Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownie Cake

This is an easy way to get a cake in the oven for dinner and still have time to cook dinner, too. If you have a family like mine, they would figure dessert should be prepared first and the meat, vegetables, and other mundane things can happen when they will!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownie Cake
2 cups coarsely chopped, salted peanuts
1 box of your favorite brownie mix
1/4 cup chocolate syrup
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup milk
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon orange zest (It really brings out the peanut taste.)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Vegetable oil spray a 9-inch, round baking pan and then line with parchment paper.

Place all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine thoroughly. Spread the mixture into the prepared pan evenly. Bake for approximately 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with only a few moist crumbs.

Let cake cool for ten minutes before removing from the pan and letting it complete the cooling process on a wire rack. Either dust with powdered sugar or frost with a peanut butter cream frosting.

Peanut Butter Cream Frosting
1/2 stick softened butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon orange extract

Whip up the butter and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Add in the rest of the ingredients and beat to form a spreadable frosting. You might need to add a few drops of milk to reach this depending on the weather and the dryness of the air.

Generously spread the frosting over the top of the cooled cake. If you want to add chocolate sprinkes or crushed peanuts, do so.

Just ol' peanut butter cookies . . .

 

I enjoy creating unique desserts and cookies but when it comes down to a satsifying cookie to go with a cold glass of milk, most people would agree that you can't beat the simple peanut butter cookie. It was only slightly cooler, yesterday, but I surprised my family with a batch of said cookies. I also made enough so my husband could treat his coworkers. This is my take on the recipe.

Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup butter (margarine doesn't do the job, here!)
1 cup smooth peanut butter (if you only have the crunchy type, that's okay!)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 large egge
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon orange extract (orange really brings out the flavor!)

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Cream the butter, peanut butter and sugars together until fluffy. Thoroughly beat in the eggs and extracts. Sift totether the dry ingredients and fold into the butter mixture.

Roll dough into walnut-sized balls and put on vegetable oil sprayed baking sheets.* using a fork, slightly flatten each ball to make a cross-hatch pattern - press one way and then the other.

Bake for approximately 10 minutes. Cookies should just begin to get golden. Don't overake them!

Let rest on baking sheet for easier removal to the cooling rack.

*Parchment paper is great for this recipe. You don't need to grease the baking sheets, the cookies absolutely do not stick, and you don't have baking sheets to clean.

Ideas . . .
Melt some chocolate chips and dip half of each cookie into it. Let them harden on waxed paper.
Add 1/4 cup finely diced orange slice candy.
Add 1/2 cup chopped peanuts
Sandwich cookies together with your favorite jam.

Peanut butter pie . . . dessert?

This looks very good but, then, I enjoy peanut butter! Although is would work well spread into a crumb crust, I'm thinking of parfait glasses to serve this. For me, pie crusts can often get in the way of a creamy filling.

1 package 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Whip the cream cheese until fluffy. Add sugar gradually, beating until smooth. Add peanut butter to blend. Stir in milk and vanilla.

Whip the heavy cream with the sour cream and granulated sugar until it is stiff. Fold into the peanut butter mixture. Spoon into either a prepared (as in already baked, if necessary!) pie crust or into individual serving glasses. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and a drizzle of chocolate syrup. You can also preface the addition of the peanuts and syrup with a puff of whipped cream. If you aren't serving it at once, Make another half batch of the whipped cream called for in this recipe. It will last in the refrigerator for almost three days without breaking down.

Refrigerate for at least four hours before serving this delicate, smooth, and soft dessert.