Ellison of Edgewater, Colorado, writes: “Although I have worked for more than 20 years as an elementary-school music teacher, at this point music is just my job; cooking is my passion. It’s an interest I share with my daughter, Hannah. We do a phenomenal amount of cooking together. In fact, I think she learned how to count using chocolate chips, standing on a stool next to me at the kitchen counter while I baked chocolate croissants. Now Hannah’s early training is paying off: She creates new recipes often, including the peanut butter and white chocolate candies here.”

Makes about 80 pieces.

INGREDIENTS

• nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 1pound good-quality white chocolate (such as lindt or baker’s)
• 1cup extra-crunchy peanut butter12ounces semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2cup whipping cream

DIRECTIONS Line 9×9x2-inch baking pan with foil, leaving overhang. Spray foil with nonstick spray. Combine white chocolate and peanut butter in medium metal bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of barely simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water). Stir until chocolate melts and mixture is blended. Spread mixture evenly in prepared pan; freeze until almost firm, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, place chocolate chips and cream in another medium metal bowl. Set over same saucepan of simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water). Stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Spread chocolate mixture evenly over peanut butter mixture. Refrigerate until very firm, at least 3 hours. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.)

Using foil as aid, lift candy out of pan. Cut into 1-inch squares; serve cold.

Makes 8 servings.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 prebaked pie shell
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 4 large egg yolks, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 7 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate
• 1/4 cup lightly salted peanuts, coarsely chopped

DIRECTIONS Heat oven to 325°F. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, yolks, and sugar with electric mixer on medium-high speed until it ribbons, about 6 minutes. Meanwhile, in a microwavable bowl, melt peanut butter, butter, and chocolate on high 1 minute. Stir and repeat until mixture is smooth. Cool.

In three additions, fold egg mixture into chocolate mixture. Pour into a prepared pie shell. Sprinkle peanuts over top of pie. Bake 12 minutes. Surface will be soft and somewhat liquid in the center. Allow to cool for 30 minutes and serve. Filling will be slightly runny and ooze out of the pie wedge.