Reeses Peanut Butter Bar Blondies

Before I get into how awesome these blondies are, let me tell you a little bit about someone else who is just as equally awesome.


My sister.

Y'see, my sister is a little out there. She's a little strange. Possibly because she's related to me. Or maybe it's the other way around... whatever. Either way, my sister is in her own way one of the most special people I've ever met.

She's not TOO complicated. She enjoys the simple things in life. Like Lost. And Dexter. And Bones. She also was the person who got me hooked on The Fringe... which I haven't decided if that's a good thing or not.


When she was pregnant with her first kid, my sister craved starbursts and hersheys kisses. When I was younger, I would snuggle up to her and watch her play Zelda while we ate chocolate together. And then she'd get pissed off and go "What the hell do I do?" every five minutes. I'd just watch intently, trying to memorize everything she did so I could do it, too.

When my sister reads a good book, or gets hooked on a good videogame, she won't put it down until she's beat it. And I am not kidding. The freaking apocalypse could be going on but she'll still be balled up on the couch reading the next Nora Roberts series. It's a little scary.



My sister also rocked the punk dreads look when she was my age. Just sayin'.

My sister can rival any man in anything. Case in point: My mother called my sister instead of my 4 other brothers to come kill a mouse in our house. If that doesn't prove it, I don't what does. This fact also includes burping contests. Please don't ask me how I know.

I'm still trying to forget the many dinners spent having my sisters large belch blown in my face. Thanks, sis.


My sister likes wine. And chocolate. And cheese. She has a tongue ring which really grosses me out. Her laugh can fill up a room. She has a beautiful singing voice and used to be in choir. And she somehow attracts every over-possessive bi-polar weirdo freak out there (I think it's due to the tongue ring, personally...). She also wanted to go to Culinary School to be a Pastry Chef, like myself. Except she wanted to decorate cakes, and open up her own shop dedicated to it. If I had a million dollars, I'd send her to Culinary School so she could do it.

Even though sister can be a stubborn hard-ass, it's cause she has been through hell and back. She is one of the most strongest people I've ever known, hands down. She single-handedly raised two awesome kids. Worked her butt off for everything she has, and yet still offers to help others with a genuine smile on her face. Her faith is inspiring to me. Lets me know that if she can still keep her head up after all that's happened to her, that I can definitely do the same.


And if I could be anywhere right now, I'd be at her house making her these Reeses Peanut Butter Bar Blondies. Because she's worth it. Because she likes Reeses. And because it would make me feel better to share these instead of eating them all myself. That, and I kind of owe her after all the years of her putting up with me going into her room and reading her diary, which was in cursive, so I couldn't read it anyway.

Yeahhh... Sorry about that, sis.

But really, my sister is just as awesome as these blondies. And, also like my sister, they should come with a warning label. So just in case you couldn't already tell, you probably shouldn't eat these blondies if:

1. You don't like peanut butter. In which case, what the heck is wrong with you?
2. You are dieting.
3. You have no one to share with.
4. You don't have milk in the house.

If none of the above apply to you, then please.. for the love of all that is holy: Make. These. Share. These. Eat. These. They are so good it's ridiculous. And if you're a fan of peanut butter, you'll go nuts. If you can't find Reeses Peanut Butter Bars (not to be confused with PB cups), you can substitute reeses pb & choco chips, or reeses pb cups chopped up.

Either way, don't miss out on these. They are too good.

Reeses Peanut Butter Bar Blondies

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick butter, softened
1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 king-sized reeses peanut butter bars, chopped
1/2 cup peanut butter & chocolate chips (found with the bags of semi-sweet chocolate chips)
1/2 cup finely chopped honey-roasted peanuts (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 9x13 pan with non-stick spray.

2. Mix butter and brown sugar together until light and creamy. Mix in eggs, peanut butter, and vanilla until smooth.

3. Combine the dry ingredients (flour through salt) together in a seperate bowl. Mix into peanut butter batter until no trace of flour remains.

4. Fold in Reeses bars. peanut butter & chocolate chips, and peanuts.

5. Pour into prepared pan and bake for about 20-25 minutes or until a knife/toothpick in the center comes out clean.

6. Let cool before cutting into 24 squares.

Flourless PB&CC Cookies

Sometimes, a girl just needs to be able to enjoy the specifics of something. You know what I mean, right?

No?

Okay, examples. You come home from work and your sweetie lover honey muffin offers to give you a foot massage after a long day. He says, "come here my darling oogly-moogly, come take a nap after a long days work, you deserve it!" and you think to yourself: gee, that sure does sound awesome. But then you realize that even though that may sound appeasing, it's totally not what you're craving as a stress reliever. Something bright to end the day.

I know all you woman are like "yeah right, like I'd pass up a foot massage". But you know what I mean!

Sometimes, a woman needs specifics.

Sometimes, a woman needs... cookies.

And peanut butter. And milk chocolate. And she needs them to be gluten-free. Not because she has a gluten intolerance but because she has no flour and after working 10 hours the last thing she wants to do is haul her butt to Wal-mart (don't even pretend that you don't shop there, bakers) and pick up some flour for cookies.
So what does she do? She exclaims, "I need cookies!" and she makes them. Plain. Simple. Easy. It's no foot massage. It's no walk on the beach. But sometimes, it doesn't have to be any of that. Sometimes it just has to be something simple.

That, and I believe that a cookie a day keeps insanity away.


I think that even if we aren't all entitled to the best things on earth, we should still enjoy the little things we can. Something as simple as a cookie or maybe just a glass of wine before bed is things that we hold dear and near to our hearts. It's our special cool-down time. The part of our day where we can just breathe. Sometimes we share those moments with others. Sometimes we share them with strangers. Sometimes, we share them with God. Whoever it is you're sharing your special moments with, don't forget to take them when the opportunity strikes. You only live once. So even if some kid at your job decides it would be a fun idea to throw all the bouncy balls onto a display of stacked books, or some british guy gives you a hard time at the register because you have to see his ID for something, don't sweat it. Don't let it bring you down. Go home. Make cookies. Snuggle your sweetie-pie. Heck, do both at the same time (but please be careful not to burn yourself ;) ). Or just go for a walk, enjoy a glass of wine... whatever strikes your fancy

And if you don't have any flour on hand, make these cookies.

Speaking of these cookies, they totally hit the spot a few days ago for me. These are very simply sweet. I used a combination of honey roasted creamy peanut butter and extra crunchy peanut butter to give them a slight salty/sweet taste. Ontop of that, I threw in some MILK chocolate chips (not semi-sweet... I'm not a fan of semi-sweet chocolate chips in my peanut butter cookies), and sprinkled them with salt just before baking. The result? A very, very chewy, but light, peanut butter cookie. Perfect to dunk in milk or eat in itself. Probably a little too perfect. ;) I also added some oats for texture, and ditched the egg yolks since I didn't need the extra density (or fat, admittedly). Even without the yolks, the cookies came out awesome. I did refrigerate these for awhile, though, so just be aware if it's still really humid/hot where you are to stick these in the freezer for a half an hour before baking. It'll save you the headache.

Flourless PB&CC Cookies

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup extra crunchy peanut butter
1/2 cup honey roasted creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 egg whites
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup quick cooking or rolled oats
1/4 tsp salt
fleur de sal for sprinkling (or other coarse salt like sea salt)

DIRECTIONS
1. If baking immediately, preheat oven to 350F degrees.
2. Using a hand mixer, blend the peanut butters, sugars, salt and baking soda together in a bowl until smooth and sugar is completely incorporated.
3. Blend in egg whites until fully combined.
4. Stir in choco chips and oats with a wooden spoon or spatula.
5. Refrigerate for freeze dough if desired for 1-2 hours or overnight.
6. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350F degrees. Or unless you didn't wait, go ahead and scoop your cookie batter out by tablespoonfuls and drop them on a greased cookie sheet. Sprinkle them on top with fleur de sal or sea salt.
7. Bake 8-15 minutes or until cookies are slightly brown around edges.
8. Stuff into face and enjoy with a big glass o' milk.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Let me tell you something about my grandfather.

My grandfather does not approve of refined sugar, gluten, and caffiene. He is strongly against anything with that "really bad high fructose corn syrup stuff", prefers a glass of goats milk over cows milk, and would not be caught dead in ordering a burger from McDonalds. He does not like any ingredients that he cannot pronounce, and he is an avid lover of all things with seeds and anything labeled with the words "organic". When he's not busy talking about how I should really get out, exercise more, get some sun, etc, he is telling me all about the health benefits of raisins and protein drinks. In short, my grandfather is a very "healthy" man who eats all the right things and exercises daily and never sleeps in past ten in the afternoon.

Now, let me tell you something else about my grandfather.



My grandfather is the first person to order dessert at a table. My grandfather is the first person to go for a second helping of cookies. He is the first to try everything and anything when it comes to sweets and he does not skimp when he gets his frozen yogurt (fat-free!) from the yogurt bar. He is the one that will have "just a little" slice of cheesecake, only to five minutes later come back and have "just a little" slice more. And yes, my grandfather would like whip cream and chocolate syrup with that. Thank you very much.

I always find it funny when our family gets together and my grandfather spends all night talking about being healthy and such, and everyone just rolls their eyes because they know he will be the one who dives head first into the brownie pan as soon as he smells them coming out of the oven, or as soon as he even gets the faint sound of someone opening the fridge door to get the nights big dessert out. It is something we all expect, and there hasn't been one time where he has let us down. My grandfather, needless to say, is a secretive sweet-tooth, and I am never surprised when I catch him sneaking a cookie into his mouth when no one is looking. And if you even think of saying, "Popops! (that's what we call him) I thought you don't eat sweets?" he will just laugh at you and say, "oh, i'm only having one, and that's it. I'm done. Really."

Sure, pops, whatever you say.



So, by all means, my Grandfather would probably not approve of these cookies. Not only are they full of wonderful, beautiful butter, but they are also jammed pack with a cup full of Jif peanut butter, a duet of brown and white sugar, and a good helping of chocolate chips. Oh, and yes, it has flour in it.

In other words, these cookies are perfect, scrumptious, and a great addition to any cookie platter or just a really tall glass of milk. They are both chewy, soft, and definitely have a prominent "peanut butter" taste that I think a lot of peanut butter cookies lack (I personally never make a peanut butter cookie unless it has at least 1 cup of peanut butter in it).

I think that all things should be enjoyed in moderation, whether it be healthy or not. And that splurging a little on something sweet wont ruin your day. Actually, I'm pretty sure that these cookies could cure any bad day. Ever.

And if you're still not convinced, and going, "gosh, those look good, but my pants can't take it!"...



You could always send your cookies to my Grandfather.

Afterall, he wouldn't "want them to go to waste". ;)

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies
(Adapted from multiple peanut butter cookie recipes)

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/4 to 2 cups all purpose flour* (please, PLEASE see note below)
a dash of nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup peanut butter (do not use sugar free/organic/reduced fat)
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips
3 tablespoons milk* (optional, once again, PLEASE see note)

NOTE*: Please be wary that the amount of flour you'll use for this recipe will vary on your weather/house conditions, so DO NOT BE AFRAID of using more flour than recommended. I ended up using a whole two cups, and then my dough was too dry. If you do add flour and your dough gets dry, add 1 tablespoon of milk at a time to the batter until it reaches a smoother consistency.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

2. Whisk together flour, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and peanut butter until just creamy and combined.

4. Beat in sugars, again, until just combined into the batter. Take care to smooth out any brown sugar chunks.

5. Beat in egg and vanilla.

6. Add the flour mixed and beat together until no flour remains to be seen. If your dough is too sticky, add 1/4 cup of flour. If your dough is too dry, add up to 3 tablespoons milk until it gets a creamy but not too sticky consistency.

7. Fold or stir in 1 cup chocolate chips.

8. Drop cookies onto sheet in rounded 1 inch balls onto the cookie sheet. Press each cookie down lightly with the back of a fork vertically and horizontally to get a "criss cross" shape (if you don't want the criss cross shape, press the ball down lightly with the bottom of a glass). Bake at 350F for about 10 minutes. Your cookies may look a little bit "soft" coming out of the oven but that's okay.

9. Leave the cookies on the sheet for a minute or two to set up, and then remove them and place them on a cooling wrack. Let cool completely.

Peanut Butter Ice-Cream Pie with Pretzel Crust

I have done it.

I have finally made the pie.

I know what you must be thinking right now.

1. Why are there pretzels on the pie?

2. Why are you making a FROZEN pie in October?

3. What do you mean by "The" pie?

4. Is it some secret formulated pie that will end world hunger?

5. Will you be giving me this hunger-ending pie recipe anytime soon?

6. Why am I even reading this list?

7. Seriously. What the heck. Pretzels.

While this isn't the pie that will end world hunger, or really any special kind of pie; it is, in a way, special to me. You see, my mother isn't a dessert person. She has a savory tooth. She's more of a double cheese omelet with bacon bits and mushrooms kind of person for breakfast. The kind of chick that likes to sit down in a big leather chair with a white fuzzy robe on watching reality t.v. while munching on BBQ chips and cream cheese. She does not, needless to say, have much of a desire for anything sweet.

Except today.

I went out on a mission to find a dessert my mom would love. Even though she isn't a sweet person, I knew there had to be something I could make that she would literally love. Sure, she's eaten my sweets before. Cookies, apple pie, etc... but nothing she's gone back to second helpings for. Well, whatdya know. The day has finally come.

With peanut butter pie and pretzels.

The peanut butter pie is nothing special. You got peanut butter, cream cheese, sugar, butter, and whipped cream which is folded in. Then you got the mystery ingredient: pretzels. A crust made with crushed pretzels, brown sugar, and butter. The contrast in sweet/salty is amazing. Almost too good.

I got the idea when my mom told me about a year ago that one of her favorite things is pretzels dipped in peanut butter. I thought this was the weirdest thing ever (and showed so by saying "ewewewewewewewewewewewewEW" for an hour) until I actually tried it. And then I realized that yes: Pretzels and Peanut Butter. They were meant to be. They were bffl. They were soul mates.

They were in a pie.

And all was good in the world.

So don't be skeptical. Try it out. It's easy to make. Just make sure to freeze it, not refrigerate, and don't leave it out on the counter for too long... Even though it tastes just as good half-melted. :P

Peanut Butter Ice-Cream Pie with Pretzel Crust

PRETZEL CRUST INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup and 2 tablespoon butter, softened*

1 tablespoon and 1-1/2 teaspoons brown sugar*

1-1/4 cups finely crushed pretzels *

PIE INGREDIENTS:

1 (8oz) package cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar (powdered sugar)

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup milk

3/4 of a 16oz package of frozen whipped topping, thawed

1 pre-baked pretzel crust

DIRECTIONS:

1. To make Pretzel Crust, preheat your oven to 350.

2. Combine butter, brown sugar, and pretzels together in a bowl. Press the mixture in a 9in. pie dish and bake for 8-10 minutes. Allow pie crust to cool.

3. To make the pie, beat together the cream cheese and confectioners' sugar. Mix in peanut butter and milk. Beat until smooth. Using a spatula, fold in whipped topping. (To fold in whipped topping,add the whipped topping and, using your spatula, cut through the middle of the batter, while spinning the bowl around, fold the whipped cream up and over the batter. Do this withall whipped topping until you cannot see any remaining whipped topping.)

4. Spoon into Pretzel Crust. Cover loosely and stick in freezer for up to 1 hour or until firm.

*Additionally, you can garnish like I did above with any left over pretzel crust you may have. Make sure not to overdo it though.

Peanut Butter Swirl Bars for a special someone.

Special someones.

Everyone has them.

It could be your dog. It could be your mom, or dad. It could be your sweetie-pie-poochie-woochie (okay, you probably don't call them that... hopefully). Heck, it could even be your best friend from second grade who still hasn't returned those flip-flops you lended her two summers ago. But either way, everyone has a special someone. That one thing that makes you smile, makes you happy inside and gives you that giddy feeling that only that person can give you. Whether it's spending time with them, talking to them, or just merely thinking of them; you always feel good when they're around.

For me, I have a special someone. A very special someone. And that special someone and I just happen to be celebrating a certain anniversary today. Without getting into all the gooey love-dramatic details, let's just say I'm glad for today, and every day, for this special someone.

Now, I don't know about you, but when I think about celebrating good things, I think about desserts. Yummy, delicious desserts. My special someone happens to be pretty addicted to the combination of peanut butter and chocolate. While I personally can't stand the combo (I know, you totally are about to exit out of my blog now), I thought it'd be pretty sweet of me to get up early and do something nice for my special someone.

And hey! I think you should do the same. Find out what your special someone likes. Go out. Spend time with them. You don't need an anniversary to do something nice for the person you love. Go out for coffee. Hang out at a park. And maybe, even, if you're up to it, bake these awesome Peanut Butter Swirl Bars with them. They're chocolatey. Peanutbuttery. And very chewy. Trust me. It's fun. But don't blame me for the stomach ache you get from eating the entire pan. That's totally on you.

Whatever you choose to do today, at least let that special someone know that you love them. Believe me, it makes all the difference in the world. :)

I so need a hug now.

Peanut Butter Swirl Bars
(courtesy of eat love jump)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter (I used creamy)
1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar (I used 1/2 cup)
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla essence
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
100 gr chocolate bar, broken into chunks (or chocolate chips)

Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 350F and butter/flour a 9x13 baking dish.
2. Combine your butter (cut it up into chunks to let it soften faster), peanut butter, and sugars. Mix them together with your super duper hand-mixer on medium speed until nice and creamy.


3. Take your two eggs and take a pretty picture of you holding them. Then break them into the bowl along with your 2 teaspoons of vanilla. Beat gradually into the mix until just combined.
4. Use a cool little whisk (or a sifter) to combine your flour, baking soda, and salt.



5. Blend dry mixture into peanut butter/heartattack mixture.
6. Spread into greased, 13 x9 inch pan and then whip out your chocolate (I only had 4 squares, but feel free to use the recommended 100g, which is about 8 squares, I believe.)



7. Break your chocolate into little chips/chunks and then sprinkle them ontop.
8. Bake in your oven for 5 minutes.
9. Marbelize the chocolate by taking the tip of a knife and drawing squiggly motions across the surface (You better lick the batter off that knife).
10. Bake 20 minutes more, and then cut while still warm. Proceed to devour.


-Alexandra