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!

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!

Chocolate & Peanut Butter AND Coconut, Walnuts, & Chocolate...

Peanut butter, chocolate, oats, Reese's pieces, and dark chocolate chunks...what's not to love?! Soft, thick, chewy, flavorful, addicting, and perfect for any chocolate-peanut butter lover. They explode with peanut butter and chocolate flavor! They are truly my favorite and absolutely addicting!

I brought them into work at LivingSocial today! Excellent response. I'm glad everyone liked them as much as I do!

Oh, and did I mention they have zero calories? Ha, I wish. Only kidding. But they are made with all oats (no flour), more peanut butter than butter (healthy fat), and dark chocolate (antioxidants). Totally healthy, right? :) Enjoy!

The week before making the chocolate peanut butter cookies, I made these puppies and brought them into LivingSocial on my first day! They are oatmeal chocolate chip cookies with coconut & walnuts. Sweet treat = smiles. Yum!

My goal is to bake one treat per week! Feel free to send suggestions my way! rachellovesbaking@gmail.com

Two of my Favs!

2 different treats this week; 1 made for big/little week, and the other made for Halloween! First, for my little and glittle to give to their new littles, I made my super fudgy, chocolate chunk brownies. YUM! Always one of my favorites.

THEN, in the spirit of Halloween, I made possibly my favorite cookie of all time. 100% Oatmeal cookies (no flour) with peanut butter, oreos, and reese's pieces, topped with Halloween sprinkles.

Enjoy!

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)

Chocolate cookies with reeses pieces!

I looove these cookies! chocolate cookies loaded with reeses pieces candy- yumm

Chocolate Cookies with Peanut Butter Chips and Reeces Pieces

These are my brother and sister's favorite cookie! yummy chocolate base with peanut butter chips and reeses pieces. a mouth full of amazing chocolate and peanut butter deliciousness.

I just recently made these for my friend at work who is moving out of state! She said she liked chocolate and peanut butter....so to me, that meant this cookie! :) I brought her in her own batch, and more to share! They lasted less than 2 hours!
nom nom nom!
So yummy1