flourless peanut butter chocolate cookies

Ever find yourself in the mood to bake cookies, but are either out of ingredients or short on time? Here's a recipe for you. I often turn to these flourless peanut chocolate cookies from Martha Stewart when I'm in the mood for a quick cookie. These cookies consist of just peanut butter, an egg, sugar, leavening, salt, and chocolate chips. The original recipe uses peanuts, though I often substitute other ingredients like more chips, or oatmeal, like in today's variation.

I used quick oats, thinking it would blend better in the dough. It did, but I should have used less than half a cup because I think the oats soaked up a lot of moisture and made the refrigerated dough difficult to work with.

The best part about these cookies is that you don't need a mixer. Simply stir the sugar, baking soda, salt, and egg with the peanut butter, then in stir the chips and additional ingredients. You can bake them immediately or let the dough chill. I've done both and found that the cookies have smoother tops after being refrigerated and the dough is easier to form, but it tastes just the same.

After rolling the dough into balls, I press them down to half-inch disks. The dough sometimes doesn't spread much, especially when it has been chilled, so this helps them spread out more as it bakes. These didn't spread as much as they typically do because of the oats. I also used 1 tablespoon portions like the recipe says although I usually use 2 tablespoons because I like the look of big, beautiful cookies.

These are the best when just underbaked. The cookies are soft and buttery, and surprisingly not dense. The fat in the peanut butter contributes to the cookie's texture, and the warm peanut butter flavor is incredible. If I had some ice cream I'd crumble some of the just baked cookies on top. Yummy.

peanut butter swirl brownies

I interrupt this stream of lentils to give you something chocolate. And peanut butter.

A while back I made these brownies, a Martha Stewart recipe, because I liked the way the peanut butter swirls sounded. Not just peanut butter, but a sort of thinned out frosting consisting of a bit of butter, confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, salt, and vanilla extract. The topping was delicious, and I was anticipating a fudgy brownie with a salt peanutty swirl. Unfortunately, the brownie came out cakey, most likely due to the baking powder in the recipe. It wasn't the experience I had hoped for, so I slowly erased it from my mind, one bite of brownie at a time, followed by a guzzle of cold milk.

On Tuesday it was raining and somewhat chilly all day, which obviously was perfect baking weather. That day, I thought again of the peanut butter swirl brownie, and I decided to make them the next day, but with a few tweaks. I found the recipe on another blog, and she felt the same way about the cakey outcome as I did. She made a secondary version, replacing some of the regular sugar with brown sugar, so I followed suit. I also added a tablespoon of espresso powder to the flour, nixed the baking powder, doubled the salt, and added 2 ounces more chocolate. I was going for broke in the form of ultimate fudginess.

To the peanut butter layer, I thinned it out a bit with some milk, though it was still a little difficult to swirl, so I'd probably use a little more next time. In the version she made, she used natural peanut butter. Good to know it works if that's all you have, so don't fret -- you can still make brownies!

Brownies are so quick, much quicker than cookies to whip up, and make the perfect last minute dessert. If you're rushed for time, make these brownies and get ready to be praised.

Recipe after the jump.

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peanut butter swirl brownies
Recipe adapted from MarthaStewart.com

Makes 16 brownies

for the batter ~

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
8 ounces good-quality semisweet or dark chocolate chips
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

for the swirl ~

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 tablespoons whole milk

directions ~

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 9-1/2 or 10-inch square baking pan and line with foil, allowing a 2-inch overhang. Grease lining (not overhang).


2. Make batter: Put butter and chocolate in a medium sized pot over medium low heat; stir until melted. Let cool slightly. Whisk together flour, espresso powder, and salt in a bowl.


3. Whisk sugars into chocolate mixture. Add eggs, and whisk until mixture is smooth. Stir in vanilla. Add flour mixture; stir until well incorporated.


4. Make filling: Stir together butter, confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, salt, vanilla, and milk in a bowl until smooth.


5. Pour batter into prepared pan; spread evenly with a rubber spatula. Drop dollops of peanut butter filling on top of batter, spacing about 1 inch apart. Gently swirl peanut butter filling into batter with a butter knife, running the knife lengthwise and crosswise through layers.


6. Bake until a cake tester inserted into brownies (avoid center and edges) comes out with a few crumbs but is not wet, about 30-35 minutes. Let cool slightly in pan, about 15 minutes. Lift out; let cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into squares. Brownies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.

Very perfect served with whipped cream.

dorie greenspan's chocolate peanut butter torte, and a happy birthday to dad!

Along with Memorial Day, we also celebrated my dad's birthday this weekend. In the past, he's requested a peanut butter chocolate cake, so I decided to make more of a summer cake that wasn't really a cake by making this torte, that I first saw in Dorie Greenspan's baking cookbook. I think the very first time I saw it (like a year ago) I decided it was going to be his next birthday cake.

This torte features a peanut butter mousse that includes cream cheese and peanut butter, and is lightened by heavy whipping cream, whipped to peak perfection. There is also a "crunch" mixture that is blended in, consisting of chopped peanuts, mini chocolate chips, a bit of sugar, and is spiced lightly with a touch of cinnamon and nutmeg (I left out the nutmeg) and a little bit of espresso powder. All of this is blended and poured into an Oreo cookie crust, then chilled and later topped with chocolate ganache and sprinkled with more chopped peanuts.

So my mom asked if this was like a cheesecake. I suppose you might say it's like an unbaked cheesecake, minus the egg and flour, but the texture was much lighter and not as dense. Still quite rich, though, so I wouldn't be going for a slice of this torte before bed. In fact, it probably would make a good actual cheesecake since it isn't as dense, which is why I don't care for cheesecake at all. (I go to the Cheesecake Factory for their chopped salads and sweetened green mint iced tea.)

Although not a cake, my dad said he enjoyed it a lot. No, this won't replace a real chocolate and peanut butter cake, but I'd say that it was a nice change of pace dessert, especially during the recent bout of heat we've been having. This was also good frozen as well as chilled.

My only mods were to assemble the torte in an 8-inch springform pan, and I used 1/2 cup less heavy whipping cream in the filling along with only 8 ounces of cream cheese. I felt that 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream in the ganach made it too runny, so you might try just 1/3 cup, and don't decrease the chocolate.

Recipe here

grilled french toast peanut butter & caramelized banana sandwich

Most people think Elvis is The King because of his music, but I think he's the king because his favorite sandwich is one of the most brilliant inventions known to humankind: the grilled peanut butter and banana sandwich.

How the heck to you improve upon a sandwich of such epic proportions? Is it even possible? Can it be done?

Well, the other day for breakfast I decided to Frenchify a grilled pb sammich by dipping both sides in an eggy custard. BUT. I also decided to caramelize the bananas for an even more intense version of The King's Classic. I also used Nature's Pride bread, which I reviewed a while ago. After having not made much homemade bread recently and eating various healthy store bought bread, this definitely had the closest to homemade texture out of the few brands that are rotated here.

The entire process was pretty simple: While the bananas are caramelizing (which doesn't take very long, otherwise the bananas will become too mushy), mix the eggy custard, a mixture of 1-2 eggs with milk, a bit of sugar, freshly grated nutmeg and orange zest. Spread peanut butter on one slice of bread, then layer the bananas on top once finished; top with final slice of bread. Wipe the skillet clean with a paper towel, then add some butter, oil, or cooking spray and bring back up to heat. Carefully dip both sides of the sandwich in the custard and place in skillet. Cook until both sides are golden brown. Remove to a plate, let cool briefly, then slice in fourths and eat!

This is definitely not a light sandwich by any means, but it's filling and delicious and very great way, in my opinion, to begin the day. And I'm sure it's King Approved.

recipe after the jump

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Print this recipe

grilled french toast peanut butter & caramelized banana sandwich
Recipe by Christina Provo

Make 1

ingredients ~

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2-3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 banana, slice in half widthwise and lengthwise into fourths
2 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 slices whole wheat bread
Peanut butter
Addition butter, oil, or cooking spray for grilling

directions ~

1. Heat a skillet with 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. When heated and butter is bubbly, sprinkle brown sugar over butter and stir lightly to combine. Lay banana sliced on top and let cook 1-3 minutes. Carefully flip to other side and cook for 2-3 more minutes or until bananas are caramelized, but not falling apart.


2. Meanwhile, in a shallow bowl whisk together eggs, milk, sugar, orange zest, and grated nutmeg until frothy, about 30 seconds.


3. Spread however much peanut butter you want on one slice of bread, then carefully layer the bananas on top, spooning any brown sugar left in skillet on top; cover with second slice of bread.


4. Wipe skillet clean with a paper towel. Return to heat and add enough butter, oil, or cooking spray to lightly coat entire surface of skillet. Taking care that the bananas don't fall out, dip both sides of sandwich in egg mixture, letting each side sit in the custard for a few seconds to soak up enough liquid. Place in skillet and cook over medium heat on both sides until golden brown, adding more butter as needed.


5. Remove to plate and let cool briefly. Slice into fourths and enjoy.

peanut butter espresso cookies

I've been thinking of peanut butter cookies lately, but I didn't want to make any I had tried before. They were in between chewy and sandy, and I wanted a chewy peanut butter cookie through-and-through. My option clearly was to come up with my own, and from the first go they were pretty good.

To make them chewy I melted and browned the butter, used all brown sugar and a bit of honey, and used half bread flour. I added my own flavor spin by mixing espresso powder in the dough and rolling the balls in a mixture of freshly ground coffee beans and sugar, hence the "volt" part of the cookies. Next time, instead of adding peanuts and chocolate chips to the dough, I'll add chocolate covered espresso beans.

The verdict is that these were a hit. Coffee tastes surprisingly good with peanut butter, and the cookies retained their chewiness days later (and make an excellent cookie to bring on a run). My one problem is that the peanut flavor wasn't as intense as I'd have liked, but it was good nonetheless and I'm going to come back to the basic formula in the future.

If you try these out, tell me what you think! (Recipe after the jump)

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Print this recipe

peanut butter espresso cookies
Recipe by Christina Provo

Makes about 3 dozen

ingredients ~

1 cup plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup bread flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 tablespoon espresso powder
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, browned and cooled
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup roasted, salted peanuts
2 tablespoons whole coffee beans, ground (not too fine, but not coarse)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar

directions ~

1. Whisk together flours, baking soda, powder, salt, and espresso powder in a medium bowl.


2. In a large bowl, mix together browned butter and peanut butter with a mixer on medium speed. Add brown sugar and honey and beat for 3-4 minutes on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing just until blended. Mix in vanilla.


3. In thirds, stir in flour mixture. When a few streaks of flour remain, mix in chocolate chips and peanuts. Place dough in a container, covered, and refrigerate at least overnight.


4. Preheat oven to 350° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a shallow bowl, mix together ground coffee beans and sugar. Portion 2 level tablespoons of dough out per cookie, rolling to shape the balls. Roll in coffee-sugar mixture. Using the tines of a fork, score crosshatch pattern on top, flattening cookies to about 1/2-inch thick.


5. Bake for 11-12 minutes, or until set (the tops won't look raw) but not thoroughly baked. Remove sheet from oven and let cookies cool for 10 minutes, on sheet, before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.

cookies of the week

In an attempt to regain control of baking habits, and also so I won't end up with fifty dozen cookies at a pop, I've decided to loosely have a "cookie of the week". While not set in stone, it gives me a guideline so I can better determine the butter usage.

These sparkly treats came from Smitten Kitchen's post about peanut butter cookies. My addition was to finely chop around a half cup of peanuts and mix in after you cream the butter and sugar. I thought of this because I wondered if a peanut butter cookie I had once might have had finely chopped pieces strewn in. Whatever you do, these are incredible, and as per her instructions, don't overbake them.

Giant ginger cookies must be made every fall, though it doesn't particularly matter what recipe you use, anything spicy is a fall cookie. These are given a kick thanks to the pepper, which I decreased to an 1/8 of a teaspoon. Plenty of spicy after-bite remained, even more so the following days. My cookies didn't come out as thick as the ones in the picture, even with refrigerating the dough; oh well. By the bye, these were made a few weeks ago.

Do you guys have a baking routine you follow, even if it's more a loose guideline?

End of post.

Natl. Peanut Butter Day and Happy Belated Birthday to Elvis Presley!

The following took place on 24 January 2008

I know what you might be thinking, "What the heck does peanut butter have to do with Elvis Presley?" If that's what you were thinking, SHAME ON YOU! As punishment, you must watch the King make is favorite snack, a fried peanut butter and banana sandwich. Too bad Elvis didn't know he was a foodie. :(

Despite what you may have thought about peanut butter and me, it's not my favorite snack. It gives me a claustrophobic feeling, though I swear that a tablespoon of natural peanut butter cures hiccups, followed by a few swigs of water (so says my brother, and he's right). But Elvis, however, brings out my peanut butter love in the form of warm, gooey peanut butter. In fact, I meant to celebrate Elvis' birthday by making a grilled peanut butter and banana sandwich, but I forgot. Now it's your turn to say SHAME ON YOU, Christina! As soon as I saw the recipe for King Cupcakes from Cooking Light, I knew I could rectify my mistake, and since this is National Peanut Butter Day, talk about killing two birds with one stone!

Are not these the cutest? The perfectly domed crowns are beautiful! When I talk about a great-looking cupcake, this is what I mean.

Cream cheese-peanut butter frosting. The lighting gives it a jaundiced-hue...


Glamour Shots by Deb


This is the cupcake's equivalent to a mug shot. It's punishment is to be consumed immediately.


The perfect amount of frosting is the same for the espresso-milk ratio in a cappuccino, which is 1/3 frosting (espresso) to 2/3 cupcake (milk).

Did this recipe do justice to the King?

Cupcake: For the little amount of banana in the recipe, I was worried it might not stand out well in the baked cupcake. I was kind of wrong, as there was a pleasant banana essence, though it didn't scream "OOH, BANANA!!" That usually means it has the potential to be overpowered by the frosting...

The texture of the cupcake was between dense and light. It had a decent amount of sponginess without being rubbery, but it didn't have that wonderful melt-in-your-mouth feature. It was also decently moist without being sticky or gummy and didn't immediately turn to mush as soon as you begin to chew it.

Frosting: If you recall from the last post, I really enjoy peanut butter frosting. What intrigued me about this recipe was that it called for cream cheese. Tasting the finished frosting alone, it had a wonderfully subtle tanginess that I felt enhanced the peanut butter frosting experience. I'm adding this to my recipe box. It was very light and airy, like the frosting for the chocolate-chocolate-banana cake was.

(I added an extra ounce of cream cheese, 2 Tbsp. of peanut butter, 1/3 cup confectioner's sugar, and 1 1/2 Tbsp. of milk to make more frosting. If you don't want to make more, you still need at least 1 1/2 teaspoons (1/2 Tbsp.) of milk or else it's too thick.)

The combined effect: As I said above, the ratio of frosting-to-cupcake is 1/3-to-2/3. Why? You don't want to overpower the cupcake. (The only reason to overpower the cupcake is if it's a terrible cupcake, which usually means the frosting will be terrible, which in turn means you shouldn't be eating it to begin with.) Well, the banana flavor of the cupcake wasn't as noticeable versus eating the cupcake itself. If you take a bite with too much frosting on your fork, it really overpowers it, but if you stop thinking about the taste, it all melds together into a subconscious banana-peanut buttery fusion. I would, however, prefer a cupcake with more banana taste next time.

The only part I wasn't able to do was sprinkle chopped peanuts on top because I didn't have any. It would have given it a great texture contrast, as well as cutting the sweetness, though this wasn't really uber sweet at all.

Personally, I think the King would have approved. Upon biting into a cupcake version of his supposedly favorite snack, he would have replied, "Thank you, thank you very much. ;)."

(Another foodie, Culinary in the Desert, blogged about King Cupcakes back in February. Read it. Click this here link!)