Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Brownies

Through time there have always been things that just go perfectly with one another. Hot days and a cold beer, Christmas Eve and Baileys, chocolate and mint, PB&J, Joey and pepper. But the best has got to be peanut butter and chocolate. I am drooling just thinking about it right now ::wipes mouth::

Joey on the other hand is 'meh' about peanut butter and chocolate. WHAT IS WRONG WITH HIM???? I decided to make these brownies anyways and if he didn't like them, well that just means more for me. Too bad he loved them and I had to share them with him.

Pepper Added by Joey - None. Perhaps I have persuaded him to join the dark sweet side?

Ingredients
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup margarine
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips

1. Cream together peanut butter and margarine.
2. Add sugar, brown sugar, vanilla and eggs. Blend together.
3. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt.
4. Combine dry ingredients into wet ingredients.
5. Stir in chocolate chips.
6. Pour into a greased 9x9 pan and bake for 35 minutes at 350F.

Chile Corn Bread

I have never made cornbread, only had it at restaurants and Joey has never had it before. After making this recipe I think there are a few things I would do differently: I would double it made a "low" bread and not as tall as I expected. I would also make it with chili because I think it would be awesome to use as a "dipper".

Pepper Added by Joey - None on the bread

Ingredients
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/3 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup corn
2 fresh red chilies, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro

1. Grease a loaf pan and pre-heat the oven to 400F.
2. Sift flour and baking powder into a bowl and then stir in cornmeal and salt.
3. Mix the eggs, buttermilk and oil in a second bowl.
4. Add to the dry ingredients and mix to make a smooth batter.
5. Stir in the corn, chiles and cilantro.
6. Pour into the prepared loaf pan and bake in the oven for 40 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes before removing from pan to cool further.

Cupcake Dessert

I made these cupcakes awhile ago and had to use them up (they were in the freezer because a certain someone ate all the icing sugar so I couldn't make any frosting). So tonight for dessert I decided to bust them out and use them up.

Pepper added by Joey - None

Ingredients
Cupcakes from this recipe or any recipe
Whipcream
Fresh raspberries

1. Remove the liner from the cupcakes
2. Top each one with a dollop of whipcream
3. Top with your favourite fresh fruit (mmm raspberries)

Chocolate Chip Cookies

On a whim I decided to make some chocolate chip cookies. But it was taking f.o.r.e.v.e.r because I made them so large. They were totally worth the wait. They are very soft but don't have the over powering butter taste that soft cookies can sometimes have. I found the recipe on allrecipes and will be keeping it as our standby recipe.

Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons hot water
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. Cream together butter and sugars and then add in the eggs and vanilla.
3. In a small bowl, dissolve the baking soda in hot water and then add to the batter.
4. Add the flour in small amounts, continually mixing the batter. Add salt.
5. Add chocolate chips and finish mixing by hand.
6. Drop batter onto a greased cookie sheet in whatever size you want.
7. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes if you do them larger like I did. If you do them small then bake for about 10 minutes.

Joey's Birthday Cake

I decided to make Joey's birthday cake again this year. I don't know why because as soon as I decide to the temperature spikes and the humidity gets so bad I instantly get an afro. Last year was a disaster. I couldn't keep the cake or the icing cool enough to ice the frickin cake. This year I had a plan though. The AC was on full blast and I had the cold basement just in case.

I asked Joey what kind of cake he wanted. I wanted to do a chocolate peanut butter cake but he didn't want that - what the what? He is car-azy. He asked for banana cake - b.o.r.i.n.g to the max.

So I found a recipe for a jazzed up version that both he and I would like. I made a few changes but still had the same flavours in it.

Happy birthday Joey! I am glad you liked your cake (I only got 1 piece...he ate the rest...piggy piggy 2 by 4).

Pepper added by Joey - the pepper shaker took a break for the day

Ingredients

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1-1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup margarine

1/4 cup sour cream

2 eggs

3 mashed bananas

1. Cream together the sugar, margarine and sour cream.

2. Add eggs one at a time, continuing to mix the batter.

3. Add vanilla extract and banana's.

4. Mix together all dry ingredients, then with the rest of the batter.

5. Grease a "meatloaf" pan and heat the oven to 350 degrees.

6. Bake for 60-70 minutes or until a fork comes out "clean".

7. Allow the cake to cook completely (I left mine over night).

8. Remove the cake from the pan and slice it in half (left to right, not top to bottom).

9. Spread the goodness that is peanut butter on the top of the bottom half. Place the top back on.

10. Make your favourite kind of icing (I made a vanilla buttercream) and spread all over the cake.

11. Drizzle the top of the cake with caramel sauce.

12. Cut and serve!!!!!!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip & Cranberry Cookies

Mmmm cookies. Joe hates dried cranberries so I had to make this recipe into two batches. One with the yumminess that is cranberries and one that is boring and just has chocolate chips. It turns out I am not a fan of chocolate chips in oatmeal cookies. So next time I will have to make 2 completely separate batches.

This recipe is from the Quaker website.

Pepper Added by Joey - Pepper is banned on all baked goods



Ingredients
1 cup margarine
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups uncooked oats
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chocolate chips

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In large bowl, combine margarine, brown sugar and white sugar until creamy.
3. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.
4. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a small bowl.
5. Add combined dry ingredients to the large bowl and mix well.
6. Add oats, cranberries and chocolate chips and mix until fully combined
7. Drop dough onto baking sheet.
8. Bake 10 - 12 minutes or until light golden brown. I made larger cookies so I had to bake mine for about 20 minutes.
9. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets, then move to a wire cooling rack. Cool completely.

Dr. Pepper Cherry Chocolate Cupcakes

What do you do when your husband buys the wrong type of Dr. Pepper? And it is really frickin gross to drink it? You make cupcakes ofcourse. Only 23 more cans to use up! These came out incredibly moist and the pop was not overpowering.

Pepper added by Joey - drrr drrrr none



Ingredients
1 box of chocolate cake mix
1 can of Dr. Pepper Cherry Chocolate pop
1 tablepoon of margarine
Milk
Icing sugar
Cocoa powder
3 drops of cherry extract

1. Pour the box of cake mix into a bowl. Add the can of pop. DO NOT add the eggs, oil etc. as indicated on the cake mix box.
2. Bake as per the directions on the box.
3. Allow to cool.
4. Combine margarine, icing sugar, milk, cocoa powder and cherry extract to make the icing (all amount are estimates, just use a splash of milk and margarine and continue to add icing sugar and cocoa until you ge the right consistency).

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

Mmmmm sooo good. After a case of a "missing" chocolate mint bar I had to come up with something else to do with this dough and what goes better than peanut butter and chocolate. Not much!

Pepper added by Joey - this is a dumb question



Ingredients
3/4 cup margarine
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, cook the sugar, butter and water, stirring occasionally until melted.
2. Remove from heat, stir in the chocolate chips until melted and set aside to cool for 10 minutes. 3. Pour the chocolate mixture into a large bowl, and beat in the eggs, one at a time.
4. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt, stir into the chocolate mixture.
5. Cover and refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour.
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
7. Grease cookie sheets. Roll cookie dough into walnut sized balls and place 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.
8. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, be careful not to overbake.
9. When cookies come out of the oven, allow to sit for 1 minute and then spoon a dab of peanut butter on top. Allow to melt slightly and swirl with the knife to coat the top of the cookie.
10. Place cookies in the fridge to allow the peanut butter to harden slightly.
11. Remove from fridge and enjoy!

Chocolate Banana Bread

I always end up with 1 or 2 banana's that brown before I get to use them so I started putting them in the freezer so I could use them later for smoothies or baking or something. We never have banana bread because I don't have a pan for it but Joey brought one home this week so now I can use up those banana's.

Pepper added by Joey - Come on

Ingredients
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 cup granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 ripe bananas mashed well
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons brown sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Lightly grease or flour a loaf pan.
3. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
4. In a medium-sized bowl combine the mashed bananas, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla. Lightly fold the wet ingredients (banana mixture) into the dry ingredients until just combined and batter is thick and chunky.
5. Fold in the chocolate chips.
6. Scrape batter into prepared pan and sprinkle the top of the bread with rown sugar.
7. Bake until bread has risen and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes.
8. Remove bread from pan when it has cooled.

Blueberry Muffins

Blueberries were on sale and the only way Joey will eat "heated" fruit is in muffins (I don't get it either).

Pepper added by Joey - None but I was thisclose to adding some into half of them to see if he could taste the difference and if he would like it or not.

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup half and half

1 pint fresh blueberries - rinsed, drained and patted dry
2 tablespoons white sugar

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray the top of a muffin pan with non-stick coating, and line with paper liners.

2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, cups sugar and salt until light and fluffy.

3. Beat in the eggs one at a time.

4. Mix together 1 3/4 cup of the flour and baking powder.

5. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the half and half, mixing just until incorporated.

6. Crush 1/4 of the blueberries, and stir into the batter.

7. Mix the 1/2 the blueberries with the remaining 1/4 cup of the flour, and fold into the batter.

8. Add the remaining 1/4 of the blueberries into the mixture.

9. Scoop into muffin cups. Sprinkle tops lightly with sugar.

Peanut Butter Cookies

I was craving something sweet but didn't have the correct ingredients to make brownies, chocolate chip cookies etc. etc. So I decided to make some peanut butter cookies.

TIP - If you want them to be a bit more chewy only cook them for about 12 minutes. They will be really soft when you take them out of the oven but they will harden up a bit as they cool.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
1 cup margarine
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda

1. Preheat oven to 375F
2. In a large bowl, cream together the peanut butter, margarine, brown sugar and white sugar.
3. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.
4. Combine the flour, baking powder and baking soda; stir into the peanut butter mixture.
5. Form dough into walnut sized balls and place them 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.
6. Dip a fork into flour and criss cross each cookie to flatten slightly.
7. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until just lightly browned.
8. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Pudding Poke Cake

We wanted cake but we didn't have any icing sugar so I rummaged through the pantry and found a pack of chocolate pudding mix. The cake turned out amazing with the pudding all throughout it and then also acting as an icing on top.

Pepper added by Joey - None (I think he is not using any lately on anything on purpose to mess with me).




Ingredients
1 package yellow cake mix
1 package instant chocolate pudding mix
1/2 cup icing sugar
2 cups milk

1. Make the cake as per the directions on the box (or make your own from scratch)
2. When done remove from oven and poke holes in it using the back of a wooden spoon.
3. Make a pack of chocolate pudding. Add the icing sugar to the mixture.
4. Before it has a chance to set pour half of it over the top of the cake allowing it to fall into the holes.
5. Allow the cake to cool slightly and allow the pudding to set.
6. When cake is cool spread the remaining pudding over the top.
7. Place in fridge for 1 hour.
8. Cut and serve.

Strawberry Muffins

Strawberries were onsale so I decided to make some muffins. This recipe is good but a bit bland(not enough strawberry flavour). Next time I will add a bit of strawberry jam to the batter, or mush up a banana and add or even let the strawberries sit for a bit to let the juices release before adding them in.

Pepper added by Joey - None - even though pepper and strawberry are supposed to be awesome together.



Ingredients
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup white sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped strawberries

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. In a small bowl, combine oil, milk, and egg. Beat lightly.
3. In a large bowl, mix flour, salt, baking powder and sugar. Toss in chopped strawberries and stir to coat with flour.
4. Pour in milk mixture and stir together.
5. Fill muffin cups. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the tops bounce back from the touch.
6. Cool 10 minutes and remove from pans.