Chocolate Peanut Butter Caramel Crispy Treat

OH MY !!!

THESE ARE A MUST !!!
holiday or not...these are a HUGE hit!

crunchy, gooey

sweet, salty

THE ULTIMATE RICE CRISPY TREAT

(can be made gluten free)

PERFECT FOR COOKIE EXCHANGE, OFFICE PARTY AND HOLIDAY DESSERT TREAT TRAY.

the recipe can serve a crowd...you might even get 36 squares depending on how you cut them.  the squares can be more like bite size because they pack a flavor punch and just one bite is a mouthful.

i found these on pinterest and knew they would go directly to my "must try" board.

the original recipe comes from Debbie F. at Key Ingredient.  i'm sure these have been made many times over with all sorts of combinations, but i decided to go with a gluten free option.

it dawned on me that "rice" krispies are probably gluten free already, but i wasn't sure they were totally gluten free so i used chocolate crispies from Mother's...sorry i forgot the brand name, but it definitely stated "gluten free" on the box.

i threw some gluten free pretzels in as well to make up the full 7 cups.

NOTE...i am not gluten free, and i am not serving anyone with a severe allergy, so you will want to check all of your ingredients for your particular needs.

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER CARAMEL CRISPY TREAT...GLUTEN FREE

adapted from Debbie F. at Key Ingredient

3 tablespoons of butter

10 0z bag of mini marshmallows

1 Tbsp of vanilla

6 cups of gluten free chocolate crispy cereal

1 cup gluten free pretzels, crushed to small pieces

14 oz bag of unwrapped caramel, i used Werthers

2 Tbsp water

1 1/2 cups peanut butter, divided,,,i used Jiff

12 oz bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup roasted salted peanuts for the top

NOTE...i threw a few whole peanuts into the rice crispy marshmallow mixture as well...

butter a 9 X 13 inch pan.  also butter the pot and utensils you will be using to melt the marshmallows

place 3 Tbsp. of butter and the marshmallows in a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until melted.  when completely melted and smooth, stir in the vanilla.  turn off heat and stir in cereal until completely coated.  the mixture will be VERY sticky.  use buttered hands to press evenly into pan.  mixture should be firmly pressed into pan.  try to have the top even.  place in the fridge to chill.

in another sauce pan (or just quickly clean out the one you were using)...place the caramels and 2 Tbsp of water over low heat, stirring frequently until melted and smooth.  add 1 cup of peanut butter (i suggest store bought like Jiff, not fresh).  stir this mixture until fully incorporated and smooth.  pour the caramel/peanut butter mixture over the chilled rice crispy mixture in the pan.  get it into the corners and as even as possible.  place the pan back into the fridge.

clean your saucepan again and, over low heat, melt the chocolate chips, stirring frequently so as not to scorch or "seize" the chocolate.  LOW HEAT.

when melted, add the remaining 1/2 cup peanut butter, stirring until smooth.  pour this mixture over the chilled caramel layer, spreading to the edges in an even layer.  tap the pan a few times on the counter and give it a jiggle to even out the chocolate layer.  sprinkle on nuts if you choose to and place in the fridge to set for about an hour or until chocolate is firm to the touch.

cut into squares while still firm.

bars are easiest to cut while chilled,

BUT ARE BEST SERVED ROOM TEMPERATURE.

Delicious Peanut Buttercream Frosting with Easy Chocolate Cake

all i can say is...

if you love PEANUT BUTTER

you'll love this cake.

 this "cake"post is all about the frosting.

the cake is good and super easy to throw together, but it definitely takes a back seat to this sweet savory smooth peanut butter buttercream frosting.

my friends were absolutely head over heals about this cake.  the aroma of peanut butter wafted though the air.  they were rolling there eyes before the first bite...  i even got called into the manager's office because of this cake.  my friend Jennifer said, "ah jules...i need to see you in the office for a moment..."   i thought i might have done something wrong or misplaced something important...

nope, she called me in because of this darn cake!

peanut butter frosting is a winner

i think i will try this frosting on the "Black Magic Cake" i made a few weeks ago...now that's a chocolate cake.  that would be a heavenly match.

ONE BOWL CHOCOLATE CAKE

found at 5 Second Rule by Cheryl Sternman

FOR THE CAKE...

1 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp espresso powder

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp slat

3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted about half way

3 Tbsp sour cream

1/2 cup milk

1 egg, room temp.

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

preheat the oven to 325F.  grease a 9 inch round cake pan.  line with parchment.

sift flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda and salt into a large bowl.  add the butter, sour cream, milk, egg, vanilla and mini chips.  mix well with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.  it's okay if the batter is a bit lumpy, but make sure there are no clumps of undissolved dry goods.  scrap into prepared pan.

bake for 30-35 minutes.  check after 25 minutes.  cake should be firm to the touch, skewer comes out clean and cake is just pulling away from the sides.  MINE WAS DONE IN 25 MINUTES with oven at 320F

cool on rack for a few minutes then unmold and cool completely.

i like to stick it in the fridge for a bit before cutting it in half for layering.

PEANUT BUTTER-CREAM FROSTING

aka Kathleen's Peanut Butter Icing

from Food Network...Ina Garten

1 cup powdered sugar

1 cup peanut butter

5 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

1/3 cup heavy cream

place powdered sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.  mix on medium-low speed until good and creamy, scraping down the sides as you work.  add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.

NOTES...i have not worked with frosting a lot, but i found this one very forgiving.  as in...it was easy to work with and did not get stiff as i was playing around.  i could go back and fix the top, practice my swirls and work on the sides.  i'm learning as i go.

also...i baked the cake on a Tuesday, frosted the cake on Wednesday and took the full cake shot.  Thursday i shot the slice and served it Thursday afternoon.  my point IS...this can be made the day before and sit covered on the kitchen counter.

Freaky Frito No Bake with Bacon and Red Pepper Flakes

SO WRONG...yet

SO PERFECTLY RIGHT !!!

everything about this says NO NO NO NO

DON'T DO IT

but you just can't help yourself...

this is a true definition of

GUILTY PLEASURE

FRITOS

chocolate

BACON,

peanut butter caramel

and a sprinkle of HOT chili flakes

YOU MUST TRY THIS !!!

i found this incredibly sinful delight on pinterest brought to my attention by  Skip to my Lou...Cindy i love you i hate you!  these are so GOOD...so BADDDDD and so wrong, yet so right on every level.   perfect sweet savory gooey crunchy in every bite.    friends and family thought i was crazy when i tried to explain what was in it, but first bite had them grabbing for more.  i would, and probably will, bring these to any party be it black tie or pot luck.  

FREAKY FRITO NO BAKE with BACON

and RED PEPPER FLAKES

original recipe and photo instructions found at Skip to my Lou

1 bag of regular Fritos, 10.5 oz

1 cup regular sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1 cup regular store bought peanut butter...natural won't work the same.

i used half creamy and half crunchy, so both will work.

8-10 strips CRISPY bacon, chopped or crumbled.

chocolate to drizzle

crushed red pepper flakes to sprinkle

spread Fritos on a greased 15 x 10 inch jelly roll pan/cookie sheet.  sprinkle the bacon on the Fritos.  save a bit of bacon to sprinkle on after you pour the caramel mixture for a good visual.

in a small sauce pan add the sugar and corn syrup. bring the sugar and corn syrup to a boil...stirring to help dissolve all the sugar.  let boil for one minute.  remove from heat and stir in peanut butter until smooth.  pour mixture equally over the Frito/bacon.  sprinkle (sparingly) with red chili flakes...as much as you can handle.  maybe just do chili flakes on half so the non heat seeker/pansy will enjoy.   as they are cooling heat some chocolate...(about 1/2 cup or so) slowly in the microwave.  do this at 15 second intervals, stirring in between so you won't seize the chocolate.   it should not be too hot so you can put this in a zip-loc baggie, cut off the tip and drizzle over the whole sheet.  the chocolate will set in a few hours, but since it isn't "tempered" it will still be a little soft to the touch.

i handed these out the next day and they still had a very good crunch...even 2 days later they were good after the photos.  do not cover these tightly.  i have a cover for my sheet pan that i just lay over top.

Red Curry White Chocolate Peanut Butter Thai Truffles

imagine this...

like nothing you'd ever expect in a typical peanut butter chocolate candy morsel.
upon first bite, instantly you are transported to another country...

but where am I ?...

what are those flavors ?...
yes, i see peanuts and chocolate, but...

lemongrass, coconut, red curry, ginger...
oooh AND there's a spicy kick at the end ?!

it's like some little Thai mother infiltrated the Reese's factory and slipped in a few of her own ingredients...

"REESE'S" GOES TO THAILAND

these are a huge hit among my foodie friends.  some were a bit sceptical...possibly from my description alone.  i didn't know how to explain the flavors.

the best i can do is liken it to that delicious spicy Thai peanut dipping sauce you get with a good plate of Satay...or the sauce you get with spicy peanut noodles and end up licking the bowl...

i know...it all sounds so weird,

BUT i promise you...

this is an unforgettable outrageous truffle. 

RED CURRY WHITE CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER THAI TRUFFLES

makes about 38-40 truffles

14 oz. white chocolate

3/4 cup whipping cream

1/3 cup creamy "brand" peanut butter

1 Tsp Thai Red Curry Paste

1/2 tsp coconut extract

1/8 tsp cayenne powder

zest 1/2-3/4 lime

6 oz roasted salted peanuts, small chop.

dark chocolate, TEMPERED for dipping

crystallised ginger for garnish

put white chocolate, peanut butter, red curry paste, lime zest, cayenne in a medium glass bowl.  set aside.

in a small sauce pan add cream and bring to "almost boil".  stir while heating so as not to scald on the bottom.

pour hot cream over white chocolate mixture and let sit for just a moment.  stir with a whisk (just stir...not vigorously).  as it comes together add in the coconut extract.  when it is all combined, give it a little whisking to make sure it is all emulsified and is not separating.  TASTE TEST.  add a little more something if you see fit.  i usually do a little tweaking at this time.  let come to room temp.  put mixture in the fridge, uncovered.  you don't want condensation from a cover in your chocolate mixture.  in about an hour, come back to it and give it a stir...if it isn't set yet...taste test one more time.  this is the last time you can add anything.  then cover and put back in the fridge for at least a few hours or over night is better.

when absolutely set, make 3/4 inch balls.  USE THIN RUBBER GLOVES...rubber gloves make everything so much easier.  when ball is formed roll in bowl of chopped roasted salted peanuts.  you need to press the peanuts in a little bit to cover the ball.  when these are all done...set aside if dipping in chocolate.  i think they should be close to room temperature when dipping so you won't have any cracks or seepage.

click HERE for some Tips and Tricks for a good TEMPER

work in a cold room if possible.

temper your dark chocolate.  dip balls half way and set on prepared parchment cookie sheets.   if room is too warm, refrigerate balls for about 15 minutes to set.

drizzle chocolate over full sheet of balls...it's easier than one at a time.

you will probably have left-over tempered chocolate so have other goodies on hand to dip or throw into a quick "bark".

Bacon Peanut Butter Pretzel Chocolates !

1#pound of bacon...

1#pound of chocolate...

a handful of pretzels 

and a little peanut butter...

hands down...call your mama...

shut the front door...

absolutely one of the BEST BITES i have made all year. 

CHOCOLATE...

my newest obsession.

i think this holiday season you might be seeing a lot of chocolates.

i've already made 5 different chocolaty morsels and i can't stop myself from dreaming up new ones.

i'll be posting about the others, but...

this is one of those...stop and take a moment type of unbelievable bites.

BACON PEANUT BUTTER PRETZEL CHOCOLATES

what you'll need...

1#pound of good chocolate...61% works well.  couverture chocolate is preferred.

1#pound bacon...cooked, CRISPY...chopped to small bits

NOTE...bacon is 1# before cooking

small pretzels...for this i used the Snyder's peanut butter pretzel sandwiches because they are small and round... twisted in half.

Jiff creamy peanut butter...natural PB is too runny.

smoked finishing salt, like Maldon 

small cupcake papers.

 mini muffin tins just to help hold the cups.

NOTE...i also made a few GLUTEN FREE by using small gluten free pretzels.

for tempering chocolate...

you'll need a medium glass bowl, digital thermometer and a clean spatula...at no time should ANY moisture touch the chocolate.

check HERE @ Serious Eats for great info on tempering  chocolate

or HERE for Alton Browns microwave method

i use Alton's method quickly explained below.

put 3/4 of your chocolate in the glass bowl and microwave for 30 seconds.  STIR.  microwave again for 30 seconds.  STIR.  do it one more time.  STIR.

microwave 3-5 more times, stirring well between each time until it reads 100 F degrees.  STIR.

now microwave for 10 second intervals stirring between each time until it reaches 115 F degrees.

remove from microwave and stir.  stir in the 1/4 pound of chocolate (this is called "seeding").  if you have some 100% cocoa butter, stir in 5 grams of that as well. Alton uses the 100% cocoa butter method instead of seeding with chocolate.  i used both.

keep stirring until all chocolate is smooth and it reaches 90 F degrees for dark chocolate...88-85 F degrees for milk chocolate.

while your chocolate is coming down to the 90 F degrees (don't forget to stir!), get everything ready.  prepare pretzels with a small dollop of peanut butter...approximately 25-30 pieces.  make sure they will fit in your cupcake papers.  place paper cups in the muffin tins.

add bacon to tempered chocolate.  keep bowl warm by placing it in a larger bowl lined with a cloth towel so it will be snugly and warm while you work.

add a small amount of bacon chocolate to your paper cups...only do 3-5 at a time.  place the pretzel, peanut butter side down, in the cup on the chocolate you just put in.  push it in slightly.  now add another small amount of bacon chocolate to cover the pretzel and fill the sides.  sprinkle a little smoked salt on top before it starts to harden.  proceed with the next 3-5 cups...

when you have finished 1 muffin tin full, gently knock it a few times on the counter to settle everything...then refrigerate for about 10 minutes...they should set by then.  take them out of fridge and keep in a cool dry place.

keep working quickly until you have filled as many as possible.

i got 25 pieces.

NOTE...i am not a professional chocolate person!  please check links given and seek out any other information necessary.  this is how i do it and my chocolates have been good and snappy for over a week...no blooming, no streaks...i don't have the shiny sheen down yet, but i will soon.

Cheerie-Oats Chocolate Chip Cookies

crunchy, filling, healthy and fun...these cookies will start your day right or keep you going when you need a lift.  they're filled with "good-for-ya" fiber and oats and just the right amount of that yummy peanut butter-chocolate combo to let your taste buds know it's still a treat.

CHEERIE-OATS CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
adapted from a recipe found at Suite101.com by Stephanie Gallagher

3/4 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup apple sauce
3/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup water
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup egg substitute
1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
a dash of powdered ginger and nutmeg is a great addition...optional
1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
3 oz mini chocolate chips
3 cups cheerio's...i used Trader Joe's Fiber O's
2 Tbsp flax...optional good omegas

preheat oven to 375 F
beat sugar, apple sauce, peanut butter, water, vanilla and egg substitute together with an electric mixer until well combined.  add flour, baking soda, cinnamon and spice if adding, salt, oats, flax and chocolate chips.  gently hand stir in cheerie o's cereal of choice.
drop the dough (it will be sticky) by rounded 1/4 cupfuls  onto parchment lined cookie sheet.  flatten dough slightly.  they don't spread much at all.
bake for 13-15 minutes until lightly browned around the edges.
should make about 20 large cookies.

Healthier Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

just a little "HEALTHY"...

and a bunch of  good-for-ya "DELICIOUS"...

sometimes "healthy" and "delicious" don't fit in the same sentence.  these little pea-nutty, oatie, cranberry nuggets are just right...breakfast, snack, late nibble...whenever.  

they're just not as dangerous as the full-phat version...sure peanut butter is full of fat, and brown sugar really isn't better for you than white sugar...but the oats are there to make you feel good about it...right?...

COME ON...YOU'RE EATING FRUIT AND NUTS, OATS AND FLAX.

it's like a P B & J packed with good-for-ya OATS and FLAX.  you have to feel a little righteous nibbling on a cookie that you know won't kill ya if you happen to have more than a few.

SEMI HEALTHY PEANUT BUTTER OATMEAL COOKIES

check out the original recipe with comments at Taste of Home by Marilyn Blankshien

adapted with a few extra goodies

preheat oven to 350 degrees

1/2 cup chunky peanut butter

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 and 1/4 cups quick oats

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 Tbsp flax seed

dash of cinnamon

1/2 cup dried cranberries

NOTE...some said they weren't sweet enough, so go ahead....taste your dough or bake one and check it out.  remember....it's supposed to be a little healthy!

in a small bowl, cream peanut butter and brown sugar until fluffy.  beat in the egg and vanilla.

add the oats, flax, cinnamon and baking soda to the creamed mixture.  mix well.  theow in your cranberries and mix a little more.

drop by large tablespoons 2 in. apart onto greased (or parchment) baking sheets.  flatten slightly... use a fork dipped in flour for the peanut butter cookie effect.  bake at 350 for 6-8 minutes.   remove to wire rack to cool.  store in airtight container.  they keep for quite a while in the fridge in a ziploc.  

Betty Crocker's Peanut Butter Cookies

good ol'Betty...sometimes you just have to refer to that big old Betty Crocker red 3 ring binder that some might consider an eye sore in your beautiful repertoire of cook books.  Pages are missing and out of order, but some how you can always find just what you need.....come on...every kitchen has one, or at least every kitchen SHOULD have one.

last weekend i got  a quiet hint from the cookie monster in the house, "hmmmm.....a simple peanut butter cookie would be nice...".  well, i got the hint.  so off i went looking for the best peanut butter cookie recipe i could find.  there are sooooo many peanut butter cookie recipes out there that i got dizzy looking at them all.  i walked away and almost put off the idea all together....a light bulb went off !...i went to the kitchen and grabbed for Betty.  i knew she would have THE classic recipe and she wouldn't fail or fall short...i was right...

THESE ARE CLASSIC PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES ALL THE WAY !

BETTY CROCKER'S PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

out of her "old school" 3-ring recipe book

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup peanut butter...i like chunky

1/4 cup shortening

1/4 margarine or butter...softened

1 egg

1 1/4 cup all purpose flour...i used white whole wheat

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt


optional...1/2-3/4 cup MILK chocolate chips...LARGE Ghirardelli are great

mix sugars, peanut butter, shortening, margarine and egg.  stir in remaining ingredients.  cover and refrigerate for 3 hours.

heat oven to 375 degrees.  shape dough into 1 1/4 inch balls...NOTE-i rolled them in sugar YUM!...place about 3 inches apart on ungreased (or parchment covered) cookie sheet.  flatten in criss cross pattern with fork dipped in flour (or sugar).  bake until lightly brown 9-12 minutes.  cool 2 minutes, remove from cookie sheet...i cooled on rack

makes about 2 1/2 to 3 dozen depending on how big you roll.

West African Chicken Stew

this is by far one of the most delicious recipes i have come across lately.  not only is it one of my new favorites, it's an instant winner with everyone else.  first thought for most is...chicken and peanut butter?  some "pansy palettes" are not so ready to try as others, BUT once they try that first curious bite...it's all over...

actually IT'S ALL GONE !!!

no kidding...my sister-in-law was here (for 24 hours) and i had a fresh batch in the fridge.  i didn't tell her what was in it, i just said it was interesting and "West African"... she was game for a bite...it was ALL GONE by the next morning.  my mother, the namesake of "pansy palette", couldn't keep her fork out of the pot.  now every time we come home from Cost-co with a roast chicken she asks if i would whip up "that yummy chicken pea-nutty thing"...i've even eaten it cold because i couldn't wait for it to be warmed...really you must try this one.

i came across this by luck.  i was on the hunt for some "lo-carb" recipes and found a great blog.

Kalyn's Kitchen.  she has some delicious lo-carb, lo-glycemic, South Beach friendly recipes...AND she introduced me to this wonderful WEST AFRICAN STEW.  (she adapted it from a recipe by  Tony Rosenfield with his 150 ways to use a roast chicken) 

i have copied the recipe for your convenience, but please visit her blog and get her info on this recipe and i'm sure you'll find other great guilt-free goodies.

West African Chicken and Peanut Stew with Chiles, Ginger, and Green Onions
(Makes 4-6 servings, recipe adapted from 150 Things to Make with Roast Chicken and 50 Ways to Roast It by Tony Rosenfield.)

1-2 T olive or canola oil (the recipe called for 2 T, but I think you could use less)
1/4 cup finely diced red onion (could also use regular onion)
1 T finely minced ginger root (I wouldn't use ginger from a jar for this dish)
2 tsp. finely minced jalapeno (I used pickled jalapenos which worked fine. Increase if you want it spicy.)
salt to taste (I used about 1/2 tsp. sea salt)
1 tsp. chile powder
1 cup chicken stock (chicken broth from a can is fine)
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter (use natural peanut butter without added sugar for South Beach Diet)
2 T tomato paste
1 T cider vinegar
3 cups diced, cooked chicken (use white meat or carefully remove fat from dark meat for South Beach Diet)
fresh ground black pepper to taste
3-4 green onions (scallions) thinly sliced

Finely chop the red onion, ginger, and jalapeno, and roughly chop the chicken. Heat oil in a heavy pan, add finely diced onion, ginger, and jalapenos, season with salt, and saute about 2 minutes. Add the chile powder, stir into other ingredients, and saute about 1 minute more.

Add chicken stock, peanut butter, tomato paste, and apple cider vinegar, stir, and bring to a slight boil. As soon as it starts to boil, lower heat to a very gentle simmer, add roughly chopped chicken, gently stir to combine, and let simmer 10-15 minutes. (Resist the urge to stir it very much, or the chicken will shred apart, which you don't want here.)

While mixture simmers, wash, dry, and slice green onions. After 10-15 minutes, gently stir again if the oil from the peanut butter has separated. Serve hot, with a generous handful of green onion slices on each serving.

Double Chocolate-Espresso Sandwich Cookies with Peanut Butter Filling

so now i'm way into this sandwich cookie thing.  maybe i'm a little late, but it seems i've rediscovered a gold mine.  how to make someone happy?...how to turn a frown upside down?...how to win friends and influence people ???...

just give them a delicious perfectly moist, yet crunchy cookie with a soft butter cream filling and you'll see the change happen before your eyes.  all the sudden no worries, the world stops, everything is beautiful, care-free thoughts, you have done no wrong...EVER !...

why, how could you if you, yourself,  have created heaven in one delectable bite...?

this one is a crowd favorite...well ALL of them are crowd favorites, but these flavors are familiar to most...CHOCOLATE and PEANUT BUTTER.  you really can't go wrong.....you do, however, have the opportunity to make a good thing BETTER. 

Double Chocolate Cookie by Sweet Melissa Patisserie...i think these are the best i've ever had so i started there with her base recipe. i adapted the recipe a little using white wheat flour, milk choc. chips instead of semi sweet and added some instant espresso for a little kick.  i have also, in the past, made these with a little cayenne pepper...yum !  the filling started with a Martha Stewart recipe, but...can you believe Martha's didn't work so well as written????!!!!...so i had to add a little milk.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE-ESPRESSO SANDWICH COOKIES W/PEANUT BUTTER FILLING

original recipe from Sweet Melissa's Patisserie and slightly adapted

1 cup flour (i used white whole wheat flour)

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

8 tbs. unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 large egg
¼ tsp vanilla extract
¾ cup MILK CHOCOLATE LARGE SIZE chips
1 tsp instant espresso powder

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt and espresso powder.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg, mixing well. Stir in the vanilla.

With the mixer on low speed, add the flour in three batches, mixing just until incorporated after each addition. Stir in the chocolate chips. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Refrigerate the dough for a few hours until firm. Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and divide it in half. Roll out into 2 uniform logs about 12 inches long. Refrigerate it until firm enough to slice, about 1 hour.  my logs were NOT 12 inches, make them however short and stubby you want...i think these cookies are best LARGE

Position a rack in the top and bottom thirds of your oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

Cut the logs into 1 inch slices and place 1 ½ inches apart on the prepared sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the dough looks just baked. The cookies should be tender, so do not over bake.  i suggest doing a tester.

PEANUT BUTTER FILLING

2 cups powdered sugar

6 Tbsp softened unsalted butter

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

might need...2 Tbsp milk or cream

mine didn't come together and become spreadable until i added the milk

blend in mixer until it comes together and looks creamy

use right away or cover with plastic wrap.  can be refrigerated and brought back to room temp to use later.

TOFU SATAY with PEANUT SAUCE

TOFU SATAY with PEANUT DIPPING SAUCE...

i never thought i'd see the day that i could honestly say...I LOVE TOFU !

well, i'm not really that in love with it...i am a pork lover that's for sure. if you can wrap it in bacon or cook it with duck fat i'm all over it. hey...i think the next tofu creation/experiment will have to be confit tofu wrapped in bacon...hmmmmm good idea, i might try that this weekend. but seriously, i do really like this recipe. if you're a little unsure about the tofu try it with chicken, i did and it was super fabulous. friends told me it was one of their favorites and demanded the recipe.

SATAY MARINADE

i found this while googling around for recipes with TOFU. i guess Daring cooks took on the satay challenge a while back and i came across this great idea from a fellow blogger... Mango & Tomato. i've always loved satay with it's yummy peanut dipping sauce so this seemed like a safe way to break into the world of TOFU

below is just the satay marinade recipe i found at Mango & Tomato. i'm sure her peanut sauce is fabulous, but i used another due to ingredients on hand. the one i made turned out incredibly finger lickin' good.

SATAY MARINADE
1/2 small onion
2 garlic cloves
2 cm piece of ginger
2 T lemon juice
1 T soy sauce
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground turmeric

Directions
1. Puree all ingredients in the food processor (how easy is that?).
2. Marinade cubed tofu covered for 2 hours in the refrigerator.
3. Saute the tofu on all sides till golden brown (I used coconut oil).

i only used 1 block of tofu, but this is enough for 2

if using chicken (1.5-2 lbs boneless, skinless) cut in large cubes

i sauteed the tofu

i skewered and grilled the chicken

tip for chicken...wrap in foil as soon as it's just done to keep in moisture)

PEANUT DIPPING SAUCE

found here at Recipekitchen

1/2 cup peanut butter, creamy (i used 1/4 creamy and 1/4 chunky)
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup soy sauce
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbl. lemon juice
2 Tbl. brown sugar
3/4 tsp. ground ginger (i added a little grated fresh ginger as well)
1/2 tsp. red pepper, crushed flakes

heat all ingredients in a sauce pan on low-medium heat. stir well about 5 minutes so all flavors will meld. add more water if it's too thick. it will thicken as it cools so if serving at room temp. be aware of this. the sauce saves well for leftovers. just give it a stir and a reheat.

to my amazement the tofu held up quite well the following day. good as new with a quick microwave (don't over nuke)..quite resilient i must say.

i will definitely be making this again, with both TOFU (in the fridge right now) and with Chicken. it's easy and a sure bet for Satay lovers. keep the recipe out because you'll be asked for it i'm sure.