Sweet Your Heart Out: Homemade Peanut Butter Brownies

HELLO PEANUT BUTTER LOVERS!!!

This one is for you.....

There are not many days in a week that pass by where I don't have a craving for a nice warm brownie. Brownies are very welcome in the Fanning kitchen. The hubs has never met a brownie he didn't like. The same goes for me. I really had not planned on doing a lot of baking or cooking this week. But something caught my attention as I was waltzing through the grocery store aisles today. I hadn't planned ahead or chosen any recipes which meant I didn't have an ingredient list. What could I bake that would be a no-brainer, quick and easy (something I could finish while the hubs and baby were taking their standard Sunday afternoon naps)? I was standing there blocking cart traffic when all of a sudden a lightbulb flickered on in my head. Peanut butter brownies. Wow. I figured that I could make the basic from scratch brownie that I'd used to make the cookies 'n' cream brownies that we devoured a few weeks ago....but instead of the Oreos I'd use some peanut butter chips. I didn't even know that Nestle Tollhouse made such a thing....but they do. And I was happy. I found myself standing there trying to imagine how close it would feel to heaven of earth if I could pull off these brownies. But they needed one more thing. Peanut butter frosting? Yes. Yes, that's it. Here we go!

Ingredients:

Brownies:
*4 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate; coarsely chopped
*3/4 cup butter
*1 1/2 cups sugar
*3 eggs; lightly beaten
*1 tsp vanilla
*1/4 tsp kosher salt
*1 cup all purpose flour
*1 package milk chocolate/peanut butter chips

Frosting:
*1 stick butter
*3/4 cup peanut butter
*2 cups confectioner's sugar
*4 Tbsp milk


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 9×9 inch baking pan with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray

2. Microwave chocolate and butter or margarine in large bowl for 3-4 minutes or until butter is melted.

3. Whisk mixture until chocolate is melted. Stir in sugar. Add in eggs, extract and salt. Gradually add in flour and stir until just combined.

5. For frosting:  Mix softened butter and peanut butter in bowl with mixer. Add in confectioner's sugar gradually while mixing and then add milk to get desired consistency.

6. Let brownies cool completely and then spread frosting on top.


I just have to quote the hubs on this one as he spoke with a big bite full of brownie: "babe, these are dangerously good." I actually gave myself a lil pat on the ol' back after this recipe. I was pretty proud that I could make my own frosting without following a recipe (simple, but I was proud nonetheless). These treats were 1)moist 2)delightful 3)addicting 4)all gone. Or almost all gone. I still have a few that are going to find good homes tomorrow. Like he said...."dangerously good." I can't take the chance. ;) Oh yeah, one more thing....ENJOY!!!

Butterscotch "Blarney Stone" Cookies

So here's my story......

Yesterday was blarney stone baking day. It's Sweet Tooth Tuesday a day late! Blarney stone, blarney stone, how do I bake thee?? I'd only eaten them once in my life. I honestly wasn't a big fan of them but my Irish-rooted hubby is a self-proclaimed blarney stone fan. I have been feeling guilty about all of these recent lemon and lime flavored desserts I've been baking up so it was high time to make something I knew he'd devour. After a quick google search whilst walking the grocery store aisles I clicked on the first link at the top of the results page. Hmmm, kind of peculiar. These tiny little mini cookies in the picture sure didn't look like the blarney stones I've seen before. At that point I was officially confused. I'm no expert so I figured there may be more than one kind of blarney stone. Or maybe you could make any kind of dessert with nuts and call it a blarney stone. I even googled information about the history of the blarney stone. I was blarney stoned out and I hadn't even picked a recipe yet. See, I was just confused. I kept thinking "blarney stones are big puffy things covered in frosting and rolled in nuts." (scratching my head). "I'm totally overthinking this, aren't I??" "But the title of the recipe said 'blarney stones'". Hmmmm. So you see where that was going.....where was a little leprechaun when I needed one?

I decided "ah what the heck? I'll give this recipe a try!" I'm so glad I did. And I even made up my own name for these treats. These are the Fannings new version of blarney stones in cookie form....and I'm ok with that. Join me if you will in the new blarney stone revolution!! (man I'm kinda tired of typing the word blarney...are you tired of reading the word blarney?)

This has got to be the most surprising recipe I've baked thus far. Surprising in the fact that it's not what I expected at all. First of all, I had no idea what a fan of butterscotch I was until I took one bite of these. Isn't butterscotch just something you eat in the form of a hard candy when you go to your grandma's house? Not any longer. These have jumped straight to the top of my list of what to make when I'm craving something sweet. Don't let the green color steer you away from making them anytime of the year. Just leave out the coloring or add colors for different holidays. But I must warn you.....these are very DANGEROUS. Since they are bite size it is possible to consume mass amounts of them and not even realize what you are doing until you are staring at a plate that only has a few crumbs left behind. The hubs was a huge fan of these tasty little boogers. Maybe boogers wasn't the best choice of words being as they are green and all. Hmmm, let's try tasty little morsels. That better?? ;) Now that we've got that squared away LET'S START BAKING!

Ingredients:

*1 cup butter, softened

*3/4 cup packed brown sugar

*1/4 cup sugar

*1 package (3.4 ounces) instant pistachio pudding mix

*1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

*1/2 teaspoon almond extract

*2 eggs

*Green food coloring, optional

*2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

*1 teaspoon baking soda

*1 package (10 to 11 ounces) butterscotch chips

*1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

1) In a large bowl, cream the butter, sugars, pudding mix and extracts until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add a few drops of green coloring if desired.

2) Combine flour and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in chips and nuts (batter will be stiff).

3) Cover and refrigerate for several hours.

4) Shape into 1/2-in. balls; place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 8 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Make sure and recruit a great helper like I did....

Red hair? Check. Fair skin? Check. She must be Irish.

The mint green color was so pretty while it was stirring in the mixer. I almost couldn't help myself from grabbing a big handful of cookie dough and eating it raw.....but salmonella was not really what I was going for so I refrained. The house smelled magnificent. Oh and did I mention that the recipe made about 75 of these treats? It actually was supposed to make 150 bite size but I made some a bit larger. Ya see, they are just too darn good to describe. So I won't even try. I'll simply try to make enough batches to share with everyone of my friends, family and patients. Send me your order!! Oh yeah, one more thing....ENJOY!!! Oh yeah, and one more thing....HAPPY ST. PATTY'S DAY FRIENDS!

Leprechaun Key Lime Cake

Top of the evenin' to ya lads and lasses!

It's SWEET TOOTH TUESDAY!

Confession time begins now: It's obvious that I'm jumping right into my holiday themed Tuesday treats again. St. Patty's day is right around the corner (said in my best Irish accent of course). I knew the ever so popular Fanning treat, blarney stones, would be at the top of my list for this month but I needed something to make this week (Blarney stones are next week!). I thought my search would be easy. Well it wasn't. I was being a bit picky about the difficulty of the green recipes I'd found....they were all too time consuming to bake and blog about after a full day's work (no day off today...bummer, sad face, yawn). I needed something simple, very quick and easy. Something that would allow me to keep my kitchen from turning into a disaster zone. During a search online I found this recipe. It said the words "key lime" in it...it had very few ingredients....and it sounded delicious. That's great and all but there is something that puzzles me....I have no stinkin' idea why this dessert is called "Leprechaun Key Lime Cake." It's not even green for goodness' sake (although it could've easily been green with just a touch of food coloring...but that's beside the point.) There's no leprechaun dancing on the cake....no four leaf clovers popping out of it. So where does the leprechaun come in to play?! Here is what I've come up with: lime = green. Green = St. Patty's Day. St Patty's Day = leprechaun. There you have it folks!! Introducing Leprechaun Key Lime Cake.....

Ingredients:

Cake
*1 pkg Lemon Supreme Cake Mix
*1 (3.4 oz) pkg lemon instant pudding and pie filling
*4 large eggs
*1/2 cup vegetable oil
*3/4 cup water
*1/4 cup Key lime juice

Glaze

*2 cups confectioners' sugar
*1/3 cup Key lime juice
*2 tbsp water
*2 tbsp butter or margarine, melted
* additional confectioners' sugar, lime slices and fresh strawberry slices, for garnish



Directions:

1) Preheat to 350°F. Grease and flour 10-inch Bundt or tube pan.

 

2) For cake, combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, oil, 3/4 cup water and 1/4 cup Key lime juice in large bowl. Beat at low speed with electric mixer until moistened. Beat at medium speed 2 minutes.

 

 

 

3) Bake 40-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 25 minutes. Remove cake from pan onto cooling rack. Return cake to pan. Poke holes in top of warm cake with toothpick or long-tined fork.

 

 

Isn't she pretty?

4) For glaze, combine 2 cups confectioner's sugar, 1/3 cup Key lime juice, 2 tablespoons water and melted butter in medium bowl. Pour slowly over top of warm cake. Cool completely. Invert onto serving plate and sprinkle additional confectioner's sugar on top. Garnish with lime slices and strawberry slices, if desired

**The recipe actually had a bake time of 50-60 minutes but mine was easily done at 40 minutes. Keep a close eye on it! Also of note...I used half fresh lime juice, half lime juice from a bottle. Turned out just fine.

Ya know what? Come to think of it, they can name this cake whatever they want to name it since it's so darn tasty. I enjoyed watching the glaze seep down through the holes in the cake. Mmmmm. I usually turn up my nose at cakes without thick creamy frosting involved but this one is definitely worth repeating. The cake glided out of the pan so nice and easy and came to rest on the cake stand lookin' all pretty and golden. The knife slid right through it...so moist and fluffy. I will be making this one again. But for now this one needs to find a new home. My backside doesn't need the calories and the hubs is obviously not diggin' the tangy lemon-limey flavor. With that being said, I'm looking for a good home for cake adoption (cake stand not included). ;) Oh yeah, one more thing....ENJOY!!!

New Recipe Night: Lasgana Roll-Ups

Hello easy family recipe!!!! I'm tellin' ya, this recipe has just been waiting for me to find it. This is the answer to my dry and less than desirable attempts at lasagna in the past. I've always followed the instructions on the back of the lasagna noodle box and it always left me with a bone dry and blah dish. I guess I've always had what you'd call "lasagna envy." How does everyone else's turn out so tasty and saucy???? I took some steps with these roll-ups to keep from having a repeat lasagna failure. I added plenty of extra sauce...oh yeah, and also a LOT of extra meat. I envisioned my roll-ups falling apart and looking like a hot mess. Have a little faith, Ashley!!! They actually turned out quite beautiful.

Ingredients:

*1 lb ground beef

*2 Tbsp onions (chopped)

*1 garlic cloves (minced)

*16 oz can crushed tomatoes

*1/2 tsp salt

*1/2 tsp dried oregano

*1 dash cayenne pepper

*1 1/4 cups small curd cottage cheese (drained)

*1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

*1 eggs (lightly beaten)

*1 Tbsp fresh parsley (minced)

*1/4 tsp onion powder

*6 lasagna noodles (cooked and drained)

*1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

 

Directions:

 

1) In a skillet, cook beef, onion and garlic until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add tomatoes, salt, oregano and cayenne; simmer for 10 minutes. Spoon half of the meat sauce into a greased 9-in. square baking dish. 

 

 

 

2) Combine cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, egg, parsley and onion powder; spread 1/4 cupful on each noodle. Carefully roll up and place seam side down over meat sauce.

 

 

 

3) Top with remaining meat sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Cover and bake at 375 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until heated through. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

 

**I added some Italian seasoning to the meat mixture and used 1lb of beef instead of the measly 1/4 lb that the recipe called for. If you will note above I made an executive decision to officially change the recipe. More meat please!! I also used a 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes instead of the 16 oz it called for. Ah heck, more sauce it always better!!

 

 

Yum. I loved them. We loved them. It's like your own little mini lasagnas. One roll up is plenty and very filling. That's my kind of meal....the dish that keeps on dishing....I know what I'm having for lunch tomorrow. ;) Oh yeah, one more thing....ENJOY!!!

 

Sweet Your Heart Out: Pineapple Sheet Cake

Do you have a favorite cookbook?

Here is mine....

Wanna know the ironic part? This so called "favorite cookbook" of mine has only been used ONE time. I guess having it makes me feel all Ree Drummond-like inside. Cooking By the Boot Straps....it just screams "I know what I'm doing in the kitchen and I'm not a complete failure when it comes to cooking." Right? So what did I make from this cookbook on that one occasion??? Well this is my second attempt at this yummy pineapple sheet cake so there's your answer. It served me well the first time I made it last year and I expect that it will this time as well. I must admit I haven't been able to taste it yet because chilling in the fridge right now waiting for it's trip to a pre-bible study dinner tonight at our church. Although I haven't been "cookin' by the boot straps" as much as I'd like, take my word for it....this delightfully delicious sounding cookbook will be sure to get more of my attention in the near future.  

Ingredients:

Cake

*2 cups flour

*1 1/2 tsp baking soda

*2 cups sugar

*1 stick butter

*2 eggs, beaten

*1 tsp vanilla

*1 (20 oz) can crushed pineapple

*1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Frosting

*8 oz cream cheese (softened)

*1 stick butter (softened)

*1 tsp vanilla

*1 3/4 cup powdered sugar

*1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Directions:

1) In a small bowl mix the flour and baking soda. Beat the sugar and butter in a different mixing bowl until creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until blended.

2) Beat in the dry ingredients. Stir the undrained pineapple and nuts into the batter.

3) Spoon the batter into a greased sheet cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

4) To make the frosting, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla in a mixing bowl until creamy. Add the powdered sugar gradually, beating constantly until of a spreading consistency.

5) Stir in the pecans. Spread frosting over the top of the hot cake right out of the oven. Chill, covered, until serving time.

This recipe serves 15 to 20.

This time around I left the nuts out of the cake mix and simply sprinkled them on top after I finished icing the cake. Easy, simple, quick, sweet and light. Anything with pineapple has my approval. The hubs on the other hand puts anything with pineapple as an ingredient in the "I wouldn't eat that if my life depended on it" category. Strange fella he is when it comes to food. I know one thing...he's missin' out by not trying this cake. The asthetics of this cake may not grab your attention but the sweet smell and the pineapple pieces are sure to pull you in. Oh yeah, one more thing....ENJOY!!!

New Recipe Night: Lemon Thyme Chicken & Angel Hair Pasta with Tomatoes

Just take one look at the picture. If you like chicken and you like pasta then I'm pretty sure your face will explode when you take a bite of this just like mine did. I really had no idea what to expect as far as flavor while I was whipping up this dish. I had decided that the picture made my mouth water so therefore I would be making it. ;) I've used my thyme from the spice rack a total of zero times. Thyme and I were not familiar with one another....but now I think we are pretty much on a best friend level at this point. Or maybe I'm giving Mr. Thyme too much of the credit. It could've been the zesty lemon or the magical buttery pasta sauce that made me want to eat every last serving. And I very well could've too...the hubs opted out of this because, unbeknownst to me, he had a reception at work where he ate a bunch of finger foods. I honestly think he walked in the door, saw the lemon on the counter and made up a quick excuse. Oh well, more for me!!!! I drooled over this recipe in a mag I picked up last week...The South's Best Comfort Food.

Yes please!!

Ingredients:


Lemon-Thyme Chicken:


*3/4 cup mayonnaise
*2 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme
*1 1/2 tsp lemon zest
*3/4 tsp salt
*1/4 tsp ground black pepper
*1/4 tsp garlic powder
*6 boneless, skinless chicken breast
* 1/2 cup graded Parmesan cheese
*fresh thyme sprigs for garnish (optional)


Angel Hair Pasta with Tomatoes


*1/2 cup butter
*3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
*1 tsp garlic powder
*1/2 tsp ground black pepper
*1 (12 ounce) container grape tomatoes (halved)
*1/2 cup chopped green onion
*1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
*1 package angel hair pasta (cooked according to package directions)


Directions:


Lemon-Thyme Chicken


1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Set aside.


2) In a small bowl, combine maynnaise, thyme, lemon zest, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Bursh mixture on both sides of chicken. Place chicken on prepared baking sheet.

3) Bake for 50 minutes. Sprinkle tops of chicken breasts with cheese. Bake until cheese is melted (5 to 10 minutes)

4) Garnish with thyme sprigs, if desired. Serve over pasta






Angel Hair Pasta


1) In a medium skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add lemon juice, salt, garlic powder, and pepper, stirring well to combine. Add tomatoes and green onion. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Add parsely, stirring to combine.

2) Combine butter mixture with cooked pasta, tossing to coat.


The end.


It's confession time...as always. Yet again, I overcooked the entire pot full of pasta. Sheesh! That's two recipes in a row. So I did what I did last time the pasta got mushy on me and I dumped it out and made some more. Luckily I had an extra package of angel hair on hand. I'm on pasta watch from now on. I'm going to stand over that pot and not move a muscle until it's perfectly done. There's nothing more yucky than sticky pasta. I had a bit of trouble finding fresh thyme at the grocery store so I pulled some from the spice rack instead.


So here's the deal. This stuff is the bomb. Yes, I just said bomb. I reserve that term for very special moments when I want to make a point about how awesome something is. This is one of those times! I know I keep saying "this is a new favorite" everytime I make something new. But seriously. If I could eat this for every meal (including breakfast) I probably would. Oh yeah, one more thing...ENJOY!!!

Pineapple-Berry Smoothie

I might as well have just titled this post "confessions of a smoothie addict." About a year ago I was on a smoothie kick once I found out that Walmart carried Jamba Juice smoothies in the frozen section. Eureka! I was both excited and mad. Excited that I'd stumbled upon the world's greatest product and mad because I'd been missing out on it. At that time I could be found driving thirty miles round trip with a screaming crying newborn just to get my hands on one of my favorite Jamba smoothies. So you can imagine my relief when I discovered these handy dandy packaged smoothies whilst on an outing with my ever so cranky baby. So I bought them. And I bought them....and I bought them and I bought them. Problem was they were getting to be rather expensive....it's safe to say I was even more of a smoothiholic at this point.....

I was on a mission to create a more cost effective way to feed my smoothie addiction. So I went to the store, grabbed a bunch of potential smoothie items and busted out my blender back at home. The pineapple-berry smoothie was born that day. If you even consider recreating this concoction I must warn you first. There is a slight chance that my taster is unique and just plain weird, but ever since I made up this mixture I've been hooked ever since. I apologize in advance if the taste isn't what you were dreaming of. But hey, anything with fruit and yogurt mixed together can't be bad...and I think this one is pretty darn good. At roughly 150 calories per serving this is the perfect way to get your morning started. Or your afternoon or evening....or anytime for that matter.

Ingredients:


* 1 cup pineapple juice
* 1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
* 3/4 cup frozen strawberries
* 3/4 cup fresh or frozen pineapple
* 1/2 container strawberry-banana yogurt


*I try to use at least one fresh fruit ingredient...try not to use all frozen because it will end up too thick and frosty.


Directions:


Simply add all ingredients in blender and blend 'em up! Makes two servings (or one if you are a smoothie hog/addict like me)


Doesn't it look simply delightful and refreshing?!?!?! ------>

Not only does the promise of yummy fruit goodness first thing in the morning help give you a nice burst of energy....but the sound of the obnoxiously loud blender mixing up frozen fruit bits will be sure to wake you up. ;) My daughter shares in the smoothie love with me. Except she gets to partake from a fun swirly straw. You can almost feel the anti-oxidant power running through your veins. Since I've started back on my morning smoothie binge I've found myself to have more energy. I'm not a coffee drinker so I've got to have something to get me goin'! I guess it's important the mention that smoothies replaced the ever so popular- but so last month- addiction to Diet Dr. Pepper. Hello Lent. Bye bye caffeine. For good. I'm diggin' my quality time spent with my smoothie each morning. Much more satisfying that that syrupy stuff (ok, maybe if I keep telling myself that I won't want that syrupy goodness anymore) ;)


You probably noticed that my recipe is missing some traditional smoothie ingredients. Where is the milk and ice?? A lot of recipes use milk and ice for flavor and texture. But sometimes ice can lead to a watery drink. And I'm just not a big fan of that milky flavor. The frozen fruit serves as a sub for ice...you definitely end up with a very chilly drink.

This isn't the actual serving size...just a small glass I used for prettiness' sake