Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

May I introduce to you....

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

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These babies deserve a standing ovation!  I have to be honest.  The chocolate/peanut butter combination has never been one that makes me weak in the knees.  I mean, don't get me wrong... I like it and all.  It's just never been my favorite.  Well, my dears... that opinion is no longer!  Especially if the combination of chocolate and peanut butter comes in the form of THESE cupcakes!  The cake is good and moist and oh so chocolatey and the frosting.... O! M! G!  It is to.die.for!  Am I coming across loud and clear here?  Well, if that isn't enough to take your breath away, how about the wonderful peanut butter ball baked into the cupcake? Huh?  Now, what are you thinkin'?  Yeah!  That's right! Go make them NOW!  They're calling your name aren't they?  Well, I have a dozen in the fridge... and they're calling mine!   I won't lie:)

I sure hope you enjoy these! 
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes
adapted by From Cupboard to Cupboard
original recipe by Annie's Eats
printable recipe

For the Filling:
1 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
4 Tbsp butter, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla

For the Cake:
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sour cream
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs

For the frosting:
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
4 tbsp butter, softened
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
3 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed

Directions:

Preheat the over to 350 degrees.  Line two cupcake pans with paper liners. 

To make the filling, combine the powdered sugar, peanut butter and vanilla in a bowl.  Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until well combined.  Roll the mixture into 1 inch balls (at least 24)... I used a small cookie scoop to make them all even:)  and set aside on a baking sheet.  I put mine in the refrigerator until I needed them.

To make the cake batter, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; whisk together and set aide.  In a liquid measuring cup, stir together the sour cream, milk and vanilla.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar and beat on medium-high speed untl light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed.  With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the dry ingredients and the sour cream mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.  Mix just until incorporated.

Spoon a tablespoon or two of batter into the bottom of each cupcake liner.  Place a ball of the peanut butter filling in each cupcake well and top with the remaining batter so that all the cups are filled.  Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Allow to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting, in the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese, butter and peanut butter until smooth.  Slowly mix in the powdered sugar, beating until smooth and well blended.  Mix in the whipped topping until smooth and fluffy.  Frost cooled cupcakes as desired!  (I use the Wilton 2D tip)



Happy Cooking!
Teauna

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Yet another photo album.....

Hey there!   I was taking some pictures off my camera and thought I'd share with you what I was working on this past week.  I am having so much fun doing all these fun and oh-so-different cakes...

I made this cake for my bestie's birthday... We have this little tradition of going to the reservoir and playing in the water and sharing a fun picnic... this year, I added a cake!  A Neopolitan layer cake with Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream filling and Fudge Frosting.  Oh! Boy!! This one was yummy!

 And this one was a single tier topsy turvy cake for a 6 year old little girl's birthday!  It was chocolate cake with strawberry buttercream icing and fondant.  I thought it turned out pretty cute and I hear she really liked it :)

 I have been working on the gum paste flowers for this cake for quite some time.  Shereen's colors were pale pink and bright purple.  She had pink roses and stephanotis flowers.  I was able to make both flowers from gum paste to match her real flowers and I really enjoyed it!  Talk about my kind of therapy!  They served their entire cake. So it was HUGE!  The bottom tier 16", the middle 12", and the top 8". It was a white almond sour cream cake with strawberry swiss meringue buttercream filling and covered in fondant. The one word to heed was "Elegant" and I think that look was accomplished!

This is a close-up of the bottom 2 tiers.  I added some piping to the middle tier to set it apart from the others.  

 The top tier was so fun!  I loved seeing all of the gum-paste flowers come together in a beautiful bouquet.  And to think they weren't going to wilt during their delivery eased my mind.  And to top it all off... they looked just like the flowers there at the wedding!  *sigh of relief*

 One of my great friends was baptised last weekend and it was such a special day.  I took over A BUNCH of cupcakes, some sugar cookie bars, and this double tier carrot cake with cream cheese frosting!  Very neat day for a very special person! :)

So there you have it!  Another photo album.  Wish I would've remembered to take a picture of the cupcakes.  But I'm sure I'll be making more soon! 

Happy Cooking!

Teauna

Tea's BEST Brownies

I am so sorry that I've been missing.  I have certainly not been missing from my kitchen... yet, have had no time to get any recipes on here.  I've been very busy with special orders and have loved every minute, but I have missed my blog dearly. 
This week, we lost a very dear member of our family.  My Grandma Kay passed away.  I have been so fortunate to be able to have learned so many valuable lessons in the kitchen from my Grandma.  Grandma was the head cook at the local Senior Citizen's Center and I always enjoyed watching her cook there.  If she had time, she would let me stand on the chair next to her as she was throwing things into the pot.  I do believe I inherited the "throw it in the pot" method from Grandma Kay.  Throw it in... taste it.... add something.... add something else... simmer...eat!  And you guys wonder why it's so hard for me to share recipes for dinner... I don't use recipes :)  I have spent alot of time talking with my Grandma about canning and I now carry on her traditions of bottling hot vegetables, salsa, & dill pickles.  I loved sharing them with her and Grandpa and seeing her smile and tell me they looked just like hers.... And she loved dill pickles!  :)
When I knew I was making a trip to Malad, I liked to take treats out to Grandma and Grandpa, as she wasn't baking much anymore and they enjoyed their occasional treats... these brownies are one of those treats I've made since I was a little girl and have shared them many times with my Grandma and Grandpa.  I will certainly miss Grandma Kay, our phone conversations and her cooking expertise.  I am grateful to have had her in my life...


My Grandma with her youngest great-grandchild, my brother's baby... Dane in January 2011



I am a fan of cake brownies... these are cakey yet chewy and fudgy too... they're just plain good and soooo easy!  Try them... you'll like 'em! :)


Tea's BEST Brownies
From Cupboard to Cupboard

2 cubes soft butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 c cocoa
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugar together.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Mix well.  Add dry ingredients and mix until combined.  Add chocolate chips.  Pour into a greased 9x13 pan.  Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes.  Let cool completely before cutting!

Enjoy!

Happy Cooking!

Teauna



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Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

I'm over HERE today, sharing the recipe for these YUMMY cupcakes!  Come over, drop by, and say HI!  Would love to see you @ the Giant Blog of Cooking, Crafting, and other fun activities!

Happy Cooking!

Teauna

**CHOCOLATE LOVERS DESSERT**

Alright.... I have to say this is one of my FAVORITE desserts... not only because it's so good and chock full of chocolate fudgey and gooey goodness, but because it is sooooooo easy! This is one of my go-to recipes in the summer when I cook in the Dutch Ovens! But it works just fine in your oven. If you have a 12-inch Dutch Oven.... use it!! If not, use a 4-5 qt. pot with a lid. You can use a Dutch Oven in your oven and it works just great. And for some reason, when ANYTHING is cooked in a Dutch Oven, it simply tastes better! I have an awesome 5 qt. enamilized Dutch Oven that I like to use.... my Mom gave it to me and I have LOVED it, so if you ever have an opportunity to purchase one, DO IT!!! You will not regret it!

If you are choosing to use a Dutch Oven... line it with aluminum foil. If you are using a pot, you can also line it with aluminum foil or you can just well-grease it! The aluminum foil just helps in the whole clean-up process. And with a Dutch Oven, that's always a plus right???

Now for the fun!

CHOCOLATE LOVERS DESSERT

printable version

Mix together:

1 1/2 cups water

1/4 cup cocoa

1 cup brown sugar

Pour in the prepared pot or Dutch Oven...

Now sprinkle 2/3 bag of Mini Marshmallows over top of chocolate mixture...

Mix a cake mix ( I like Betty Crocker Chocolate Fudge Mix) as directed on box. Pour over top of marshmallows.

Finally sprinkle with 1/2 cup + mini chocolate chips.

Bake at 375 covered for 30 minutes, then take off lid and bake for an additional 15 minutes. This will look kinda gooey because the marshmallows and the first mixture actually turn into a hot fudge. It can jiggle just a little bit, and be careful not to overbake it! Serve with vanilla ice cream while it's still warm! yummy!!!

This recipe will be requested by everyone again and again! ENJOY IT!!!

We will be revisiting this recipe when the warm weather comes and I will give you all the info on how to cook with charcoal! So FUN!!!!

Happy Cooking!

Teauna

**Homemade THIN MINT cookies**

I LoVe lOvE LoVe any combination of chocolate and mint! Yummy! Grasshopper cookies, Mint-chocolate chip ice cream, chocolate cookies with mint chocolate chips, mint frosted brownies... well you get the picture! So did I mention that I love any chocolate/mint combination???
A month or so ago, I found the recipe for Homemade 'Samoas' and they turned out great, so when I came across a recipe for THIN MINTS, I just HAD to make them!

Thin Mint Cookies::
1/2 lb (2 sticks) butter at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup cocoa
1 1/2 cup flour

Cream the butter in your stand mixer until light and fluffy! Add sugar and cream some more until well blended. Stir in the vanilla, salt, and cocoa. Mix until smooth. This will resemble a thick cake batter. Now add the flour and mix until just combined to prevent tough cookies. This mixture is very crumbly so do not be alarmed! Turn out onto a countertop (I did not use any extra flour on my counter) and gather dough into a ball and knead just once or twice until its a big smooth mass. Then place in a large plastic bag and flatten into a 3/4" disk. Place in the freezer for 20 minutes. Take out the dough and roll it to about 1/8" thick... I know this seems really thin, but they are THIN mints...:-) Use whatever cookie cutter you may want to cut your cookies, just try to keep them to about 1 1/2" in diameter. Place on parchment-lined cookie sheets or a silpat on your cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool completely on wire rack....

Now melt:
1 lb chocolate chips (your choice: dark, milk, semi-sweet, etc.)
1 dash peppermint oil (don't use just mint oil because it is spearmint)

Melt the chocolate how you feel comfortable doing it, whether it be in a double boiler or the microwave! I like using the microwave! I've had good luck with that method... Use the method that works best for you! After melting the chocolate, add a dash of peppermint oil. You can use a little bit extra but just be careful not to overpower it....

Now I'm going to share with you my secret! Hersheys carries a MINT CHOCOLATE CHIP! LoVe lOvE LoVe them!!!! And I just melted a pound of them and used them! They are already a perfect combination of chocolate and mint! So this means I didn't have to make any of those difficult decisions on the type of chocolate and how much peppermint oil to make it perfect, Hershey did it for me! :-)

When the cookies are cooled, dip the cookies in the melted mint flavored chocolate! Place them on parchment-lined cookie sheets to let them set up...

I covered some totally, but found that I liked the ones that I simply "frosted" with chocolate. Of course, I had to add some sprinkles because let's face it, they're just cute :-)

Now... prepare yourself for the stampede when everyone realizes what you've just created! Because they are so so so good!!!! This recipe is a keeper!

Happy Cooking!

Teauna

**I need to mention that I found this recipe and adapted it from acozykitchen.com! Love her stuff!**

**SAMOAS** directly from your kitchen!!!

So, this is the time that I have to say, these smell good, they look good, and they came sooooo close to tasting good, but I couldn't do it.... as I'm on a diet and have sworn off sugar! What was I thinking when I made these then? Well, they looked like they may be a challenge and I have company coming over that certainly hasn't sworn off sugar and they would LoVe these cookies! I have certainly got rave reviews from the "Samoa thief" in my house... she says they taste just like the real thing! So now it's your turn to decide!

I found this recipe on a cooking blog quite awhile ago and have adapted it a little to my liking. So thanks to http://www.wordstoeatby.blogspot.com/, we can all have Girl Scout Cookies in our kitchen's YEAR ROUND! I love the sound of this... it's like music to my ears.

For the cookies:

2 1/2 sticks butter, softened

2/3 cup sugar

3 1/4 cup four

Set your oven racks in upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat it to 325 degrees. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Beat butter and sugar on medium speed for 5-10 minutes until it becomes light in color and very soft and fluffy. It reminded me of cool whip...

Fold in flour by hand. Dough will be very soft. But is suprisingly easy to work with. Place a handful of dough at a time on a lightly floured surface. Use floured palm of your hand to press out dough 3/8" thick. DON'T ADD ALOT OF FLOUR. Cut out dough with fluted round cutter dipped in flour. Keep the scraps and re-roll them and cut them. If your don't add alot of flour, you will have an easier time and the re-rolled cookies will be just as tender as the ones first-rolled out :-) You will want to use a thin metal spatula to move dough from the counter to the pan. I placed 32 cookies on each cookie sheet. They don't spread so the spacing is minimal.

Place both pans in oven, one on each rack. Bake 8 minutes, rotate pans, then bake another 8 minutes. Take out and place on cooling racks.

For the Topping:

4 c. sweetened shredded coconut

1 1/2 pkg (14 oz) caramels

3 T milk

4 oz chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Spread coconut evenly on cookie sheet and toast 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Remove and stir every 5 minutes to prevent burning. Set aside.

Unwrap caramels and put into a large microwave-safe bowl. Add milk and cook on high 2-3 minutes, stopping to stir every 30 seconds until caramel melts and incorporates into milk. Add coconut and stir to combine.

Top each cooled cookie with a teaspoon of mixture.

Melt chocolate in a microwave safe bowl in 30 second intervals until melted and smooth. Pour into a ziploc bag and seal the bag. Clip a corner off the bag and you have an instant decorating bag! Drizzle chocolate over each cookie! Let rest so the chocolate sets up.... then eat!!!!

Enjoy!

Happy Cooking

Teauna

**Peanut Butter Bars for a Crowd**

How many times have you had to take treats to school for your kids? Or maybe even a pot luck meal? Well here is your recipe. This recipe is good for 2 FULL cookies sheets of peanut butter bars... and the fudge frosting is to die for!

There is quite a bit of time in preparing these because you have to bake each sheet separately and then the fudge frosting is cooked also. But I will guarantee you it'll be so so so worth it when you are able to take a bite!

For the bars:

Cream together:
2 1/4 c butter
2 1/4 c sugar
2 1/4 c brown sugar
5 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 c peanut butter

Add:
4 1/2 c flour
3/4 tsp salt
4 1/2 c oatmeal
2 1/4 tsp baking soda

FYI: I mixed this in my 5 qt kitchenaid and it was doing it's best to overflow, so just as a warning... you will need a large bowl to mix this.

Divide the dough between the 2 lightly greased cookie sheets and spread evenly. Bake at 325 degrees approximately 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Bake only one pan at a time. Take out of oven and cook on wire rack.

For Frosting:
In a large saucepan, add:
3 c brown sugar
1/2 c cocoa
1/2 c butter
1 can evaporated milk

Mix this well and bring to a boil stirring constantly. Boil for 2 minutes.

Stir in:
2 Tablespoons vanilla
2 lbs powdered sugar

Whisk until smooth with a wire whisk. Pour equally over 2 pans and quickly spread and cool. This sets up quickly so the faster you get it spread, the better it will look....

Enjoy!

Happy Cooking!

Teauna

Cake Balls

So, I first want to tell you that if I didn't know that I had neighbor plates to make, these would be so GONE already. They are amazingly yummy and you can make them so cute and festive. I am not finished with them and haven't yet got a pic, so it will come later however I wanted to post this recipe so that you may try it and add them to your neighbor plates...

First:
Bake a cake--
** use your favorite flavor of cake mix and mix it as instructed on the box..
My favorite is DARK CHOCOLATE!
Then:
Take it out of the oven and let it cool for a few minutes. Then take your frustations out on it with a fork!!!! Crumble it into itty bitty crumbs!
Then let it cool completely!
Next:
Add 1 can of prepared frosting--
**I like cream cheese frosting!
STIR REALLY WELL UNTIL IT'S ALL COMBINED! REFRIGERATE UNTIL IT'S SET UP! THEN USE A COOKIE SCOOP OR TABLESPOON AND MAKE BALLS AND PLACE THEM ON A COOKIE SHEET COVERED WITH WAX PAPER. PUT THEM BACK IN THE FRIDGE TO SOLID UP AGAIN AND MAKE IT EASIER TO DIP. THEN DIP IN TEMPERED CHOCOLATE AND DECORATE WITH CHRISTMAS SPRINKLES OR MELTED COLORED CANDY COATING!

Make several different varieties for a fun plate...

Enjoy!!!!

Happy Cooking!

Teauna

Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies

Please forgive me;-)

So. . . . . I guess I lied.... I didn't post a DAILY recipe... but here is one recipe out of quite a few I've made in the last week... just simply haven't had a minute to post any of them, but I'll get to it as soon as I get a minute.....

First these cookies are amazing!!!! I doubled the recipe and got 78 cookies:-) Everyone loved them-- they remind me of hot chocolate... you have your dark chocolate cookie with a soft melty marshmallow and some yummy chocolate frosting... hope you enjoy them!

For the cookies:
Mix:
1 Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix
2 eggs
1/2 c vegetable oil

Make teaspoon size balls and place on lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 8 minutes. Take out of oven and place 1/2 of a large marshmallow (cut-side down) on the center of each cookie and bake for another 2 minutes. Remove cookies from pan to a wire rack to cool. Then frost...

Frosting:
1 cube butter
2 T cocoa
2 T milk
2 C powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla

Beat well! If you need to add more milk or powdered sugar to reach the desired consistency, go ahead!

Double this recipe for approx 78 cookies...

Happy Cooking

Teauna

Cream Cheese Fudgy Brownies

This is one of our very favorite brownie recipes! They certainly don't last long at our house!

For the brownies:

Preheat oven to 350... grease 9x13 pan and set aside...

4 oz Unsweetened Chocolate

3/4 cup butter

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

Microwave chocolate and butter in large microwavable bowl on HIGH 2 minutes or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Stir sugar into melted chocolate mixture. Mix in eggs and milk and vanilla until well blended. Stir in the flour. Spread in prepared greased pan.

In a bowl, whip 2 8 oz packages cream cheese, 2/3 cup granulated sugar, 2 eggs, and 4 tablespoons milk together until well blended. Pour over brownies and swirl into brownies with a knife.

Bake 35-45 minutes. The cream cheese will start to brown and the brownies will begin to pull away from the edges of the pan. Don't panic when the cream cheese layer seems to 'fall' after you have taken them out of the oven:-) Let cool completely... cut into squares and serve! YUMMY!!!!!

**FUDGE JUMBLES**

These are one of my favorite treats and are requested OFTEN by friends and family alike. I do believe they are the most requested recipe from my Hubby and kids. This recipe makes a full cookie sheet and they are absolutely perfect for a pot-luck or that 'special treat' at a family party. Once you take them, they'll request them again and again.... Make sure to store them in an airtight container and they'll stay soft! MMMMM......mmmmmm........Good!

Mix together:

1 cup margarine

2 cups brown sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 cups rolled oats

2 1/2 cups flour

2 teaspoons soda

1 teaspoon salt

Press 2/3 of batter onto greased cookie sheet. Reserve other 1/3....

Then melt together:

1 pkg chocolate chips (your choice**semi sweet are my favorite**)

1 can sweetened condensed milk

2 Tablespoons margarine

2 teaspoons vanilla

I melt this in the microwave in a glass bowl in 30 second increments, stirring in between. It took approximately 1minute and 15seconds. If you feel more comfortable about melting this in a saucepan on the stovetop, go ahead. Then spread filling on top of the dough in the cookie sheet. Now dot the remaining dough on top. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool then cut and store into an airtight container.

FYI-- when I want to take these to somewhere special I will use 2 cups of the dark cocoa with vanilla buttons from kitchen kneads instead of the regular chocolate chips. You can serve them in smaller servings and they are richer too. LOVE THEM!!!!

Happy Cooking

*Teauna*

**BROWNIES WITH HOMEMADE HOT FUDGE SAUCE **

Once again, it was 'SKOOKIE NIGHT' at our house. I made brownies and homemade hot fudge sauce. This is always a good treat and soooo much cheaper than what you'd pay if you got one at a restaurant.

First prepare your pans. Make sure that they are wiped clean and you can go ahead and spray them with a little non-stick cooking spray for safety sake. :-)

For the brownies:

2 cubes melted or soft butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1 cup chocolate chips

Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Combine salt, flour, & cocoa in a small bowl and add to creamed ingredients. Then stir in chocolate chips. Reserve 1/2 cup batter. Divide remaining batter between four skookie pans. (this recipe works well in a 9x13. Just don't reserve that 1/2 cup batter:-) )
Put in a preheated 350 degree oven and bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and set on cooling racks to cool slightly. (If baking in 9x13 pan, bake 30-35 minutes)
**either eat that reserved 1/2 cup of batter (the kids love it!) or just throw it away. If you don't, you'll have a real mess in your oven!**
Serve with vanilla ice cream and homemade hot fudge sauce. (recipe follows)

Homemade hot fudge sauce:

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1/3 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 can evaporated milk
1 cup water
2 T. butter
2 tsp vanilla

Mix all ingredients well in a saucepan. Cook until thick. Serve warm over brownie and ice cream. Top with whatever fun toppings you choose :-)

Happy Cooking
*Teauna*

**Gooey S'more Bars**

OH MY HEAVENS!!!! I wanted to try something different tonight. Don't you ever get sick of the same ole' cookies? I love s'mores anytime of the year, but it seems it's in the colder months that the fire-roasted marshmallows sound more tempting to me. So after much thought, I decided to try something that would say "S'mores" without starting the fire!

I will tell you that these are very rich! A 9x13 pan should make 3 dz bars. They would be absolutely wonderful served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert! These would be an amazing treat for a kid's party. This is a very kid -friendly recipe. My kids enjoyed crushing the graham crackers in a gallon-size ziploc bag with a rolling pin. They also like to measure out all the dry ingredients to add to the creamed ingredients.

1 c butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 2/3 cup flour

1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 cups chocolate chips

7 oz jar marshmallow creme

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat well. Combine the flour, cracker crumbs, baking powder, and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Set aside 1 cup for topping.

Press remaining mixture into a greased 9x13 baking dish. Place chocolate chips over crust; spread with marshmallow creme. (this is hard to spread so I microwaved it for 30 seconds but it will grow so be careful not to make a big mess in your microwave. Don't worry if it isn't perfectly spread because it will heat up and kindof level out when it's cooking) Crumble remaining graham cracker mixture over top.

Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars and store in an airtight container. YIELDS: 3 dz small bars

Happy Cooking!

*Teauna*

CHOCOLATE DESSERT CUPS

So, I have been canning and life has been totally crazy!!! But last night, in the rush while making dinner and trying to figure out what I should make for dessert, a light bulb went off in my head! Hey! CHOCOLATE! So, I looked thru my freezer and came up with an idea! Imagine that! :-)

Here it is!

First, get a box of Puff Pastry Shells... I get the Pepperidge Farms brand and you can find them at any grocery store.

Follow the directions on the back to bake the Puff Pastry Shells...

* Preheat oven to 400

* Remove all wrapping. Place pastry shells on ungreased baking sheet with "top" up.

* Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and puffed

* Cool on wire rack 5 minutes

* Use table knife to remove "top" and soft pastry underneath.

While the pastry shells are in the oven, mix together a box (I used the large box) of your choice of flavor of pudding. I mixed together chocolate pudding! Yummy!

When your pastry shells are cooled and cleaned out, fill with pudding and top with whipping cream. Or use cool whip. Then garnish with the lid.

These are wonderful and so refreshing. My kids liked eating the pudding out of the center and using it as a bowl and refilling it. Then they ate the pastry.

I also thought they would be good with chopped up fresh fruit and whipping cream...

Happy Cooking!

*Teauna*

*Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies*

At least once a week I like to give my kids the opportunity to pick out a kid-friendly recipe and I simply supervise as they make it. While I was baking pumpkin sheetcakes, they were wanting to help in the kitchen and there was really nothing for them do, so I asked them what they wanted to make. To my surprise, they both answered "NO-BAKE COOKIES MOM!" They must have been talking about it before they made their way into the kitchen to bug me :-). So I looked thru my recipes and found one with peanut butter. Might as well try and add the goodness into the goodies as much as possible, huh?! Here it is!

In a large pot, add:

4 cups sugar

1/2 cup cocoa

1 cup milk

1 cup butter

bring this mixture to a boil, stirring constantly so it won't scorch. Once it is boiling, boil for 1 minute. Take off heat and add:

2 tsp vanilla

2 pinches of salt

1 cup peanut butter

6 cups quick oats ( I used old fashioned oats because that's what I had! They work fine)

Stir well to combine all ingredients. Drop on waxed paper by teaspoonfulls. I have a small cookie scoop and the kids take turns dropping them on the waxed paper. Cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

We got about 4 dozen cookies! I know that some never made it to the waxed paper! :-) This is a great project for the kids. So, go......make some memories in your kitchen!

Happy Cooking!

*Teauna*

**Homemade Oreos**

So, tonight I decided that I should make some goodies for my hubby to take to work with him. So, I made one of family's favorite recipes! Homemade OREOS! They are so easy that anyone can make them!

All You need is:

2 boxes chocolate cake mixes (whatever you prefer)
3/4 cup oil
4 eggs

Mix these ingredients together and drop teaspoonfuls on ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes until they start to crack. Do NOT overbake! Remove from pan and cool on wire rack.

For the frosting, combine:

1 8 oz pkg cream cheese
1/3 cup butter
2 2/3 c powder sugar (+/-)

Mix well, frost and sandwich the cookies! Serve with milk :-) Everyone will LOVE YOU!!!

Happy Cooking!

Teauna