Kids "Truffles"

Sometimes I can't believe the amount of food we go through at our home. It especially seems to pick up during vacation time, when there seems to be a lot of "boredom eating" going on between my three kids.

My first line of defense is always to point them to a piece of fruit or vegetable and while they all enjoy eating those, it usually cures their "hunger" immediately. Every once in a while though I do know they are truly hungry, which right now is usually after swimming in the pool for a few hours.

That is when the kids need a quick "pick me up" snack that delivers, one that isn't too big so they won't spoil their appetite for dinner. Enter this fabulous little morsel packed full of flavor that I came across on Kathy's great blog named polwig. I was browsing the blog one day when this recipe caught my eye. Kathy calls them Chocolate Earth Balls on her blog, but I thought it would be a lot more appealing, especially to my teenager, if I made them sound more decadent, hence the Kids "Truffles" name (sneaky, right?).

These are an easy no-bake snack that can easily be customized to your families taste. If your kids don't care for cranberries, try them with raisins or chopped up dried apricots. Don't care for the coconut? Add sesame seeds instead and also roll the finished balls in them. You could also take the peanut flavor even further by substituting peanut chips for the chocolate, but I love adding a little bit of extra health benefit to them by using a good quality dark chocolate chip.

I really love that these "Truffles" are a great healthy alternative to have on hand for my kids. They are made quickly and don't require for you to turn on the oven. I have made several batches already that I keep ready in the refrigerator for when the hunger pains strike. Following below is the recipe, or head on over to polwig for a great step-by-step tutorial!

Kids "Truffles"

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 cup peanut butter

1/3 cup honey

2 teaspoons cocoa powder

1/2 cup of dried cranberries (or raisins, apricots etc.)

1 cup unsweetened coconut

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
Place peanut butter, honey and cocoa powder into a bowl. Mix well until incorporated.
Add cranberries and 1/4 cup of coconut. Stir in chocolate chips. Mix well.
Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.

Place remaining coconut (you might have to add more coconut) on a plate. Scoop up the "dough" and roll into 1 1/4 inch balls. Roll them in coconut.

Place finished balls on a cookie sheet or plate and refrigerate for an additional 30 minutes.

Serve and enjoy!

Adapted from: polwig

Peanut Butter & Jam Cakewiches

Would you believe it if I told you I didn't grow up with peanut butter? Kind of hard to believe, isn't it. But I really didn't know about peanut butter until I met my husband. I was born and raised in Germany, and peanut butter was definitely not anywhere to be found in our house or anybody else's house for that matter. Now my husband on the other hand, born and raised in the states, had his fair share of peanut butter sandwiches growing up.

Our kids are split down the middle. Our oldest will eat it, but it isn't anything she needs on a regular basis. Our middle son will eat it 3 times a day if I let him, and the little guy will eat it, but he is more into savory foods, so he will pick a ham sandwich over peanut butter any day.  When I found this recipe in yet another "Cuisine at Home" magazine, I wasn't sure how this would go over with the entire family. Would they be split on this dessert as well, or would it be a hit?

Well... it was a definite hit. Not just with the kids, but their friends, my husband's colleagues, and even me. The dessert is composed of three separate parts, and while each one takes a bit of time they can be made ahead a day or two. All you have to do when ready to serve is assemble.

The three components of this dessert are a peanut butter cake, which is baked in a loaf pan to resemble a loaf of bread. The second component is the peanut butter frosting, and third is the blackberry jam spread.

Assembling the cakewiches is literally like making a normal PB&J. One word of advice, the recipe makes enough for 2 loafs of peanut butter cake along with the fillings. That is enough to feed a small army since a half a sandwich is more than filling for most people. If you are needing this in a smaller scale, the recipe can be halved beautifully.

Great concept; great recipe. A little more time involved then some of my other desserts, but well worth it. I loved the whimsy of this dish, it's almost like a grown-up version of a childhood classic, and is best enjoyed with a big glass of milk, even if it is just for the novelty of it.

If you are a big peanut butter and jelly fan, this dessert is definitely worth making, and I hope you'll give it a try!

Peanut Butter & Jam Cakewiches

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

Peanut Butter Cake (recipe to follow)

Blackberry Jam Spread (recipe to follow)

Peanut Butter frosting (recipe to follow)

Directions:

Assemble cakewiches by trimming off the ends of each cake with a serrated knife. Cut each cake into sixteen 1/2-inch thick slices before adding fillings.

Spread 3 tablespoons of frosting and 1 heaping tablespoon jam on a slice of cake. Top with another slice of cake and cut diagonally into 2 triangles. Repeat with remaining cake, frosting, and jam.

Peanut Butter Cake

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

sugar

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

6 eggs, room temperature

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. coat the inside of two 9x5-inch loaf pans with 1 tablespoon butter; coat generously with sugar.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl; set aside.

Combine milk and vanilla in a measuring cup; set aside.

Cream peanut butter, butters, sugar and brown sugar in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until very well combined, 5 minutes.

Add eggs to the creamed mixture, one at at time, beating well after each addition.

Alternately add flour and milk mixtures to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until mixed,  scraping sides of bowl as needed.

Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake cakes 50 minutes, then sprinkle tops with additional sugar. Loosely tent with foil if edges are getting too brown. Return the cakes to the oven; bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of each comes out clean, 10-15 minutes more. Let cakes rest in the pans on a rack for 20 minutes, then turn cakes out onto the rack to cool completely.

Blackberry Jam Spread

 Ingredients:

3 cups blackberries

1/3 cup sugar

1 tablespoon water

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons berry juice (from the cooked berries)

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Combine blackberries, sugar, and water in a saucepan over medium-low heat; simmer until berries release juice, about 20 minutes.

Whisk together cornstarch and berry juice in a bowl, until smooth; blend into berry mixture, and cook until thickened, 2-3 minutes.

Remove from heat, stir in lemon juice. Cover and chill for about 30 minutes.

Peanut Butter Frosting

Ingredients:

3/4 cup peanut butter

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

3 cups sifted powdered sugar

1/4 cup milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

Beat peanut butter and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Add powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla, mixing just until smooth and creamy.

Ice Cream Fridays: Loaded Peanut Butter Ice Cream

Welcome to another edition of Ice Cream Fridays. Every Friday during the next few months (or until I get tired of it) you can look forward to a new ice cream recipe which will hopefully inspire you to break out your old dust covered ice cream maker that is hiding somewhere in a closet (yes, I'm talking about you). Since I'm always looking for inspiration and ideas, feel free to leave me a comment here on my blog or on my facebook page, and let me know what ice cream flavor you would like to see. Who knows, you might just get lucky and it will be featured the following week.

Last week you could find Super Lemon Ice Cream on this blog which was incredible and very refreshing tasting. This week I'm going into a totally different direction. This weeks pick is dedicated to my peanut loving husband and middle child. Both of who could eat a whole pint of peanut butter ice cream, and I was told when I started this weekly feature that I "HAD" to include a peanut butter ice cream for them.

Enter the incredible David Lebovitz yet again. I found his recipe for peanut butter ice cream one of the quickest, easiest recipes I could find, and the flavor was out of this world. I decided to kick it up another notch (thank you Emeril for that wonderful phrase) by adding chopped up Reese's Peanut Butter cups during the last few minutes that my ice cream maker was churning away.

My husband was kind of leery if peanut butter on top of peanut butter wouldn't be too much of a good thing, but all of his concerns were gone as soon as he tasted it, and so was the ice cream.

Not one complaint was heard, but rather a whole lot of moaning was going on, as him and my child chowed down giant bowls of this frozen delicacy!

Few ingredients, quick preparation, and amazing taste, make this recipe a triple winner in my book! If you like peanut butter as much as my family does, then go ahead, don't wait, and fix this one today! You won't regret it!

Loaded Peanut Butter Ice Cream

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:
3/4 cup (180 g) smooth peanut butter
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (180 g) sugar
2 2/3 cups (660 ml) half-and-half
Pinch of salt
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 (.55 ounce each) Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, chopped

Directions:
Puree the peanut butter, sugar, half-and-half, salt, and vanilla in a blender or food processor until smooth.

Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. During the last few minutes of churning, add the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup pieces.

Adapted from: The Perfect Scoop

Asian Slaw

I like cabbage - I always have, even as a little girl. Maybe it had to do with the fact that I grew up in Germany and I was always exposed to Sauerkraut from a young age. Or, maybe it was because my mom always had red and white cabbage in her garden and with that, there was never a lack of cabbage dishes especially in the winter months. Whatever the reason though I still love it to this day and I'm glad the rest of my family shares my love.

One of my favorite side dishes for a BBQ meal is Coleslaw. Unfortunately creamy coleslaw isn't always the perfect accompaniment. A couple of weeks ago it was one of those occasions. We had decided on a Korean BBQ for dinner. Deliciously marinated chicken, short ribs and flank steak along with rice which was the obvious choice but I wasn't sure what else to serve. I had made an Asian Cucumber Salad before that was well received but a quick look in the fridge and I saw that I was out of red onions and cucumbers. After further investigation of my vegetable drawer I decided on making an Asian Slaw.

A lot of recipes online for Asian Slaw called for Nappa Cabbage and while there is absolutely nothing wrong with Nappa Cabbage (in fact we really like it) it wasn't what I was going for. After looking at several recipes I took a little bit of this and little bit of that out of all of them and came up with my own version containing a bag of coleslaw mix along with bell peppers, serrano chillies, green onions, cilantro and a fantastic dressing which turned this into a show stopper worthy of any Asian meal.

We really enjoyed this slaw, so if this inspired you as well then give it a try at your next BBQ or Potluck.

Asian Slaw

~serves 6~

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

1/2 cup rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 lime, juiced

1 1/2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1/4 cup peanut butter

1 bag coleslaw mix with carrots

1 red bell pepper, julienne fine

2 serrano chiles, minced fine

3 green onions, cut on the bias, all of white part and half of the green

2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

Sesame seeds (optional)

Directions:

In a small bowl, or food processor combine ginger, vinegar, soy sauce, lime juice, honey, oil, and peanut butter.  In a large bowl combine all the other ingredients and the toss with dressing. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired.

Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

Just like a great Chocolate Chip cookie recipe, every household needs fantastic brownie recipes. Since the weekend was approaching and my kids only get dessert on those days, I like to find something that they truly enjoy and brownies are one of those things. I've made countless brownie recipes over the years; anything made-from-scratch to store bought boxed mixes. While most of them were edible, none of them blew us away.

Since I started this blog I keep getting requests from the kids about things to make. Brownies was one of them. I figured I'll have to kiss a few frogs try a few recipes until I find "the one". I had just gone to the store so one of the requirements had to be that I had everything on hand for the recipe since I didn't want to run out again. Dorie Greenspan had some mouthwatering recipes in her book that I will try in the future but all of them seemed more time and ingredient consuming than I was willing to put in this time. Finally I stopped at one of Martha Stewart's recipes: Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies.

A quick read through the recipe and I knew I had everything on hand for them plus the brownies didn't seem too involved either which was perfect. The recipe is straight forward; Chocolate, butter, eggs, sugar, and a little flour. The longest part of this recipe is to melt the chocolate and butter over a double boiler. The rest is put together quickly. The peanut butter swirl mix is combined by hand and then dropped in little dollops on top of the brownie batter in two additions, then swirled with a knife before baking.

These brownies were great! They were cakey, but also fudgey. The chocolate part wasn't cloyingly sweet and the peanut butter swirl gave a nice contrast with a little saltiness. We really enjoyed these brownies, especially with a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream (this recipe will be featured soon).

 I will most definitely add this brownie to my recipe file for future desserts. As far as this being "the one" ? I'm not sure yet, I guess you'll have to stayed tuned for future brownie adventures.

You can find the recipe in Martha Stewart's book: Martha Stewart's cookies which has a ton of fantastic recipes, or in the case of this brownie you can find it on Martha Stewart's Website as well.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Pound Cake

My family hasn't been complaining much about my increased baking but every once in a while I get a special request from one of my kids. This time it was my middle son that came up to me and asked if I could bake something that had his favorite ingredient - peanut butter - in it. Always happy to comply, I set out to find a peanut butter recipe that would make any kid happy. 

My criteria were fairly simple: the recipe had to include peanut butter, I had everything needed for it in my pantry and most of all, kids of any age and adults alike would gobble it up.

The cake only has a few basic ingredients and comes together quickly. Baking time is average for a pound cake at just over an hour so planning ahead is certainly needed. The cake part was moist, with your typical pound cake crumb texture. The peanut butter flavor was subtle, but with the addition of the chocolate chips it really worked well without being overpowering. Of course as with all things peanut butter and chocolate, in our house a big glass of milk is a requirement. Everyone loved this cake and asked for seconds.

Mission accomplished - a very happy peanut butter loving boy got his cake and got to eat it too.

 

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Pound Cake

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

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

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

1 cup packed light brown sugar

4 large eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 bag (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch by 5-inch loaf pan and dust with flour.

Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and give it a whisk.

Put the butter, peanut butter, and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl and cream with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy and light in color, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. With the mixer on medium-low speed, add the vanilla and eggs, one at a time until well incorporated.

Turn the mixer to low speed and add the flour, 1/2 cup at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each  addition. After the last addition, mix on medium speed for 1 minute. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake until the cake is golden brown and toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 20 minutes, tenting the cake with foil after about 1 hour if it looks like it is browning too quickly. Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, invert it onto a wire rack, and then turn it right side up on a rack to cool completely. Slice and serve.