Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

This recipe has become one of my favorite go to recipes for that sinful dessert. Ridiculously easy, this recipe is rich and delicious with chocolate and peanut butter running throughout. Best of all, no oven is needed, so your kitchen can stay cool and so can you, especially with temperatures on the rise. This is the perfect dessert to make for a potluck or a party. Everyone will be asking for more!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars Nigella Lawson

1/2 cup dark brown sugar {packed}
2 2/3 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons softened unsalted butter {divided}
1 3/4 cups creamy peanut butter
10 ounces milk chocolate chips
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate {chopped}

Cut a piece of parchment paper big enough to line a standard sized brownie pan, with a bit of overhang. Grease the brownie pan & lay in the parchment paper.
Combine the brown sugar, confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup butter & peanut butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Blend until smooth. Dump the mixture out into the pan & press it down, making it an even as possible.
Melt the chocolates & 2 tablespoons of butter in a double boiler, or in a heat-proof bowl set over simmering water. Stir occasionally to combine. Spread the melted chocolate over the peanut butter base & smooth out the surface.
Put the pan in the refrigerator, until the chocolate is set. Remove the bars from the pan by lifting on the overhang of parchment paper & slice into squares using a sharp knife. It may help to warm the knife under hot water to get through the hard chocolate layer more easily. The bars are very rich, so 1" squares would be a good size.

Suggestion: Try using different flavors of peanut butter to mix it up! There are so many different kinds out there, from white chocolate to cinnamon raisin, to more!

Butterscotch Potato Chip Cookies

Sounds weird, I know! Trust me though, everyone that tried these cookies loved them. Buttery, soft, and loaded with the tastes of salty and sweet, these cookies are a must try. The overly sweet butterscotch is toned down by the salty potato chips for a perfect cookie that everyone will love!

Butterscotch Potato Chip Cookies from with sprinkles on top

1 c. butter flavored shortening
3/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 c. crushed potato chips
1 c. butterscotch morsels

1. Cream shortening and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Combine flour and baking soda; gradually beat into the mixture. Stir in the chips and butterscotch morsels.
2. Place tablespoon-sized balls on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 375F.

Suggestion: Try different kinds of chocolate chips. They come in so many different flavors. Dark chocolate and cinnamon chips are just a couple of my favorites!

White chocolate pretzel peanut butter cookies

I'm really not a fan of white chocolate. I've always found it to be overly rich and too much for me. For some reason though, when I stumbled across this recipe, I was immediately intrigued and knew that I would be baking it. A loaded cookie; the base a rich peanut butter, it's filled with creamy sweet white chocolate and is balanced with crushed pretzels. The finishing touch that makes this cookie truly special is the sprinkle of sea salt that goes on top. If that sounds weird, give it a chance! That sprinkle of salt on top is magical and helps all of the different flavors to stand out on their own. If you're looking for something different, fun, and deliciously yummy, try this one tonight!

White chocolate pretzel peanut butter cookies by Picky Palate

1 stick softened butter, 8 tablespoons

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 cup white chocolate chips, to melt

1 1/4 cups creamy peanut butter (reserve 2 tablespoons to add to melting white chips)

1 large egg

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup broken pretzel pieces

1 Cup additional white chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Melt white chocolate chips and 2 Tablespoons peanut butter over a double boiler until melted. Add melted chocolate chips and remaining peanut butter to beaten butter and sugars. Beat in egg and vanilla.

2. Place flour, baking soda and salt in bowl; mix to combine. Add to wet ingredients until just combined then pour in pretzels and additional white chocolate chips. With a cookie scoop, scoop dough onto a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet. With the palms of your hand, gently press down each cookie to about 1/2 inch in thickness. Sprinkle each cookie with a touch of sea salt. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until edges become golden and slightly crisp. Let cool for 10 minutes on baking sheet before removing.

3 dozen cookies

Suggestion: Try mixing it up with different kinds of chocolate chips or cookie bases. Make this your own and have fun with it!

Parmesan Quinoa

Looking for that perfect healthy side-dish? Look no further! Try pairing the most amazing grain of quinoa (a complete protein) with sharp, creamy parmesan cheese. The end result will leave you feeling all of those great benefits of quinoa, but you'll feel as though you've let yourself indulge! Try pairing this with fish, vegetables, you name it! This side dish is a winner, and one that I'll be making again soon!

Parmesan Quinoa

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups water
• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 1/4 tsp. fine sea salt
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

1. Rinse the quinoa by placing it in a medium bowl, covering with water, swishing it around, and then draining it in a strainer. This will wash away any naturally occurring bitterness from the quinoa.
2. Place the drained quinoa into a medium pot. Add the 2 cups water, butter and salt. Bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and allow the quinoa to bubble and cook for 15 minutes. Cook until the quinoa absorbs all the liquid. The outer germ layer will separate and the grains will look shiny.
3. Stir in the Parmesan. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Suggestion: Try playing around with different kinds of quinoa. I used a red quinoa, and the color was beautiful when paired with the gorgeous white parmesan cheese!

Lemon Butter Cookies

In my last post I swore that I was back to blogging and that I had a lot more time on my hands. Well, nearly one month later, I think it's safe to say that I under-estimated how busy I was going to be! But, here I am now, and trust me, this recipe was worth the wait.

Lemon Butter Cookies. 2 sticks of butter for 12 cookies; how can it be bad? Moist, cakey, simple, and sophisticated, these cookies are a treat. Their pale color and plain look don't lend much excitement, but after the first delectable bite, you'll be won over. I'm going to need to buy more butter after this one. I have a feeling I'll be baking these again soon!

Lemon Butter Cookies by With Sprinkles on Top

1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons finely shredded lemon peel
2 cups all-purpose flour

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar; beat until mixture is combined, scraping side of bowl. Beat in lemon peel. Beat in as much of the flour as you can. Stir in the remaining flour.
3. Drop dough by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until edges are light brown. Transfer to a wire rack for cooling.

Suggestion: Try adding in some orange zest too. That's what I did and the lemon and orange flavors together were really fun!

Cinnamon brie and apple grilled cheese

Last week I bought brie to make a panini with cheese, chocolate, and basil. Everyone told me that it sounded terrible, but being the stubborn person that I am, I really wanted to try it. Well, everyone was right and it wasn't so great. So this week, I thought I would make a sandwich that I knew would be amazing! Feel like surprising your palate? Want to try something different and delicious? Try this grilled cheese recipe. Sweet cinnamon bread, paired with tart granny smith apple, and creamy tangy brie leave your mouth happy and wishing for more. This dish is a crowd pleaser any time of day. Satisfying, flavorful, and something outside of the box, make this sandwich when you want to shake up your palate!

Cinnamon Brie and Apple Grilled Cheese adapted from USA Today

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 ounces Brie cheese, white rind trimmed, or other cheese, at room temperature

• 2 slices whole wheat bread

• 2 to 3 thin slices peeled Granny Smith or other apple

• 1 teaspoon butter, softened

• a sprinkle of cinnamon

Directions:

1. Spread the Brie on one side of each piece of bread. Place apple on top of one slice and top with the other slice, cheese side down. Spread the butter on the other sides of the bread. Sprinkle cinnamon on top of the bread with the butter.

2. Place in a skillet over medium heat. Cook until the bottom is golden and the cheese begins to melt. Carefully turn the sandwich and cook until golden and the cheese has melted completely.

Suggestion: Try mixing it up and playing around with different breads. Try sourdough to tone down the sweetness or cinnamon raisin bread to play it up! I don't think you can really go wrong here.... Enjoy! :)

Ooey Gooey Molten Chocolate Cake

Wow, it's been over a month since my last post! I guess I've been busy traveling across the globe, getting over being sick, and tying up some loose ends in my life, but now I'm back and have so much more time in my life to cook and bake and bake bake bake! Soooo looking forward to trying so many different creations.

I decided that my first post back would have to be pretty special and indeed it is! This recipe is my new obsession and I seriously can't find anything wrong with it. Make this ooey gooey molten chocolate cake if you want to impress someone. They'll never know that it's super easy and takes hardly no time at all. This rich, decadent, amazing chocolate cake is for sure a crowd pleaser and a recipe you'll keep coming back to!

Ooey gooey molten chocolate cake by Gordon Ramsey from My Sweet Life

Serves 4

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus extra to grease
• 4 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa, to dust
• 4 ounces good-quality bittersweet chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids), in pieces
• 2 large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks
• 2/3 cup superfine granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1. Heat oven to 325° F. Grease 4 large ramekins with butter, about 3 inches (7.5 cm) in diameter. Cut a small, square piece of parchment and place in the bottom of the ramekin and grease with butter, then dust liberally with cocoa.
2. In a small bowl set over a saucepan of hot water, slowly melt the chocolate and butter. Remove bowl from heat and stir until smooth. Let cool for 10 minutes.
3. Using an electric whisk, whisk the whole eggs, egg yolks, and sugar together until pale and thick. Add the cooled chocolate mixture and whisk just to combine.
4. Sift the flour over the mixture and using a large metal spoon gently fold in.
5. Divide the batter between the ramekins and bake for 12 minutes.
6. Turn the chocolate cakes out onto warmed plates and serve immediately.

Suggestion: You can totally use a cupcake pan for this if you don't have ramekins, just beware that the centers will be extremely gooey, but who ever said that was a bad thing??? :)