Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies & Pumpkin Choc Chip Banana Bread!!

Happy Weekend!

Wrapping up college has been a crazy, continuous whirlwind, to say the least, but I've been able to get some baking in!!

Up first, I made Chocolate Cookies with Peanut Butter Chips & Reese's Pieces! To this day, these are my brother & sister's favorite cookie! (Sorry Emily & Mark-- next time I see you I'll make more!)  

If you are a chocolate and peanut butter lover, like I am, these are the cookie for you! A soft, chocolaty cookie with bursts of peanut butter...Heaven. 

I brought most of these into work with me! A very-welcomed & appreciated Tuesday Treat!

 Before making these, I made my good ol' Whole Wheat Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Banana Bread!  In addition to these two big guys (8'' x 4''), the batch made 2 little loaves too (5'' x 3'') ! (NOTE I made a double batch of the recipe linked to this post! A single batch, as posted, would make a very-mounded 8'' x 4'', or the 8'' x 4'' + a little one!) Made with 100% Whole Wheat flour and no butter or oil, you can even feel good about eating a slice (or two..or three...)! ;)

Much more baking to come after finals are over and as graduation nears!

You can find the recipe for the Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Banana Bread here!

Cookie recipe below!

Chocolate Cookies with Peanut Butter Chips & Reese's Pieces

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa (I used Hershey's this time)

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened 

(if you use salted butter, just leave out the added salt)

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup brown sugar 

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1 11oz bag peanut butter chips

1-2 cups Reese's Pieces

(I usually use 2 cups, but I got a little carried away "taste testing" them before making the cookies...:))

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Whisk together and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, use electric mixer to beat softened butter, granulated sugar,brown sugar, and vanilla until creamy.  Add in the 2 eggs and beat well (scrape down the sides of the bowl if you need to).

Then, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture.  Beat at a low speed, or just fold in by hand.  When almost all of the flour streaks are gone, mix in the peanut butter chips and Reese's Pieces with a wooden spoon. Keep mixing until everything is combined.

Scoop spoonfuls of dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet (~1-2 inches apart, depending on the size of the cookies).  I usually line my cookie sheets with parchment paper for easy clean up / to prevent sticking. Bake for 8-11 minutes, or until they look firm and not-shiny. Cool on baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to cooling rack.  

Enjoy warm or fully cooled! 

Warm & crumbled over some vanilla fro yo or ice cream is my eating-method-of-choice!

Have a great weekend!

Happy Birthday & Happy Easter!

Chocolate, peanut butter, and oreos?? Yup, you bet!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Lindsay and Sammie!! I love that you both have the same taste in treats as I do...;)

These are Peanut Butter Oreo Cupcakes with Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting and topped with crushed up Oreos!!!

(^^No Oreos on these guys yet!^^)

All boxed up and ready to go to the birthday girls!!

As someone who is not a big cake fan, I LOVE these!! It was a new recipe, and one that I will definitely make over and over again! Check out the recipe at the end of the post!!

Peanut Butter Oreo Cupcakes

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

12 T (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups peanut butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

4 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

1 cup milk (I used unsweetened soy milk)

Crushed up Oreos (however many you want! I do two sleeves)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pans with 24-30 baking cups (I made 2 dozen cupcakes, plus a small loaf "cake" with the extra batter).

Combined the flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.

Beat the butter, peanut butter, and sugars until light and fluffy. Add in the vanilla and eggs and beat well. Alternate adding the flour mixing and the milk. With the beater on low speed, I poured in about half of the flour mixture, then half of the milk, then the last half of the flour mixture, and ending with the rest of the milk. Gently fold in the crushed Oreos.

Scoop into prepared baking cups and bake in preheated oven for 16-24 minutes, or until they spring back when lightly touched. Cool on a baking rack.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

1/4 cup peanut butter

1 cup cocoa powder

dash of salt

2 tsp vanilla

2/3 cup milk (again, I used soy milk)

6-7 cups powdered sugar

In a large bowl, melt the stick of butter. While the melted butter is still hot, mix in the peanut butter with the butter. Add the cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt, and stir until well combined. Then break out your hand mixer if you have one, because the next step is MUCH easier with a mixer, rather than by hand with a spatula or spoon. Add in about half of the powered sugar and about half of the milk. Use hand mixer on low speed until well combined. Then add the rest of the sugar and milk, and again beat until combined.

Frost cooled cupcakes with frosting. Top with additional crushed Oreos if you desire! (of course!!)

P.S. I know 6-7 cups of powdered sugar seems like a lot, but it's right, trust me!! I used 6 cups. You get enough frosting for all of the cupcakes and it tastes delicious!!

If you have any issues let me know! I will try to help ya through it!

Happy Birthday to my wonderful friends, and Happy Easter!

Enjoy!

CUPCAKES!

A new experiment!!

Chocolate Cupcakes with a peanut butter center frosted with creamy chocolate frosting and topped with Reese's Pieces!!!

I used my go-to chocolate cake and frosting recipes. The experiment was the filling in the center! I have to admit, though tasty, it didn't work how I wanted it to. I believe the source of the issue was that I used natural peanut butter, which has always worked for cookies, brownies, and anything where I'm baking it. However, I wasn't able to achieve the consistency I wanted when I was whipping the filling for these cupcakes. Note to self: go back to buying the non-natural stuff for baking.

That being said, it still tastes DELICIOUS! Personally I'll just make a different filling next time :)

The picture above is kind of fuzzy, but it shows you the center! (as well as the very large bite I took, ha!)

I love this chocolate cake because it is super moist, and never fails (at least not yet!) I'm not a huge cake lover, but I.Love.This.Cake!!

I made them for my friend Nicole's 21st birthday!!! She doesn't know it yet, so I might be spoiling the surprise... ;)

The ones I don't give to her will be part going with me to work in the morning and part staying in my room for my roommates (and me) to enjoy!!

Happy Hump Day!

Only 2 days 'til the weekend! Wahoo!

And the Oscar goes to...

Peanut butter, Oreos, and Chocolate!!

Since it's such a winning combination of flavors, I decided to use them to bake for the Oscars (as if I really needed a reason)! I made a peanut butter oreo sheet cake and frosted it with chocolate oreo frosting!

They look a littttle sloppy...I was in a rush so the cake wasn't completely cool before I put the frosting on. So that's why it was gooey...

...but oh-so-delicious! The cake was really moist and the frosting was wonderfully chocolaty!!

One thing I love about sheet cakes is that you can cut them into bars ahead of time, making them easier to eat at group gatherings. No need for cutting a cake while everyone waits for a piece, no forks, and really plates aren't even necessary (though it doesn't hurt if you have them)! Also, it makes it so the quantity goes further! I used them for three different things!

(1) I brought some to the Oscars party I went to with my sorority sisters, (2) kept some for me and my roommates, and (3) am bringing the rest to work tomorrow!!

Enjoy!

Have a great week!

End of the Week Treat! V-day themed!

Happy Friday!

This week's End of the week treat = cookies!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip M&M Peanut Butter Cookies, to be exact!!

With Valentine's Day M&Ms of course, because, well, you can never have too much love...right?

The base is made up of about half flour and half oats, and I decided to use whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose. Why? Why not?! Certainly can't call them healthy cookies, but might as well add nutritional benefits where I can!

High in protein and fiber, soft, chewy, and chocolaty! I'll take it! :)

End of the Week Treat!

Happy Friday!!

I'm totally on a chocolate peanut butter kick!

SO, I made chocolate peanut butter cookies with chocolate chips and peanut butter chips. Bringing them to work, to a reunion potluck, to a sorority retreat...lots of places to bring along baked goods for peeps!

Have a great weekend!

Super Bowl = Ultimate Brownies

GO PATS!!

and eat brownies.

I tried something new, and I am officially addicted to them! Think, fudgy, chocolate chunk brownies with layers of peanut butter oreo swirl. OM NOM! You gotta see this...

As you've probably gathered from reading through my blog, I am basically obsessed with peanut butter, oreos, and chocolate...

Pats + Super bowl Commercials + these brownies + great friends = huge win :)

August Baking = PEANUT BUTTER!

I've been crazy busy! Taste of DC, moving, trip to MA, classes starting up-yikes! But of course, baking doesn't cease! I've been on a serious chocolate and peanut butter kick. Hands down my favorite flavor combination of all time.

Peanut butter-chocolate cookies with Reese's pieces.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Blondie Bars

Oatmeal-peanut butter-hot chocolate- chocolate chip cookies (yeah, these are mindblowing)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOHN!

First birthday in the Taste of DC office! This is a peanut butter banana cake, frosted with chocolate peanut butter frosting, and then topped off with peanuts for the words!
I must say, it was finger-licking good. YUM!

Baking Update: yumyumyum

It's been a little while since I posted, but don't worry- I haven't stopped baking! My photos here aren't fantastic, but the treats were scrumptious! I brought 'em into work at Taste of DC!

Here's a little recap...

Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Classic.

Chocolate cookies with mint chips, dark chocolate chips, and peppermint pattie chunks. SO good. These were truly addicting.

And finally, fudgy peanut butter swirl brownies. I love anything and everything that combines chocolate & peanut butter, and these are no exception! I've made them before- always chocolaty, fudgy, peanut buttery goodness. YUM

YUM cookies. warning, they are addicitive.

Soo I've definitely made these before, but they are SO good I had to post again. Chocolate peanut butter cookies with peanut m&ms. Last time I made 'em with peanut butter m&ms. I loveee them both! and they disappear literally in the blink of an eye when I leave them out!

Peanut butter cup peanut butter cookies

Ok, so I don't know about you, but I am a HUGE chocolate and peanut butter fan. If any 2 foods are supposed to go together, it's these two. These cookies were awesome and I will make them again and again!

peanut butter chuck and oatmeal caramel

So I really wanted to bake for Pi Phi chapter and i wanted to make something tasty. I used Halloween candy in both of these. I made peanut butter cookies with crushed up chocolate-peanut butter "eyeballs" in them, and oatmeal cookies with chocolate-caramel "eyeballs" in them. both came out SO yummy!

peanut butter fudgey irresistible obviously homemade brownies

no words necessary. Just look.

peanut butter fudge brownies...orgasmic

I am addicted to these. So perfect after getting off work at midnight! :-P
Seriously, the best, fudgy-est, peanut-buttery, brownies. yummm