Peanut Butter Cheesecake Brownie Babies

I needed a quick and easy recipe for a dessert today. This is what I found in my Kraft Food & Family Recipe Magazine. If my senses are right, since it smells delicious and they look amazing, I think it will be super yummy.

Here's what you need

Cupcake Liners

1 pkg. brownie mix

1 pkg. cream cheese softened

1/3 cup sugar

1 egg

1/4 c. peanut butter

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Cool Whip thawed

Maraschino Cherries (optional)

Make It

Heat oven to 350. Prepare brownie batter as directed on package. Spoon into 20 paper lined muffin cups.

Beat cream cheese, sugar, egg, peanut butter, and vanilla with mixer until smooth. Spoon 1 big Tbs. into center of batter in each cup. Bake 25-30 min. until centers are set. Cool

Serve topped with Cool Whip and cherries.

This picture is from the Kraft magazine.

Jr. Mint Cupcakes

I made these the other night for Family Home Evening and they were yummy. I loved how moist they are and liked the hint of mint they had. I always love mint things during the winter.

Ingredients:

1 box Pillsbury Devils Food Cake Mix
4 eggs
1/2 Cup vegetable oil
1/2 Cup water
1 small box instant chocolate pudding mix
1/2 Cup sour cream
1 Cup chocolate chips
3 4 oz boxes Jr Mints (look for them on sale, I found them for $1.00)
Favorite Vanilla or Cream Cheese Frosting


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a stand or electric mixer, add the cake mix, eggs, oil, water, pudding mix, sour cream and chocolate chips. Mix on medium for 2 minutes or until well combined and somewhat thick. Scoop into 24 paper lined muffin cups. Press 3 JR mints into the center of each cupcake center. Bake for 22-25 minutes or until toothpick comes mostly clean from center. Let cool completely and frost with your favorite vanilla or cream cheese frosting.
24 cupcakes

Ultimate Chocolate Layered Reeses Peanut Butter Cup Cake

I made this birthday cake for my family and it's absolutely divine. Everyone loved it.

{So I could have had prettier presentation, but I was in a hurry people!}

Ingredients:

1 box Pillsbury Devils Food Cake Mix

4 large eggs

1/2 Cup canola oil

1/2 Cup water

8 oz sour cream

1 small box instant chocolate pudding mix

1 bag mini or regular chocolate chips

_____________________

4 8oz packages softened cream cheese

2 sticks softened butter

16 oz bag powdered sugar (most of it)

_____________________

1 Cup melted creamy peanut butter

1 bag of Reeses Peanut Butter Cup minis, halved (freeze bag for an hour before cutting, it’s much easier)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a stand or electric mixer add the cake mix, eggs, oil, water, sour cream, pudding mix and chocolate chips. Beat until well combined, about 1 1/2 minutes. Will be thick. Pour evenly into 2 well greased 9 inch cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean from center of cakes. Let cool completely.

2. To prepare cream cheese frosting place softened cream cheese and butter into a mixing bowl, beat on med-high speed until creamy smooth. Slowly beat in powdered sugar until a good spreading consistency forms. I used almost the entire bag of powdered sugar. Refrigerate for a good hour before frosting.

3. Turn cakes onto wax paper and with a large serrated knife cut each cake in half width wise to form 4 layers. Place one layer onto a cake stand and drizzle melted peanut butter over top. Next spread a generous amount of cream cheese frosting over that. Place another cake layer on top and repeat peanut butter and frosting until top layer is placed. Spread remaining frosting over entire cake then top with halved Reeses Peanut Butter Cup Minis. I froze the cake until ready for serving. It stays nice and cold which makes it MUCH easier to cut into slices. Enjoy!!

Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes

2 (1 oz) squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
3 eggs
1 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups flour
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
2 cups grated zucchini
chocolate chips (optional)

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees
-Beat eggs with sugar for 10 minutes or until thickened and pale
-Blend oil and cooled chocolate into beaten egg mixture
-Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt
-Stir flour mixture into egg mixture until just blended
-Stir in zucchini
-Add chocolate chips and stir
-Spoon batter into cupcake wrappers, filling 2/3 full
-Bake for 20 minutes
-Let cool completely and then frost

Chocolate Frosting:
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 T vanilla
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 T milk

-Over medium heat, melt butter
-Add cocoa and vanilla
-Put powdered sugar in mixer; add cocoa mixture
-Beat well
-Add milk, 1 t at a time until desired consistency*

*NOTE: I used about 2 1/2 T to get the right consistency for my liking

This recipe is a great one to use for all that zucchini growing in your garden! My kids LOVE them and have no idea that there is any zucchini in there. And the frosting is delicious!

Cookie Dough Topped Brownies

Umm, yeah...cookie dough + brownies = heaven in your mouth.

We made these tonight and they were delish! I suggest you all give them a try!

Brownie Layer:

1 12-ounce bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup (2 cubes) butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs at room temperature
1 1/2 cups flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt butter and chocolate chips. Stir constantly and remove from heat when chips are fully melted. In the same pot, blend in the sugar. Then add eggs, blending fully one at a time. Add flour and salt and beat until air bubbles form in the batter. Pour into a greased 9 X 13-inch pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Turn heat down to 325 degrees and bake for 10 more minutes. {or until cooked through...mine took longer.}

Cool completely and then top with the cookie dough layer.

Cookie Dough Layer:

1/2 cup (1 cube) butter, softened
1/2 cup dark brown Sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
pinch of salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

In a small bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in milk and vanilla. Gradually add flour and salt. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by tablespoonfuls over cooled brownies; carefully spread over top (this can be tricky but I found the best way is to slightly wet my hands and pat the dough down gently so it doesn't pull up the brownies). Cut into squares. Store in the refrigerator.

Peanut Butter Squares

Ruth Livingston Elementary use to serve these pieces of heaven for lunches when I was in school. They are still a favorite treat in my family.

Peanut Butter Squares

1 cup butter
1 lb. powdered sugar
1 1/2 cup peanut butter
1 pkg of crushed graham crackers
1 tsp vanilla
chocolate chips

Mix first five ingredients. Press into a 9 x 13 pan. Spread melted chocolate over the top. Let chocolate set.

Better The Peanut Butter Cups

Crust:

8 medium chocolate chip cookies (I used about 12)
1/4 cup melted butter

Chocolate Layer:

2 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips

Peanut Butter Filling:

1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
2 t vanilla extract

-Preheat oven to 325 degrees
-In a food processor, blend cookies until finely ground.
-Add butter and mix together completely
-Press crumb mixture into 8 x 8 pan and bake for 10 minutes
-Cool to room temperature

-Melt chocolate over low heat until completely smooth but not boiling

-Prepare peanut butter filling by blending peanut butter and butter together in mixer until smooth
-Slowly beat in powdered sugar and then add vanilla
-Beat until smooth
-Spread peanut butter filling over crust
-Pour warm chocolate over the filling and spread smooth
-Chill in refrigerator for 1 hour until firm
-Cut into bars to serve

These are delicious! My kids LOVE them and they go a long ways since you only need a small bar because they are rich and yummy. Enjoy!

Buckeye Cake

I found this recipe in a magazine a couple of years ago, and fell in love with it! It is a chocolate/peanut butter lover's absolute dream! {The recipe calls for unsalted butter, but all I ever have is salted, and it's still delicious}

2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 packets (1 oz. each) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® CHOCO BAKE® Pre-Melted Unsweetened Chocolate Flavor
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

PEANUT BUTTER LAYER
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup powdered sugar

GANACHE
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels

1/3 cup NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Peanut Butter & Milk Chocolate Morsels

Directions: Preheat oven to 350º F. Grease 9-inch-round cake pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper; grease. {I ran out of parchment paper, so I just buttered and floured my pan and it was perfect}

FOR CAKE: Combine eggs and sugar in large bowl. Stir in flour, melted butter, Choco Bake, vanilla extract and salt until smooth. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 5 minutes. Run knife around edge of cake; cool for an additional 10 minutes. Invert cake onto serving platter. Remove pan and parchment; cool completely.

FOR PEANUT BUTTER LAYER: Beat peanut butter, butter and vanilla extract in medium mixer bowl until combined. Gradually beat in powdered sugar. Spread mixture on cake. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

FOR GANACHE: Heat cream in small saucepan to boiling; remove from heat. Add semi-sweet morsels; let stand 5 minutes. Stir; refrigerate for 30 minutes or until mixture is spreadable. Spread chocolate on top and sides of cake.

Melt peanut butter & milk chocolate morsels in resealable plastic bag on MEDIUM-HIGH (70%) power for 30 seconds. Knead bag to mix. If necessary, microwave at additional 10- to 15-second intervals until melted. Cut a small hole from corner of bag; squeeze to drizzle over cake. Store in refrigerator. Let stand for 30 minutes before serving.

Fresh Apple Cake

In response to the request for apple recipes, here goes...
A friend of mine made this several times and I just couldn't get enough of it, so finally I got the recipe.
Here it is

4 C. diced raw apples
2 eggs
1/2 C. oil
2 t. vanilla
1 C. nuts (optional)
1 t. salt
2 C. flour
2 C. sugar
2 t. baking soda
2 t. cinnamon

Mix all ingredients by hand. Pour into greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 45 mins.

This is yummy, now I need to make it!!!

Sour Cream Banana Bars

These are so good and really easy to make. Everyone loves them, especially my kids. I like to take them to a BBQ or potluck because they are baked in a jelly roll pan there is lots to go around.

Sour Cream Banana Bars

1 1/2 c sugar
1 c sour cream
1/2 c butter softened
1 1/2 c mashed bananas (3)
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 c flour

Spray 15 x 10 jelly roll pan with non stick cooking spray. Mix sugar, butter, sour cream and eggs together on low for 1 minute. Beat in bananas and vanilla on low for 1 minute. Mix in dry ingredients on medium for 1 minute. Pour into pan. Bake on 375^ for 20-25 minutes. Frost with Brown Butter Frosting.

Brown Butter Frosting.

1/4 c butter
2 1/2 c powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 Tbsp milk

Heat butter over medium heat until it reaches a delicate (light to medium brown) color. It might seem like you are burning it but as long as it isn't black it should work out just fine. Use a mixer to beat in powdered sugar, vanilla and milk. Keep adding small amounts of powdered sugar and milk until it is a good consistency, not too runny. This frosting spreads best on a warm cake. I usually start this before the cake is finished and frost after cooling for only a few minutes.

Frozen Strawberry Delight

I got this recipe from a friend and it is perfect for this warmer weather and because strawberries are in season now.

4 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1/4 c. lemon juice
3 c. cool whip
1 can sweetened condensed milk
8 oreos (crushed)
1 T. butter (melted)

Smash two cups of the fresh berries. Add in lemon juice and sweetened condensed milk and 2 c. of cool whip. Mix together well.
Line a bread pan with tin foil and then pour the mixture into the pan.
Mix together crushed oreos and butter and then press into mixture in the pan.
Put in freezer for at LEAST 6 HOURS

Remove from freezer and turn upside down onto a platter. Cookie crust will be on bottom. Then spread remaining cool whip on the top side and then place remaining sliced berries on top.
Slice into slices and serve cold.

This looks divine turned onto a platter and looks much fancier than the prep work that goes into it. Great for serving.
Sorry, no photo, we ate it too fast!

Homemade Oreos

I was at the store this morning to get the ingredients for these because they are so easy and so delicious, but I forgot the shortening! I guess my girls will have to wait to be "makers" with mom!

2 packages of cake mix (any flavor, but I always prefer chocolate)
4 eggs
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup vegetable oil

-Mix altogether.
-Spoon onto cookie sheet (a cookie scoop works perfect)
-Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes
-When cooled, frost the back side of a cookie and sandwich together with another cookie. So yummy!