Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Once again, I was preparing for a potluck.  Once again, I could not decide what to make.  My family suggested cookies.  Cookies?!  Really?  Do they still not know that cookies are not my favorite dessert?  I decided to look for a cookie recipe anyway, and I am SO glad that I did.

These chocolate peanut butter cup cookies are to-die-for!  They are thick and rich, sweet and salty.  It is a really good thing that I shared them at the potluck before I even tried them, because otherwise I might have kept them all for myself.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups plus 2 Tablespoons flour

6 Tablespoons cocoa

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons milk

2 cups coarsely chopped peanut butter cups (freeze peanut butter cups for at least 30 minutes before unwrapping and chopping)

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

2.  Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.

3.  Using an electric mixer, beat together butter, peanut butter, and sugars until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.

4.  Add in the egg, vanilla extract, and milk.  Beat until smooth.

5.  Gradually beat in dry ingredients on low speed until incorporated.

6.  Gently fold in 1-1/2 cups chopped peanut butter cups.

7.  Drop large rounds of dough (about 3 tablespoons) onto baking sheets.  Place a few pieces of remaining chopped peanut butter cups on top of each dough ball and gently flatten.

8.  Bake 12-14 minutes.  Rotate pans halfway through.  Do not overbake the cookies.  They will set as they cool.  

9.  After cooling on the pans for about 10 minutes, remove cookies to wire racks to finish cooling.

Source:  Annie's Eats

Rosemary Chicken and Wild Rice

I found this recipe recently and thought it looked pretty good and kind of healthy, but I wasn't overly excited about it.  I wasn't overly excited, that is, until I tasted it.  It was SO good!  I totally did not expect to like it so much.  I will definitely be making it again.  The combination of flavors was surprising, and it was very easy to make.

  

Rosemary Chicken and Wild Rice

Ingredients:

1 cup wild rice or wild rice/brown rice mix

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1-1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed

2 carrots, diced

1 tablespoon dried rosemary or 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

1/3 cup orange marmalade (low sugar, if possible)

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

1.  Prepare wild rice or wild rice/brown rice mix according to package directions, substituting chicken broth for the water and adding salt.

2.  Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Sauté garlic for 1-2 minutes or until golden.  Add chicken and carrots.  Sauté for 3-4 minutes.  Stir in the rosemary.  Cook until chicken is cooked through, about 3-4 minutes.

3.  Stir in the marmalade, mustard, and pepper.  Heat through.

4.  Stir in the hot rice and toss to combine.

Source:  Mel's Kitchen Cafe      

Slutty Brownies

When I saw a recipe for "Slutty Brownies," I immediately though of my best friend.  Don't worry!  It was not because she's an immoral lady.  She's completely the opposite.  

You see, we have strange senses of humor, and words like "floozy" and "trollop" have always made us giggle.  Cindi and I were planning to have a girls day and do some baking, and we both agreed that these brownies would be perfect.  Perfect, they were.

Slutty Brownies

Ingredients:

Brownie layer -

10 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 eggs

1/2 cup flour

Oreo layer-

16 double-stuffed Oreos

Cookie layer-

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1-1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract

1-1/4 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 9" by 9" pan with aluminum foil.  Spray aluminum foil with non-stick spray.

To make brownie layer-

1.  Melt butter in saucepan over low heat.  Remove from the heat.

2.  Add the sugar and cocoa powder.  Whisk to combine.

3.  Whisk in salt, vanilla, and eggs.

4.  Add flour and mix until combined.

5.  Set aside.

To make cookie layer-

1.  Beat the butter and sugars using an electric mixer until light and fluffy.

2.  Add egg and vanilla.  Beat until combined.

3.  Mix in flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda until combined.  

4.  Fold in chocolate chips.

5.  Set aside.

To assemble-

1.  Press the cookie dough into the pan.  

2.  Layer with the Oreo cookies.

3.  Pour brownie batter over the top of the Oreo layer.  Spread batter gently and evenly with a spatula.

4.  Bake for about 35 minutes, or until toothpick comes out mostly clean.   

Source:  Handle the Heat