Santa Barbara Chocolate Giveaway Winners!

Thank you to everyone that entered by Santa Barbara Chocolate giveaway!  Those of you that submitted product ideas they sound fabulous and I can't wait to see if the boys at SBC take some of those suggestions and make them into reality!  Also HUGE thank you to Santa Barbara Chocolate for sponsoring this giveaway.  They've pretty much ruined my chocolate expectations for life now.

So now you're wondering, who won??

Well, take a look below.  They are arranged in order of grand prize winner all the way down to third prize winner.  I'll be in touch so Jason and Justin can get you your delicious chocolates.  Congratulations Kristen, Jessie S., Tamara A., and Dina J.!!!

If you didn't win, don't fret, don't forget you can still get 10% off your order using my special code chrisseskitchen.

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Santa Barbara Chocolate Review/Giveaway and Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake!

Happy Monday, fans!  Oh my do I have an absolute TREAT for you today!

About a month ago I was contacted by a cool dude named Justin at Santa Barbara Chocolate Company.  He had stumbled across one of my old blog posts featuring this Chocolate Nutella Fudge with Sea Salt and was wondering if I'd like to partner with them.  There was the promise of free organically grown, ethically traded chocolates to be had.  If you've been following me on facebook at all you'll know that I've been going dairy free for several months now because my little nursling son is sensitive.  Chocolate is often off the menu because many brands contain milk or milk ingredients.  My heart sunk at first because I thought "Why?  Why NOW do these companies find me when I cannot taste their delicious products and want chocolate sooooo badly???".  But then I went to their website and found that they offered many dairy free options!  Score!  So I shot an email back to Jason explaining my situation and asking that they please send at least one dairy-free option for me to personally try (and my husband Chris - the real sweets lover in this family anyway - could call dibs on whatever else they sent).

Let me just say that Justin is a real SoCal guy who was so much fun to "talk" to and Jason their Maitre Chocolatier BLEW ME AWAY with how fast and personalized he made my package.  Not only was there a personal hand-written note but they sent me nearly TEN POUNDS of assorted chocolates to try.  Each was even labeled "dairy free" where applicable!

So like kids at Christmas time Chris and I tasted each of the samples.

I started with the Hispaniola Rainforest Dark 60%.  It was smooth and rich.  The perfect balance of dark and a touch of sweet just like you'd expect from a high quality dark chocolate.  It's a very classic dark chocolate so would be very versatile for baking, creating candies, or eating straight out of the bag.  Having not had any chocolate in quite some time, it was pure bliss to eat and I knew it would be hard to beat...but there were still seven more samples to go!

Going a little bit darker I found myself trying the Peru Rio Tigre Extra Dark Chocolate 75% next.  Visually it was a few shades darker than the previous sample and that's to be expected since there's 15% more cacao.  My first taste impression was confusion because it was not as smooth as I'm used to and dare I say even a touch gritty.  At first I thought perhaps it was just due to the higher cacao content but I have had dark chocolates as much as 90% cacao and not had the textural impact before.  So I gave Justin and Jason a shout.  It turns out that Jason designed the chocolate to be this way.  The cocao solids (fibre in this case) are not ground as long so that they retain a higher percentage of cocao antioxidants.  Sounds healthy to me!

Santa Barbara Chocolates from Left to Right: Belgian White, Belgian Milk,  Manjo Rainforest Dark, Belgian Dark, 100% Pure Cacao, 100% Pure Cacao Organic

Similarly, I'm not sure that I have ever tasted 100% Pure Cacao.  Though I love dark and extra dark chocolates, these ultra dark unsweetened chocolate chunks were too bitter for my personal taste.  As for Chris?  Forget it!  That kid LOVES all things sugar.  Jason told me that they're wonderful for those on paleo diets or with low glycemic concerns such as diabetics because they contain no added sugar.  He even enjoys them as a fondue or with a cup of hot green tea.  I might try melting these down and adding dried fruit and nuts to create a chocolate bark.  As an aside, Chris said he had a co-worker who gave their kid 100% pure cacao when they asked to try chocolate.  As one would expect, it was not very palatable to a child and thus the parent's scheme to get the kid to not like chocolate worked ;).

The Belgian Dark 64% was good and I think would be excellent for candies but when compared to the rest of the dark chocolate samples, not particularly memorable.

The Manjo Rainforest Dark 66% woke my tastebuds right up!  There was a subtle fruitiness to it which I wasn't expecting.  You could tell that this was high quality stuff!  I had to stop myself from eating the medallions straight from the package.   I basically have been eating a chocolate medallion...or two...or three...of the Manjo everyday since receiving the package.  It contains 100% cocoa butter so it's velvety smooth and ready to eat.  I loved just popping them in my mouth and letting them slowly melt.  Frankly I was a little bit sad that Jason and Justin only sent me a smaller sample of this variety.  But now I know what I'll be buying to get my dairy-free chocolate fix!!  It was my favorite sample by a hair (followed by the Hispaniola Rainforest Dark 60%).

The Belgian Milk Chocolate and  Belgian White were taste tested by Chris alone since he is the only one in our family that can eat dairy right now.  He happily snacked on them but couldn't really give me a detailed analysis other than that the Belgian Milk Chocolate was his favorite.  Go figure since it has the least cacao (40%) of the chocolates we sampled and therefore is sweetest!  When I used the Belgian White chocolate in my baking application, it was my father-in-law's favorite of the three layers.

After sampling everything I was left with the difficult decision of how to feature the high quality chocolate varieties.  With Jason's guidance that the Peru Rio Tigre Extra Dark Chocolate 75% was designed with pastry applications in mind and in particular, flourless chocolate cakes, I knew exactly what I wanted to make because I remembered a cake which I bookmarked from years ago.

This Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake features three of Santa Barbara Chocolate's finest Couverture chocolates.  I intentionally chose two different dark chocolates because the texture of the dark layers is different.  The cake is more dense and could stand up to the heartier texture of the Peru Rio Tigre whereas I wanted the dark chocolate mousse layer to be silky smooth so used the Manjo Rainforest there.

While you could use any chocolate to create this cake I cannot stress that the quality of the chocolate you choose to use will impact your final product.  In this case, why not give Santa Barbara Chocolate's high quality products a try?  You won't regret buying from these guys and after trying their chocolates, you'll wonder how you ever thought those waxy, off-tasting chocolate chips and bars qualified as "chocolate".  Plus, your conscious will rest easy knowing that many of the products are organically grown, fair-trade, and formulated with over 100 years of chocolate making experience.

Christine's Kitchen Chronicles readers get 10% off your total order by using the code: chrisseskitchen or enter the Rafflecopter contest at the bottom of this post to win up to NINE POUNDS of your own!  There are four different winners in this contest so be sure to be in it to win!

Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake

Ingredients

For the bottom layer

• 6 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces (plus extra for greasing the pan) 
• 7 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (recommend Santa Barbara Chocolate Peru Rio Tigre Extra Dark Chocolate 75%)
• ¾ tsp. instant espresso powder 
• 1½ tsp. vanilla extract 
• 4 large eggs, separated then allow whites to come to room temperature
• Pinch of salt 
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed 

For the middle layer

• 2 tbsp. cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-processed 
• 5 tbsp. hot water 
• 7 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (recommend Santa Barbara Hispaniola Rainforest Dark 60%)
• 1½ cups heavy cream 
• 1 tbsp. granulated sugar 
• Pinch of salt 

For the top layer

• ¾ tsp. powdered gelatin 
• 1 tbsp. water 
• 6 oz. white chocolate, finely chopped (recommend Santa Barbara Chocolate Belgian White)
• 1½ cups heavy cream 

For garnish

• 1 can of Pirouette chocolate hazelnut rolled wafer cookies, cut into thirds (there will be some leftover)
• 4 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (recommend Santa Barbara Chocolate Manjo Rainforest Dark 60%)
• 1/3 cup heavy cream

Directions

1. To make the bottom layer: Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Preheat oven to 325˚ F. In a large glass bowl set over simmer water, combine the butter, chocolate, and espresso powder. Stir occasionally until the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the vanilla and egg yolks. Set aside. 
2. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and salt on medium speed until foamy, about 30 seconds. Add half of the brown sugar and beat until incorporated, about 15 seconds. Add the remaining brown sugar and continue to beat on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 1 minute more. Whisk in one-third of the beaten egg whites to the chocolate mixture to lighten it. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the remaining egg whites until no streaks remain. Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan and smooth the top with a spatula. 
3. Bake until the cake has risen, is firm around the edges and the center has just set but is still soft (should spring back after pressing gently with a finger), about 14-18 minutes. Transfer the cake to a wire rack to cool completely, at least 1 hour. Do not remove the cake from the pan. (If not making the second layer right away, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to proceed.) 
4. To make the second layer, whisk together the cocoa powder and hot water in a small bowl; set aside. Melt the chocolate in a glass bowl set over simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Once melted, remove from the heat and let cool slightly, 2-5 minutes. 
5. In the clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream, sugar and salt on medium speed until the mixture begins to thicken, about 30 seconds. Increase the speed to high and whip until soft peaks form when the whisk is lifted, 30-60 seconds. Whisk in the cocoa powder mixture until smooth. Using a whisk, mix one-third of the whipped cream to the chocolate mixture to lighten it. Fold in the remaining whipped cream gently with a rubber spatula until no streaks remain. Pour the mousse into the springform pan over the cooled cake and tap gently on the counter 3 times to remove air bubbles. Gently smooth the top with a spatula. Wipe the inside edge of the pan to remove any drips. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes while preparing the top layer. 
6. To make the top layer, sprinkle the gelatin over the water in a small bowl and let stand at least 5 minutes to soften. Place the white chocolate in a medium bowl. Bring ½ cup of the cream to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove the pan from the heat, add the gelatin mixture and stir until dissolved. Pour the hot cream mixture over the white chocolate and let stand about 1 minute. Whisk until the mixture is smooth. Cool to room temperature, about 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.  
7. In the clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the remaining 1 cup of cream at medium speed until it begins to thicken. Increase the speed to high and whip until soft peaks form when the whisk is lifted, 30-60 seconds. Whisk in one-third of the whipped cream to the white chocolate mixture to lighten it. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the remaining whipped cream until no streaks remain. Spoon the white chocolate mousse into the pan over the middle layer. Smooth the top with an offset spatula. Return the cake to the refrigerator (leaving uncovered) and chill until set, at least 2½ hours.
8. To decorate, press cut cookie pieces around the edge of the cake.  Bring 1/3 cup of cream to a boil in a small sauce pan.  Pour hot cream mixture over the chocolate and let stand about 1 minute.  Whisk until the mixture is smooth.  Allow the ganache to cool until it is spoonable and can hold its texture.  Transfer to a piping bag and decorate the top of the cake as desired.  I decorated mine with a cornelli lace pattern using a Wilton #2 Round Tip.  If desired, garnish top of cake with additional cookies.

Source: Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated, November/December 2009

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Disclaimer: Santa Barbara Chocolate Company graciously offered to sponsor this giveaway. I received complimentary samples of chocolate to try and review. All words and opinions are my own.

SRC: S'mores Bites (Dairy-Free/Vegan)

It's a somewhat sad day for me because this is my last Secret Recipe Club.  After being a part of this group for a few years now I've decided that I needed to step away from it all.  I simply don't have the time to dedicate to creating things on a set schedule and commenting on others' posts like I used to.

For my final assignment I am honored to have my fellow Cincinnati blogging friend Desi of SteakNPotatoesKindaGurl.  We "met" through this club.  Though we live in the same city, we have never actually met in person.  She did, however, contribute a beautiful guest post of Grilled Filet with Bourbon Butter to my blog when I was on vacation.  If I learned anything about Desi it's that the girl LOVES bacon.  So when I went to choosing a recipe, I thought I'd make something with bacon in it.  Then I took a completely different direction when I saw her post for one of her other loves...s'mores.  I considered throwing some bacon crumbles in with the chocolate center and/or on top as a garnish as a tribute but tried to stay true to the recipe ;).

Many of you know that I've gone dairy-free for my son who is nursing and I suspect to be sensitive to it.  Since I could customized the cookies, I made mine dairy-free while using regular Hershey milk-chocolate for my husband's cookies.  I tried to make some substitutions of coconut oil instead of butter and dark chocolate instead of milk to keep it dairy-free (and vegan for that matter!).  Finding graham cracker crumbs that were dairy-free was also surprisingly challenging.  I usually buy store brand to save a few bucks but the store brand and most national brands for that matter had dairy in them.  Boo!  The only dairy-free graham crackers I could find were Nabisco Honey Maid.

The taste was awesome.  I actually loved the not-so-subtle coconut flavor.  It kind of reminded me of my favorite Girl Scout Cookie, samoas...which, I also can't eat right now.  Sad face.  The only problem was that my cookie crust was too crumbly and totally didn't hold together right on removal.  I'm not sure if substituting my coconut oil 1:1 for butter was the issue or if I just didn't bake it long enough.  Still experimenting with this whole dairy-free baking thing.  The fact that my cookie crumbled didn't stop me from enjoying these little s'mores bites straight out of the pan with a spoon ;).  Don't judge.

As I say goodbye to my SRC friends I want to thank you all for being awesome and for helping me to discover your wondering blogs.  And of course a special shout out to our hostess, Debbi.  I hope that you all will continue to follow me even as I leave the club...and probably post less frequently.

On an unrelated note...have you entered my Wildtree giveaway??

S'mores Bites (Dairy-Free/Vegan)

Ingredients

• 7 whole graham crackers or 1 cup graham cracker crumbs (Nabisco Honey Maid are dairy-free)
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar 
• 6 tablespoons coconut oil, melted (use butter if you don't care about it being vegan/dairy-free) 
• 4 dark chocolate candy bars, divided (I used Lindt Excellence 85% Cacao Bars for my dairy-free ones and regular Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bars for the hubby)
• 12 large marshmallows, cut in half crosswise with kitchen scissors (Dandies brand are vegan)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.  
2. If using whole graham crackers, place inside a ziplock bag and then crush with a rolling pin.  Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted coconut oil into a bowl. 
3. Divide crumb mixture into each cup of a 24 cup mini muffin pan. Press crumbs to form shallow cups.
4. Bake for 4-5 minutes or until edges are bubbling. 
5. Meanwhile, break two of the candy bars into rectangles. Break the rectangles in half. 
6. Remove pan from oven; place 2 rectangle halves into each cup. Place one marshmallow half, cut-side down, into each cup. Return to oven for 3 minutes or until marshmallows are just slightly softened.  If desired, flip on the broiler to lightly toast the tops.  Watch them carefully because they burn quickly!  
7. Using remaining candy bars, break into rectangles and top each marshmallow with a piece of chocolate.
8. Cool on a cooling rack for 15 minutes before carefully removing cups from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Source: Modified from SteakNPotatoesKindaGurl

Snickers Cupcakes

Who has leftover Halloween candy?  Or did you already eat the loot and any personal remnants this weekend...and maybe even went back to the grocery store to buy the clearance candy?  It's okay to tell me if you did.  I won't judge.  We're all friends here :).

With the rain and spooky howling wind on Halloween night, we ended up with maybe half the number of trick-or-treaters that we normally get.  Some neighboring communities postponed their trick-or-treating.  To that I say "weak sauce!" and we used to go out in the SNOW and it was dark outside because we had daylight savings earlier back then.  But I digress.  For those that braved the weather we gave out extra candy and yet still had quite a bit remaining.

Snickers are my favorite candy.  I love the chewy nougat texture contrasting with the crunchy peanuts and sticky caramel.  What's not to love?

The only way that they could be better is by paying homage to them in the form of a cupcake.  I made these cupcakes for my son's 2 month birthday but they'd be a great way to use any leftover candy...or just because.

It's essentially doctored up cake mix with a homemade caramel frosting.  I love foods that look "fancy" :).  Normally I'm adverse to using shortening but it makes the frosting whip up all silky like a dream.  I bet it'd be even more awesome with butter flavored shortening.  But if the thought of using shortening makes you absolutely gag then by all means feel free to use just all butter instead.  Mmm...butter...

One Year Ago: Best Potluck Mac and Cheese and Buca Di Beppo's Spicy Chicken Rigatoni
Two Years Ago: Mini Triple Treat Cupcakes, Peach Whiskey Barbecue Chicken, and Napa Cabbage Salad
Three Years Ago: Chicken and Cheddar Dog Treats
Four Years Ago: Turkey Bean Pumpkin Chili

Snickers Cupcakes

Ingredients

For the Cake

• Your favorite chocolate cake recipe or boxed chocolate cake mix (Being a new mom, I went boxed.  No shame in that!)
• 24 frozen Snickers miniatures

For the Frosting

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup shortening 
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 
• 1 1/2 pounds powdered sugar 
• 1/3 cup caramel topping plus more for drizzling 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 

For the Decoration

• 12 frozen Snickers miniatures
• Caramel topping
• Chopped peanuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.  Line two 12-well muffin tins with paper liners.
2. To make the cupcakes: In a large mixing bowl, prepare cake according to package directions.  Evenly divide the batter among the prepared pans.  Gently push a whole frozen Snickers Miniature bar into the center of the batter until the candy is flush with the surface of the batter.  Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until top is springy to the touch and a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool cupcakes on a wire rack. 
3. To make the frosting: Cream together the butter and shortening using an electric mixer. Beat in the vanilla extract, salt, and caramel topping.  Gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing thoroughly between additions until all of it has been added. 
4. To decorate: Cut each remaining Snickers bar square on the diagonal so that you have 24 halves.  Garnish with chopped Snickers bar halves, chopped peanuts and a drizzle of caramel topping. 

Source: Frosting from My Baking Addiction

Chewy Butterfinger Cookies

See the giant chunks of Crispity Crunchity Butterfinger Goodness in the photo below?  They were apparently too much for my body to handle.  These will forever be known as "Labor Cookies" thanks to my friend Scott.  Literally the same night that I made and ate (probably too many of) these cookies, I went into labor after going nearly two weeks post-date.  My camera went from taking glamour food photos like this...

To the next photo of my son wailing while getting his first bath at home.  To say our lives changed in a blink is an understatement...

Yep...he really hated bath time in that infant tub.  It caused my husband and I much distress and we dreaded bath days.  The only upside was that he was so tired afterward that he would often sleep through the night (7 straight hours!).  But as for the bath thing, thankfully some mommies on my local message board suggested using the regular tub and getting in with him.  He seems to like this much better.

I digress.  You're here for the Labor Cookies.  I mean, Chewy Butterfinger Cookies.  For those that are currently pregnant, fear not for these cookies will not induce labor.  That is, unless you want them to.  Then it can't hurt to try.  But no, really.  There's no medical reason that these will do anything to you other than spike your blood glucose and make your mouth and tummy feel really happy.

This is a quick and delicious way to use up those candy bars that you'll get at Halloween.  Or...on clearance after Halloween.  Or heck, for those Butterfingers that you have just because they're delicious.

Maybe my son would like some Lactation Cookies, next...

Chewy Butterfinger Cookies

Yield: About 2.5 dozen cookies

Ingredients

• 1 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar 
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter, softened 
• 1 large egg
• 8 fun sized (or 2 King sized) Butterfinger candy bars, chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375F degrees.
2. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in small bowl and set aside. 
3. With an electric mixer, beat together sugar and butter until creamy. Beat in egg until just combined. Gradually add in flour mixture. Gently stir in Butterfinger pieces. The dough will be very thick  (if it's too dry and crumbly you can add an extra egg). Drop by slightly rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheet (or for a perfect shape use my favorite cookie tool...a Medium OXO Cookie Scoop).
4. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Allow to cool and enjoy!

Source: Sally's Baking Addiction

SRC: Brownie Pudding

It's Secret Recipe Club time yet again and this month's assignment comes from Karen at Cinnamon Freud.

The recipe that I chose is a SERIOUS WINNER.  Not only is it really easy but it had my husband's entire family going back for seconds and wanting to lick their bowls and spoons clean.  Even I finally chose to play the "eating for two" card in order to help myself to a second serving of this decadent fudgey goodness.  It's like eating a rich molten liquid chocolate and mixed with ice cream.  Omigod!

I didn't have vanilla beans so I used more vanilla extract and took out some of the water from the recipe.  I also chose to use all regular cocoa powder instead of a mix of cocoa and dutch process cocoa as Karen suggests.  It's pretty amazing nonetheless and makes it such that any novice chef can tackle this recipe easily with items that are commonly stocked in the pantry.

This is one for the recipe box.  Thank you Karen so much for sharing!

One Year Ago: Oven Baked Sriracha Chicken and Brat Burgers with Drunken Onions
Two Years Ago: Banana and Sour Cream Pancakes
Four Years Ago: Chicken Gyros with Tzatziki Sauce

Brownie Pudding

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, melted
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon water
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• Pinch of salt
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325F.  Grease a 7"x12" baking pan or casserole dish.
2. In a large bowl, beat together sugar and eggs for 5-10 minutes, until it is thick and light yellow.  It's long mix times like these that make me super grateful for my KitchenAid stand mixer!  Beat in the vanilla extract and water.  Then add the flour, salt, and cocoa powder and beat until just combined.  Finally, add the melted butter and beat once more until combined.
3. Pour brownie mixture into prepared pan.  Place the brownie pan inside a 9"x13" pan.  Fill the larger pan halfway up with the hottest tap water.  
4. Bake for 50-60 minutes being careful not to over bake.  The cake is done when a cake tester or toothpick comes out 3/4 of the way done when placed 2" from the border.  
5. Let cool slightly for 3-5 minutes then serve immediately with ice cream.

Source: Modified from Cinnamon Freud as originally from Ina Garten

Recipe Swap: Peanut Butter Pudding Cookies

Today's What's Cooking Recipe Swap recipe comes from Coleen at The Redhead Baker.  While I'm familiar with her blog, I'm not sure that I've actually made anything from it before because I make far more savory recipes than sweet.  But, as you'd expect from her blog title, there were more sweet treats than not and so that's where I started with my Blogger's Choice assignment.

Even though it has peanut butter in it, for once IT WASN'T MY HUSBAND THAT PICKED THIS RECIPE!  I did.  What drew me to this particular recipe was the use of pudding in the cookie.  Many many years ago when I was in Girl Scoots (Troop #2180 represent!) I remember one of the mom's brought in a chocolate chip cookie that was the absolute softest and puffiest that I ever had.  She shared that the secret ingredient was pudding but I no longer have this recipe.  Another draw for me was the Reese's Pieces.  Friendly's clown ice cream sundaes, anyone?  And unlike Coleen, I peanut M&Ms are one of my favorites so back into the recipe they went.

The name does not do this recipe justice.  It really should be called something like Peanut Butter Candy Explosion Pudding Cookies or something because every bite is chock full of goodies.  My co-worker asked if I was trying to clear the pantry and I told her nope, just an excuse to BUY all sorts of candy ;).

It was a hit in my house but the peanut butter loving husband said that flavor was not prominent enough.  I suggested to him that next time I could use peanut butter pudding mix instead to help boost that flavor profile.  I brought some to my birthing class and it has the stamp of approval of pregnant mommies and daddies to be.  Everyone loved these so thank you Coleen (and Kate)!

Thank you also to Sarah at A Taste of Home Cooking for hosting.  Check out the blog hop to see what everyone else chose as their assignment!

Peanut Butter Pudding Cookies

Yields: About 3 dozen cookies (I got closer to 4 when using my 1.5 Tbsp cookie scoop)

Ingredients

• ¾ cup butter, softened 
• ½ cup creamy peanut butter 
• ½ cup sugar 
• ½ cup light brown sugar 
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tbsp honey 
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 
• 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour 
• 1 tsp baking soda 
• ½ tsp salt 
• 1 small box (3.4 ounces) instant vanilla pudding 
• 1 cup chocolate chips 
• 1 cup Peanut M&Ms 
• 1 cup Reese’s Pieces

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line two sheet pans with parchment paper (I like to use these reusable silicone baking mats). 
2. In a stand mixer, cream together the butter, peanut butter, sugar and brown sugar. Add in the eggs, honey and vanilla extract and beat again until incorporated. 
3. In a separate mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, salt and pudding mix. Gradually add to the cookie dough, mixing on low speed just until incorporated. 
4. Stir in the chocolate chips, peanut M&Ms, and Reese’s Pieces. 
5. Drop by the tablespoonful two inches apart onto the sheet pans. (Make your life easier and cookies more uniform by investing in one of these medium sized Oxo cookie scoops!) Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the pans for 3 to 4 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Source: Kate's Recipe Box as seen on The Redhead Baker

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookie Cake

Behold!  Another deliciously sinful dessert baked courtesy of my husband and photography courtesy of me (I had to redo the photo shoot as I was not satisfied with his initial photos...).

Every time we go grocery shopping and he passes the bakery section he drools over the cookie cakes.  He swore to make one at home.  The only problem was that as a family of two (okay..maybe 2.5 right now with Baby Boy on the way!), we really don't need a giant cookie to eat by ourselves.  So, when the opportunity finally arose when we had our Restaurant Copy-Cats themed Dinner Club he jumped on it with this IMPROVED cookie cake.

Why is it improved, you ask?  Just take a deeper look into this picture...

It starts with not just a regular chocolate chip cookie but rather one in which the cookie dough is infused with peanut butter (of course!).  The use of a springform pan results in a thick cookie that is crunchy on the outside and soft and even a bit gooey on the inside.  But it doesn't stop there.  It's enveloped in a layer of fluffy peanut butter frosting and then finished with peanut butter cups held in place by a rich dark chocolate ganache.  Excessive?  Probably.  Delicious?  Yes.

Chris was in a hurry and so he skipped the chilling step of the ganache before piping.  This resulted in a sloppier than desired execution of the peanut butter cup decorations which ended up sliding towards the dip in the center of the cake.  He deemed it "not good enough to serve for dinner club" and considered keeping it hidden away in the refrigerator.  I'm pretty sure had he done that our guests would have revolted.

Happy Friday and have a wonderful weekend!

Two Years Ago: Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with Guacamole, Spicy Lime and Honey Wings, Shrimpo de Gallo, and Tres Leches Cake
Four Years Ago:  Blonde Brownies and Avocado, Tomato and Mango Salsa

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookie Cake

Ingredients

For the Cake

• 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup (110g) light brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup (100g) sugar
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cup (220g) all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup milk chocolate chips

For the Peanut Butter Frosting

• 1 cup (225g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 1/4 cups (150g) powdered sugar (plus up to 1/4 cup more, if needed)

For the Dark Chocolate Ganache

• 6 oz. (170g) dark chocolate (50% cocoa), roughly chopped
• 1/3 cup whipping cream

For Topping:

• 12 Mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan with butter.
2. In a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer beat together the butter, both sugars, and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat untilcombined. 
3. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients the wet ones and mix on low until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Transfer to the prepared springform pan.
4. Bake for about 24-26 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool at room temperature.
5. Make the Peanut Butter Frosting: Using a mixer, beat together the butter and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Add 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar to the bowl and mix in by starting on low and then increasing the mixer speed to high as it gradually becomes incorporated. If needed, add up to another 1/4 cup powdered sugar to bring the frosting to a spreadable consistency. Frost the tops and sides of the cooled cookie cake.
6. Make the Dark Chocolate Ganache: In a small saucepan over low heat melt the dark chocolate. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the whipping cream.  Put the ganache in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes to chill so that it will be easier to pipe onto the cake.  Transfer ganache to an icing bag fitted with a wide frosting tip (or just use a plastic bag with one corner cut off). Pipe 12 evenly spaced dots of chocolate frosting around the edge of the frosted cake.  Top each dot of ganache with one mini peanut butter cup. 
7. Serve cake immediately or chill until ready to serve.

Source: Barely modified from Inquiring Chef

SRC: Peanut Butter Cup Bars

This month's Secret Recipe Club assignment comes from Mele Cotte which apparently means "Baked Apple" in Italian.  I learned something new!  And I am so extremely glad to have found Christina's blog.  She has the most amazing looking desserts which made it oh-so-hard to pick a recipe this month.

I ended up letting my husband pick the recipe and no surprise that it involved his favorite combination of flavors...peanut butter and chocolate!  What made me happy was the fact that this recipe came together ridiculously quickly and easily.  All it requires is melting the ingredients on the stove top, pouring it into a pan, and allowing it to set in refrigerator.  Perfect for the novice chef or busiest of people looking to impress.

The concept is a peanut butter cup but in bar form.  It delivered!  My husband originally told me to take the pan of treats to work but after one taste, he changed his mind and hoarded them.  My father-in-law said it was the best "fudge" he has ever eaten and happily went for seconds.  What set these apart for me was the slightly crunchy texture that came from the graham crackers.  Who would've known?

Oddly, I don't have an 8x8 pan in my kitchen so used a 9x9.  This works fine but results in a thinner bar and more squares (yah!).  The thinner bar I actually enjoyed because any thicker it would be too rich for me to enjoy.  However, the increased surface area made my chocolate layer suffer slightly.  In the future, I'd increase the amount of chocolate layer and have noted these changes below.  In the spirit of being lazy and not wanting to buy a bag of peanut butter chips just for decorating, I used straight-up peanut butter that was melted slightly in the microwave.  Delicious and pretty, too!

One Year Ago: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Stuffed Cinnamon Rolls (my first Secret Recipe Club reveal...wow time flies!)
Two Years Ago: Churro Bites
Four Years Ago: Grandma B's Spaghetti Meatballs

Peanut Butter Cup Bars

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup smooth peanut butter
• 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips (or chopped chocolate)
• 2 Tablespoons smooth peanut butter

Directions

1. Line a 9x9-inch square pan with foil, leaving enough to hang over the sides.  Butter the foil and set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, melt the 3/4 cup of butter over low heat. Once melted, remove from heat and stir in the powdered sugar. Add 1 cup peanut butter and graham cracker crumbs and stir until combined and smooth. Transfer the peanut butter mixture into the prepared pan, even out and smooth the top with a rubber spatula or by tapping it gently on the counter top.
3. In the saucepan, melt the 1/3 cup unsalted butter. Add the chocolate and stir until almost completely melted, remove from heat, and continue stirring until completely smooth. Pour over the peanut butter layer and smooth into an even layer using a rubber spatula.
4. Put the remaining 2 Tablespoons of peanut butter to a zip lock bag.  Microwave for about 30 seconds.  Snip the corner of the bag and drizzle in a decorative pattern on top of the chocolate layer.
5. Refrigerate the Peanut Butter Cup Bars at least 30 minutes to set. Remove from the pan by lifting the foil and place on a cutting board. Cut into 25 bars (5 rows by 5 columns). Store in an airtight container.

Source: Slightly adapted from Mele Cotte

4th Blogiversary Giveaway and Chocolate Oreo Poke Cake

Four years ago today I started this blog.  Honestly, I can't believe it!

Cooking for me started in college about six or seven years ago (eep!) when I was living on my own without a meal plan and I needed a way to feed myself.  A few years later I started this blog as a way to collect and share my favorite recipes with friends and family.  If you want to read the full story about me, there's a link called "About Me" (how about that!) at the top of the page.

I'd say it was only in the past one to two years that I started taking this blog more seriously and began to network with other food bloggers and try to make my photos prettier.  Honestly, that's tough when you work full-time and are racing to get dinner on the table and have a hungry husband not patient enough to get that food photo staged justttt right.  I'm making a better effort but realize I will never be a professional photographer and that's okay by me :).

So back to my celebration.  Today I'm sharing a super simple cake.  Seriously, anybody can make it.  And that's kind of the point I want to make is that even the most inexperienced person can be inspired to pick up a recipe and follow it to create something delicious.  Heck, that's how my husband got started with his now infamous Peanut Butter Cup Brownie Bottom Cheesecake!

It's not my best food photography and that's to be expected because it was taken inside of a dimly lit restaurant when I brought it for my brother's birthday dinner in the dead of Winter.  I know that the days when I feel like I've created better pictures are ones where there's good light - on the weekends or in the Summer evenings.  I'll even admit that the recipe is really just doctored cake mix.  But no one has to know that because all they'll taste is how extremely delicious and moist it is :).

Now for the giveaway part. Four years of blogging means four prizes to celebrate!  I have one grand prize: a custom Tastebook filled with 100 recipes that have been featured on my blog. This was suggested by a number of my facebook fans so I hope that you enjoy it!  I'll also have three second prizes featuring some of my favorite local foods.  This was also a suggestion by my fans.  See, I really do do all of this for you!!

You can enter to win below and then next week, I'll pick second prize winners on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.  The grand prize winner will be announced on Friday!  So don't delay and join in my celebration!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Chocolate Oreo Poke Cake

Ingredients

• 1 box Devil’s Food cake mix
• Oreos, roughly chopped (you’ll need almost an entire package)
• 1 large packet instant Oreo pudding
• 2 cups milk
• 1 small tub Cool Whip 

 Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9x13 baking dish.
2. Prepare the devil’s food cake as directed on box; stir in a large handful of the chopped Oreos. Pour batter into a prepared dish and bake for about 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
3. Combine the milk and Oreo pudding mix in a medium-sized bowl and whisk until smooth.
4. While the cake is still warm, use a chopstick or the end of a wooden spoon to poke holes all over the top of the cake.  Quickly pour the pudding over the cake and spread evenly so it will soak into all of the holes. Top with more chopped Oreos. 
5. Allow cake to cool completely. Spread the Cool Whip over the top of the cake and sprinkle with more chopped Oreos. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

Source: Sing for Your Supper 

Chocolate Nutella Fudge with Sea Salt

Any Nutella fans in the house?  How about fudge fans?  Salted sweets?  Yeah, I got all of that here today and it's wrapped up in a neat little square of love.

Way back when I made my Homemade Nutella I decided I needed to find ways to use all of it.  This fudge was just one of the recipes that I made.  I'll admit I hesitated at first.  I mean the last time I tried to make fudge, it was an epic failure and didn't set!  But I was ready to tackle my fears again and this fudge recipe didn't require me to boil the mixture to a certain temperature in order for it to set properly.

I made it and held my breath.  Visually, mine looked softer than the photo for the original recipe.  I think this was as a result of my Homemade Nutella being a bit thinner than store-bought to begin with.  I had to store the fudge in the freezer first to get a good firm cutting texture.  But I forged on and what resulted were smooth melt in your mouth bites of goodness.  Success in my mind!

Three Years Ago: Carrot Cake

Chocolate Nutella Fudge with Sea Salt

Photo Credit: Emily H.

Ingredients

• Butter, for greasing pan 
• 1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk 
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 
• 8 oz. high-quality bittersweet (60% cacao) chocolate chips 
• 1 cup Nutella, room temperature (I used Homemade Nutella)
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 
• About 1/2 tsp sea salt 

Directions

1. Grease a 8- by 8-inch baking pan with butter. Line the pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overlap on the sides. 
2. In a medium glass or stainless steel bowl, stir together sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, bittersweet chocolate chips, Nutella, and butter. 
3. Form a double-boiler by setting the bowl on a medium pot of gently simmering water. The water level should be lower than the bottom of the bowl. Stir until the chocolate chips are melted and the mixture is smooth, 5 to 7 minutes. 
4. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth it out with a spatula. Sprinkle with sea salt.
5. Refrigerate until the fudge is firm, at least 2 hours. 
6. Run a knife under hot water, dry it off, and run it around the edges of the pan to loosen the fudge. Using the overhanging parchment paper, lift the fudge out. Peel off the parchment paper. Cut the fudge into 3/4-inch squares. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container or wrapped well in plastic wrap and foil. 

Source: Cookin' Canuck

SRC: Cadbury Creme Egg Mini Cupcakes

Because I'm a horrible planner, I took this Secret Recipe Club assignment from Our Eating Habits as a way to get ahead of the game and create an Easter treat.  I mean let's face it.  When I post themed recipes AFTER the holiday has already occurred, it doesn't really help you out much now does it?

At first, I was going to take the healthy(er) way out by making these Carrot Muffins but then I saw the most adorably festive Easter decoration technique in my What's Cooking Blogger's Choice swap on Friday so was swayed to making the Cadbury Creme Egg Cupcakes on Jamie's blog instead.  Because I didn't want tons of cupcakes around and all the candy makes these cupcakes super sweet, I adapted the original recipe to be mini-sized cupcakes instead.

Hope you consider adding these to your festive Easter spread and checkout the rest of the Secret Recipe Club member's reveals in the blog hop below!   As usual, thank you to April of the blog Angel's Homestead SRC leader and Debbi of the blog Debbi Does Dinner, our Group C Hostess!

Cadbury Creme Egg Mini Cupcakes

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes

• 5 Tablespoons butter 
• 1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons sugar 
• 2 eggs 
• 1/8 teaspoon almond extract 
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 
• 3/8 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 
• 1 teaspoons baking powder 
• 1/8 teaspoon salt 
• 3/8 cup milk 
• 24 Cadbury Creme Mini Eggs

For the Buttercream Frosting

• 1 sticks of butter 
• 1.5 cups powdered sugar 
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 
• Pinch of salt
• Green food coloring

For the Decoration

• 24 Mini egg-shaped candies such as Whoppers or Cadbury Chocolate Eggs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line 24 mini-cupcake wells with paper cupcake liners.
2. To make cupcake batter cream together the butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, add both extracts with last egg. Blend in all your dry ingredients, then milk. 
3. Divide batter into prepared mini-muffin tins. Top each cupcake with frozen creme egg, pushing it in so that half of the egg is inside the batter. 
4. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 350F.  Cool.
5. Meanwhile, make the buttercream by creaming together the butter and powdered sugar.  Add vanilla, salt, and food coloring to get desired tint.
6. Fit a piping bag with a multi-opening decorating tip (I use Wilton #233) and then fill with green frosting.  Decorate the top of each cupcake with "grass" by holding the piping bag at 90 degrees about 1/8" above the surface of the cupcake.  Apply gentle pressure while lifting up about 1/4".  Stop pressure and pull tip away.  Repeat until entire surface is covered.  Finish by placing 3 mini egg candies on top of each cupcake.

Source: Modified from Our Eating Habits with frosting and decoration inspiration from Sweet Beginnings

This recipe received the March Group C SRC Editor's Choice Award!

Recipe Swap: Almond Mocha Cake

If you have a sweet tooth, you'll love today's recipe swap theme which is dessert!  This recipe comes from Nicole of Cookies on Friday and I submitted the super addicting Macadamia Lemon Bars.

When I read the ingredients list, I was concerned by the use of amaretto, an almond liquor.  Now, I know that it's not much and alcohol supposedly "cooks off" but in my experience, you can usually still taste it pretty prominently in baked goods and so I wasn't convinced that it would be the best thing for my baby.  Thankfully, Nicole confirmed it would be okay to substitute almond extract and so that's what I did.

This cake is EXTREMELY tender.  The crumb is very delicate and I found that it fell apart as I tried to enjoy its deliciousness.  The prominent flavor is the chocolate, which is enhanced by the coffee and studded with almond flavoring and pieces.  My husband was completely delighted to see it sitting on our kitchen counter after he came home from the gym.  He approved :).

Thanks to Sarah at Taste of Home Cooking for running the swap and make sure you check out the rest of the recipes in the link hop below!

Two Years Ago: Handheld Breakfast Two Ways (French Toast Cups with Sausage and Apples; Savory Breakfast Muffins)
Three Years Ago: Stuffed Shells and Grasshopper Cookie Bars (an easy St. Patrick's day treat!)

Almond Mocha Cake

Ingredients

• ½ cup sliced almonds 
• 1-1/4 cups strong coffee 
• ½ cup butter 
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips 
• 1 cup sugar 
• ¼ cup amaretto (I used 1 Tablespoon almond extract)
• 2 cups flour 
• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla 
• 2 eggs 
• Powdered sugar for dusting

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 12 cup Bundt pan. Sprinkle the almonds into the pan and gently press to the bottom of the pan. 
2. Warm your coffee in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the butter and chocolate chips and stir until mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat. Transfer the chocolate mixture to a large mixer bowl. Add the sugar and amaretto, stir to combine. Allow mixture to cool 5 minutes. 
3. With the mixer at low speed, gradually blend in the flour and baking soda into the chocolate mixture. Add vanilla and eggs and mix on medium speed about 30 minutes, or until well blended. Carefully pour into prepared pan. Be careful not to disturb the nuts too much by pouring quickly. 
4. Bake at 325 for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
5. Cool in the pan about 25 minutes and then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely. 
6. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.

Source: Recipe from Debbie Russell, 33rd Pillsbury BakeOff, Pillsbury Best of the BakeOff Cookbook as seen on Cookies on Friday

Spicy Three Bean Beef and Chocolate Chili

Happy National Chili Day!

This might be one of my favorite foods...especially when it comes to my beloved Cincinnati-style Skyline Chili.  For those not from the area, it's said to be an acquired taste.  It is Greek influenced so is velvety smooth, no beans or veggies, rumored to have chocolate and cinnamon as key ingredients, and served on top of noodles or tiny little hot dogs.  Typically it is then topped with a *mound* of finely shredded cheddar.  It's the bomb and if you want to give the concept a try at home, you can try to recipe for Cincinnati-Style Chili.  Though it's not Skyline by any means, it's still pretty good in a pinch.

I'm celebrating today by sharing a more traditional chili recipe that intrigued me because of its use of chocolate in the chili.  I wondered whether it would reflect some of the flavors that I love most about Cincinnati chili.  This one, it's a spicy one!  And I upped the chocolate so that the flavor came through more. All in all, not bad.  But again, NOT Skyline lol :).

LAST CHANCE!  My Kona Coffee giveaway ends at midnight (EST) today so make sure to get your entries in!

Spicy Three Bean Beef and Chocolate Chili

Ingredients

• 2 pounds lean ground beef 
• 2 large onions, chopped (2 cups) 
• 6 cloves garlic, minced 
• 2-4 jalapeño peppers, seeded and finely chopped 
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 2 tablespoons chili powder 
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin 
• 1 29-ounce can tomato sauce 
• 1 15-ounce can of crushed tomatoes
• 1 pint of grape tomatoes
• 3 Tbsp tomato paste
• 2 cups beer, water, or low-sodium beef broth
• 1 15-oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained 
• 1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained 
• 1 15-oz can chili beans, in sauce 
• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro 
• 3 ounce semisweet chocolate, chopped 
• Crushed red pepper, if desired 
• Sour cream, shredded cheddar, green onions, cilantro, additional jalapeños and/or corn chips for topping

Directions

1. Brown the beef in a large Dutch oven set over medium heat. Drain off fat if necessary. Add the onions, garlic, jalapeños, and green peppers and continue cooking for about 5 minutes, until starting to soften. Add the chili powder and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. 
2. Stir in the tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, grape tomatoes, tomato paste, and beer/water/broth and increase heat to bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low and cover. Simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the beans simmer for 15 to 20 minutes longer. 
3. Remove from heat and stir in salt, cilantro and chocolate. Continue stirring until the chocolate has melted. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve with desired toppings. 

Source: Modified from Spice is Nice

Guest Post: Peanut Butter Cup Brownie Bottom Cheesecake

Happy day after National Peanut Butter Day!  In retrospect, I should have shared this post yesterday but it wasn't until it was too late that we realized this day even existed.  How in the world my peanut butter loving husband missed the "celebration" of his favorite food beats me!

Regardless, here's a recipe in honor of that special day.  It's a guest post by my husband and there's both photo documentation and me vouching for the fact that he indeed made this cake ALL BY HIMSELF.  Yes, even the decoration of the cake!

Chocolate chips and peanut butter chips and Reese cups, oh my!

One of my Facebook fans asked if he cleaned up his own mess, too.  And the answer is YES!  In fact, my husband is so sweet he often cleans up after me while I'm cooking up a storm in the kitchen.  Am I a lucky gal or what?  Sorry ladies, he's taken ;).

I followed the original directions to the ganache which yielded wayyy more
drizzle than was needed.  And hey, you can't let good ganache go to waste!

Here's Chris' post and review.  He's pretty excited to be in charge of desserts now because it means he gets to make what  HE likes.  Which...of course is all things peanut butter and chocolate!

My two favorite flavors are: peanut butter and chocolate. Combine them - and it becomes exponentially better! That's also what makes Reese's my favorite candy. Combine Reese's with chocolate brownies, peanut butter cheesecake - that's what I call a dessert! I found this recipe and decided to venture into baking some of my favorite desserts since at some point Christine might get sick of making them! I made this for our friend's Christmas get-together. There was a dessert competition and I won "Best Presentation"! Everyone also agreed that it was very good tasting as well. It was quite a bit of work but it was worth it!

For those that are wondering, you don't actually want to know how many calories are in this thing.  Just close your eyes, eat, and ENJOY!  But then again, did you REALLY think it would be remotely healthy given the name and ingredients?  Yeah didn't think so.

Peanut Butter Cup Brownie Bottom Cheesecake

Ingredients
For the Brownie Crust

• 6 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted + Extra for greasing
• 1-¼ cup Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
• 2 whole Eggs
• 1 cup + 2 Tablespoons Flour
• ⅓ cups Unsweetened Cocoa
• ½ teaspoons Baking Powder
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• 1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 1 cup Peanut Butter Chips
• 6 whole Peanut Butter Cups, Cut Into Quarters

For the Cheesecake Filling

• 2 pounds Cream Cheese, Softened
• 5 whole Eggs, Room Temperature
• 1-½ cup Brown Sugar, Firmly Packed
• 1 cup Smooth Peanut Butter
• ½ cups Whipping Cream
• 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract

For the Decoration

• 1/4 cups Whipping Cream
• 1/2 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 1/2 cup Peanut Butter Chips
• 7 Peanut Butter Cups, Cut In Half

Directions
For the Brownie Crust:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease a deep 9-inch Springform pan with extra butter. (We use this one from Wilton.  It is 9" diameter and nearly 3" tall.  If you use one any smaller, you'll need to reduce the cheesecake filling or it will overflow!  It's a tight fit to begin with...ours barely fit!)
2. Stir together butter, sugar and vanilla in large bowl with spoon or wire whisk. Add eggs; stir until well blended. Stir in flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; blend well. Spread in prepared pan.
3. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until brownie begins to pull away from side of pan. Meanwhile make cheesecake layer (see step #1 below).
4. Immediately after removing brownie from oven, sprinkle milk chocolate chips, peanut butter chips and peanut butter cups over brownie surface. Spoon cheesecake mixture over chips. Turn down oven 325° and continue with cheesecake filling step #2 below.

For the Cheesecake Filling:

1. Beat cream cheese in bowl of electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add sugar, peanut butter and cream; mix until smooth. Stir in vanilla. Pour filling into prepared crust.
2. Double-wrap Springform pan with aluminum foil to prevent water seeping in. To do this, cut a large square of foil and place the pan in the center.  Wrap the foil up the sides so that the seam of the pan bottom and springform side is covered.  Leave the top uncovered. Place Springform pan into a larger baking pan. Pour hot water into the larger pan so that the water comes 1 inch up the sides of the Springform pan.
3. Bake at 325 degrees 1-1/2 hours, or until firm and lightly browned.
4. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for one hour. Run a knife along the edge of the cake to loosen it from the pan somewhat. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before decorating. I tend to make cheesecakes a day ahead to let things set.
5. Remove cake from pan and put on a pretty plate.

Chris' Cheesecake tip: to get the cake off you just need to heat up the bottom of the pan a bit and the cake should come off easily. I remove the sides, then hold the pan over a burner on my stove – set to LOW – for about 15 or so seconds. Then run a long cake spatula under the cake and it should slip easily off the pan. Just be careful – the bottom of the cake is now very slippery.

For the Decoration:

1. Bring whipping cream to boil in a small saucepan.
2. Remove from heat and add semi-sweet and peanut butter chips. Stir, stir, stir until melted and smooth.
3. Drizzle over cake and then add peanut butter cup halves around the edge of the cake.

Chris' Decoration tip: I dipped the cut edge of the peanut butter cups into the ganache before placing it on the cake.  This served as a sort of "glue" to hold the decorations in place!

Source: Slightly modified from Erika at Tasty Kitchen

Recipe Swap: Double Chocolate Cookies with Peppermint Patty Surprise

It's time for my favorite theme of WC Recipe Swap...Blogger's Choice!

I was very tempted to make Char Siu off of Kate's Recipe Box since it's something I felt every good Asian person should try to make at home sometime.  But, in the end the Holiday Bug took over and I decided I'd rather do something more seasonably festive.

These cookies look quite plain on the outside but inside a peppermint patty surprise is hiding and waiting to be unwrapped and discovered.  When you go to mold the cookie, do make sure to seal it well or the surprise will be revealed and melted out.  Kate left her cookies completely naked but I thought they could use a little holiday sparkle so I rolled them in sugar before baking.  It wasn't until later that I realized the original recipe from Rachael Ray actually called for a white chocolate drizzle and crushed candy canes.  The photos I saw from other blogs were SUPER CUTE and FESTIVE!  Another difference in Kate's recipe is that the peppermint patties and molded cookies weren't chilled.  I'd recommend doing this so the cookies stay thick and don't spread so much.

I brought some into work and they were a crowd pleaser.  It reminded me of a thin mint but soft and with a creamier interior.  By the end of the day I had THREE co-workers asking me for the recipe and telling me they were stalking my blog for it to be posted.  Definitely add this to your Christmas cookie plate!

Thank you Kate for sharing and Sarah at Taste of Home Cooking for hosting.

One Year Ago: Tex-Mex Meatloaf with Chipotle-Tomato Glaze and Emily's guest post for General Tso's Chicken
Three Years Ago: It was clearly Thanksgiving time because I shared tons of different posts!  Sweet Bacon Wrapped Pork Loin, Baked Mac and Cheese (from Pioneer Woman), Pumpkin Fluff Dip, and Broccoli Salad

Double Chocolate Cookies with Peppermint Patty Surprise

Yields: 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups flour 
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar 
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar 
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1 1/2 sticks (6 oz.) unsalted butter, slightly softened 
• 1 egg 
• 24 miniature (about 1 1/2-inch) peppermint patties, such as York, unwrapped and chilled 

Optional for decorating:

• Granulated sugar
• 6 ounces white chocolate (not chips), chopped 
• Peppermint candy canes or candies, crushed or finely chopped

Directions

1. Using an electric mixer, beat the flour, cocoa powder, sugars, salt and baking soda on low speed. Beat in butter, then the egg.   It will be crumbly but don't worry, it all works out when the heat of your hands makes the dough soft and pliable during molding.  Turn the dough onto a large piece of plastic wrap and flatted into a disk; seal. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. 
2.  Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Like 2 large cookie sheets with parchment. Working with 1 tablespoon of dough at a time (highly recommend the medium sized Oxo Cookie Scoop to make this task a breeze!) , evenly encase each peppermint patty with dough. If desired, roll each cookie with granulated sugar.  For a cookie that doesn't spread as much, chill in the refrigerator.  Bake until just firm to the touch, about 15 minutes. Remove pans from the oven and let cool slightly on the pan (until anything that oozed out sets and is firm enough so it won't explode when you move it!). Transfer the cookies on the parchment to a rack to cool completely. 
3. If decorating with white chocolate and candy canes: Meanwhile, in a double broiler or small, heatproof bowl, set over a small saucepan of simmering water, melt half of the white chocolate, stirring until melted.  Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining white chocolate until smooth.  Drizzle the white chocolate over the cookies.  Immediately sprinkle with crushed peppermint candies.  Let set completely before serving or storing.

Source: Every Day with Rachael Ray, December 2011 as seen on Kate's Recipe Box