Peanut Butter Desserts
Many of us grew up with a jar or two of peanut butter in the kitchen. There's so much more one can do with peanut butter than sandwiches or cookies, as today's post attests. Check out the Marbled Peanut Butter Brownies, the Peanut Butter Blossoms, or any of the other yummy desserts in today's post. Enjoy!
PEANUT BUTTER BARS WITH SALTED CHOCOLATE GANACHE
This is from Nancy Fuller of The Food Network’s Farmhouse Rules.
Total: 1 hr 10 min; Active: 25 min; Yield: 8 servings; Level: Easy
To view this online, go to http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/nancy-fuller/peanut-butter-bars-with-salted-chocolate-ganache.
Ingredients
Nonstick cooking spray, for baking dish
1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup creamy peanut butter
Kosher salt
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
8 ounces semisweet baking chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon flaky sea salt, optional
Directions
Coat the bottom and sides of an 8-by-8-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
In a large bowl, stir to combine the confectioners' sugar, graham cracker crumbs, peanut butter, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and melted butter. Press the mixture into the prepared baking dish and set aside.
Place the chocolate and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until bubbles start to form around the edges. Pour the cream over the chocolate, let sit for 1 minute and then whisk until completely melted and smooth.
Pour the ganache over the peanut butter mixture and refrigerate until the chocolate is cooled and set, at least 45 minutes and up to overnight.
Sprinkle evenly with the flaky sea salt. Cut into squares to serve.
PEANUT BUTTER PIE
There’s also a story that goes along with this recipe. I’d driven cab for several years. One Friday afternoon, I got a call to pick up a single dad from the store. When I dropped him off, his son and daughter came out of the trailer to help bring in the groceries.
“Did you remember to get the stuff for the peanut butter pie?” his daughter asked. They were taking it to an early Thanksgiving gathering that weekend.
“Sure did,” he answered.
“Peanut butter pie?” I asked, as we finished unloading the groceries. “How do you make that?”
“With peanut butter, confectioner’s sugar, and a few other things,” came the answer.
The following week, I managed to pick the dad up again. This time, I managed to get the ingredients: pie crust, peanut butter, confectioner’s sugar, cream cheese and Cool Whip. It wasn’t until the third (and final) time I picked him up in as many weeks that I got the exact amounts. He used 1/3 cup each of peanut butter and sugar, both of which I upped to 1/2 cup each.
8-ounce tub of Cool Whip (see note)
8-ounce block of cream cheese (see note)
1/2 cup peanut butter (smooth is preferable)
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
Pie crust (see note)
Put Cool Whip, cream cheese, peanut butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. With beaters, beat on high. Pour into pie crust, smooth out, and freeze for 1 hour.
Note: Cool whip (or store equivalent) can be fat-free. Cream cheese can be regular cream cheese or the 1/3 less fat kind, but do not use fat free, as the pie won't set up right. I usually use a store-bought graham cracker crust for the pie, which is what the man used to make this. However, you can also use an Oreo cookie crust.
PEANUT BUTTER AND CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE CUPS
Yield: 24 servings Serving size: 1 cheesecake cup
Source: Splenda
Recipe and image appear courtesy of Splenda.
View this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/peanut-butter-and-chocolate-cheesecake-cups.
Ingredients
Crust
36 Reduced-Fat Chocolate Wafers
1/4 cup Splenda No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated
5 tablespoons light butter, melted
Peanut Butter Center
1/2 cup Splenda No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated
3 tablespoons reduced fat peanut butter
3 tablespoons reduced fat cream cheese
Chocolate Filling
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
8 ounces reduced fat cream cheese
1-3/4 cups Splenda No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup egg substitute
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 ounces sugar-free chocolate, melted
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Make CRUST. Crush cookies into fine crumbs. Blend all crust ingredients together in a small bowl. Stir until well blended. Set aside.
Make PEANUT BUTTER CENTER. Place all center ingredients in a small bowl. Mix until well blended. Set aside.
Make CHOCOLATE FILLING. Melt chocolate in small saucepan over low heat. Set aside. Place cream cheese and Splenda Granulated Sweetener in a small mixing bowl. Beat until soft. Slowly add skim milk. Mix, using a wire whisk, until smooth. Add melted chocolate. Stir well. Add egg substitute and vanilla. Mix until well blended. Set aside.
Assemble CUPS. Place 24 mini size foil baking cups on a sheet pan. Evenly divide crust between the 24 baking cups. Firmly press crusts into the bottom of the cups. Place approx. 1/2 tsp of the peanut butter center in the center of each crust-lined baking cup. Spoon chocolate filling into each baking cup. Firmly tap sheet pan on countertop to remove any air bubbles.
Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven 10-15 minutes, or until slightly firm to the touch. Chill for approx. 2 hours before serving. Drizzle optional melted chocolate over the top for a garnish.
Notes:
A chocolate wafer crust forms the base for this peanut butter filled chocolate cheesecake cup.
Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 120; Fat: 8 g; Saturated Fat: 4 g; Fiber: 1 g; Sodium: 95 mg; Cholesterol: 10 mg; Protein: 3 g; Carbohydrates: 11 g; Sugars: 5 g
NO-BAKE COOKIES
This is from Margaux Laskey in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Margaux wrote, “These classic no-bake peanut butter and chocolate treats are also known as cow patties or preacher cookies. The story goes like this: If a housewife looked out the window and saw the preacher coming up the mountain on his horse, she could whip up a batch of these cookies in the amount of time it would take him to reach the front door. True or not, it’s a good story — and a great cookie that’s a cinch to put together. Combine all the ingredients in a pot over medium heat, then drop spoonfuls on a sheet pan and chill until set. Be sure to use quick-cooking oats, not instant, when making these cookies. The less-processed oats provide delightful texture and chewiness.”
Time: 15 minutes; Yield: 3 dozen cookies
To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020688-no-bake-cookies.
Ingredients
1-3/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
3 cups quick-cooking oats
2/3 cup smooth or crunchy peanut butter (not natural)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preparation
Line two large sheet pans with parchment paper. In a pot, combine the sugar, milk, butter, cocoa powder and salt. Bring ingredients to a rolling boil over medium heat, stirring constantly and being careful not to let the mixture burn, then cook until the cocoa powder and sugar have fully dissolved, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
Add the oats, peanut butter and vanilla. Stir until well combined, then let cool for about 15 minutes. Drop heaping tablespoonfuls onto the prepared sheet pans, gently pressing the center to flatten slightly. (You should have about 36 cookies.) Chill for a few hours until firm. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
PEANUT BUTTER BLOSSOMS
This also comes from The New York Times cooking e-newsletter, and begins, “For as long as anyone can remember, wedding receptions in Pittsburgh have featured cookie tables, laden with dozens of homemade old-fashioned offerings like lady locks, pizzelles and buckeyes. For weeks ahead, sometimes months, mothers and aunts and grandmas and in-laws hunker down in the kitchen baking and freezing. These peanut butter and chocolate cookies were part of the spread at Laura Gerrero and Luke Wiehagen's wedding in 2009. The recipe came from the bride's family.”
Yield: 5 dozen cookies; Time: 35 minutes
This was featured in “The Wedding? I’m Here for the Cookies”, and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1012939-peanut-butter-blossoms.
Ingredients
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 ounces (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar, more for rolling
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Nonstick spray or vegetable oil for cookie sheet, optional
5 dozen (one 11-ounce package) Hershey’s Kisses, foil removed
Preparation
Sift together flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. Using an electric mixer, cream together butter, peanut butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar and light brown sugar. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat until well blended. Gradually add flour mixture, mixing thoroughly. If the dough is very soft, refrigerate for about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray, oil or line a cookie sheet with nonstick liner and set aside. Roll dough into 1-inch balls. (For a precise number of cookies, divide the dough into 5 pieces, and shape each piece into 12 balls.)
Roll cookies in sugar and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake until very light brown and puffed, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove sheet from oven and lightly press a candy kiss into center of each cookie, allowing it to crack slightly. Return to oven until light golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from oven, cool completely and store in an airtight container.
MARBLED PEANUT BUTTER BROWNIES
I'm not sure where this recipe is from; I have a sneaking suspicion it's from the infamous long-since-forgotten-emailing-list.
Makes 24 squares; Prep time: 15 minutes; Bake time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
No-Stick Cooking Spray
2/3 cup All-Purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup Creamy Natural Peanut Butter
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray an 8x8-inch baking pan with no stick cooling spray; set aside.
In a mixing bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer combine brown sugar, peanut butter and butter; beat until light and creamy. Add eggs and vanilla extract; beat until fluffy. Stir in flour mixture just until blended. Spread in prepared pan.
Drizzle melted chocolate over batter. Use a small sharp knife to swirl the mixtures together and marbleize. (Note: do not over-mix or swirls will blend)
Bake 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on cooling rack; cut into 24 bars.
PEANUT BUTTER BARS WITH SALTED CHOCOLATE GANACHE
This is from Nancy Fuller of The Food Network’s Farmhouse Rules.
Total: 1 hr 10 min; Active: 25 min; Yield: 8 servings; Level: Easy
To view this online, go to http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/nancy-fuller/peanut-butter-bars-with-salted-chocolate-ganache.
Ingredients
Nonstick cooking spray, for baking dish
1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup creamy peanut butter
Kosher salt
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
8 ounces semisweet baking chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon flaky sea salt, optional
Directions
Coat the bottom and sides of an 8-by-8-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
In a large bowl, stir to combine the confectioners' sugar, graham cracker crumbs, peanut butter, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and melted butter. Press the mixture into the prepared baking dish and set aside.
Place the chocolate and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until bubbles start to form around the edges. Pour the cream over the chocolate, let sit for 1 minute and then whisk until completely melted and smooth.
Pour the ganache over the peanut butter mixture and refrigerate until the chocolate is cooled and set, at least 45 minutes and up to overnight.
Sprinkle evenly with the flaky sea salt. Cut into squares to serve.
PEANUT BUTTER PIE
There’s also a story that goes along with this recipe. I’d driven cab for several years. One Friday afternoon, I got a call to pick up a single dad from the store. When I dropped him off, his son and daughter came out of the trailer to help bring in the groceries.
“Did you remember to get the stuff for the peanut butter pie?” his daughter asked. They were taking it to an early Thanksgiving gathering that weekend.
“Sure did,” he answered.
“Peanut butter pie?” I asked, as we finished unloading the groceries. “How do you make that?”
“With peanut butter, confectioner’s sugar, and a few other things,” came the answer.
The following week, I managed to pick the dad up again. This time, I managed to get the ingredients: pie crust, peanut butter, confectioner’s sugar, cream cheese and Cool Whip. It wasn’t until the third (and final) time I picked him up in as many weeks that I got the exact amounts. He used 1/3 cup each of peanut butter and sugar, both of which I upped to 1/2 cup each.
8-ounce tub of Cool Whip (see note)
8-ounce block of cream cheese (see note)
1/2 cup peanut butter (smooth is preferable)
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
Pie crust (see note)
Put Cool Whip, cream cheese, peanut butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. With beaters, beat on high. Pour into pie crust, smooth out, and freeze for 1 hour.
Note: Cool whip (or store equivalent) can be fat-free. Cream cheese can be regular cream cheese or the 1/3 less fat kind, but do not use fat free, as the pie won't set up right. I usually use a store-bought graham cracker crust for the pie, which is what the man used to make this. However, you can also use an Oreo cookie crust.
PEANUT BUTTER AND CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE CUPS
Yield: 24 servings Serving size: 1 cheesecake cup
Source: Splenda
Recipe and image appear courtesy of Splenda.
View this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/peanut-butter-and-chocolate-cheesecake-cups.
Ingredients
Crust
36 Reduced-Fat Chocolate Wafers
1/4 cup Splenda No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated
5 tablespoons light butter, melted
Peanut Butter Center
1/2 cup Splenda No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated
3 tablespoons reduced fat peanut butter
3 tablespoons reduced fat cream cheese
Chocolate Filling
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
8 ounces reduced fat cream cheese
1-3/4 cups Splenda No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup egg substitute
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 ounces sugar-free chocolate, melted
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Make CRUST. Crush cookies into fine crumbs. Blend all crust ingredients together in a small bowl. Stir until well blended. Set aside.
Make PEANUT BUTTER CENTER. Place all center ingredients in a small bowl. Mix until well blended. Set aside.
Make CHOCOLATE FILLING. Melt chocolate in small saucepan over low heat. Set aside. Place cream cheese and Splenda Granulated Sweetener in a small mixing bowl. Beat until soft. Slowly add skim milk. Mix, using a wire whisk, until smooth. Add melted chocolate. Stir well. Add egg substitute and vanilla. Mix until well blended. Set aside.
Assemble CUPS. Place 24 mini size foil baking cups on a sheet pan. Evenly divide crust between the 24 baking cups. Firmly press crusts into the bottom of the cups. Place approx. 1/2 tsp of the peanut butter center in the center of each crust-lined baking cup. Spoon chocolate filling into each baking cup. Firmly tap sheet pan on countertop to remove any air bubbles.
Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven 10-15 minutes, or until slightly firm to the touch. Chill for approx. 2 hours before serving. Drizzle optional melted chocolate over the top for a garnish.
Notes:
A chocolate wafer crust forms the base for this peanut butter filled chocolate cheesecake cup.
Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 120; Fat: 8 g; Saturated Fat: 4 g; Fiber: 1 g; Sodium: 95 mg; Cholesterol: 10 mg; Protein: 3 g; Carbohydrates: 11 g; Sugars: 5 g
NO-BAKE COOKIES
This is from Margaux Laskey in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Margaux wrote, “These classic no-bake peanut butter and chocolate treats are also known as cow patties or preacher cookies. The story goes like this: If a housewife looked out the window and saw the preacher coming up the mountain on his horse, she could whip up a batch of these cookies in the amount of time it would take him to reach the front door. True or not, it’s a good story — and a great cookie that’s a cinch to put together. Combine all the ingredients in a pot over medium heat, then drop spoonfuls on a sheet pan and chill until set. Be sure to use quick-cooking oats, not instant, when making these cookies. The less-processed oats provide delightful texture and chewiness.”
Time: 15 minutes; Yield: 3 dozen cookies
To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020688-no-bake-cookies.
Ingredients
1-3/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
3 cups quick-cooking oats
2/3 cup smooth or crunchy peanut butter (not natural)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preparation
Line two large sheet pans with parchment paper. In a pot, combine the sugar, milk, butter, cocoa powder and salt. Bring ingredients to a rolling boil over medium heat, stirring constantly and being careful not to let the mixture burn, then cook until the cocoa powder and sugar have fully dissolved, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
Add the oats, peanut butter and vanilla. Stir until well combined, then let cool for about 15 minutes. Drop heaping tablespoonfuls onto the prepared sheet pans, gently pressing the center to flatten slightly. (You should have about 36 cookies.) Chill for a few hours until firm. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
PEANUT BUTTER BLOSSOMS
This also comes from The New York Times cooking e-newsletter, and begins, “For as long as anyone can remember, wedding receptions in Pittsburgh have featured cookie tables, laden with dozens of homemade old-fashioned offerings like lady locks, pizzelles and buckeyes. For weeks ahead, sometimes months, mothers and aunts and grandmas and in-laws hunker down in the kitchen baking and freezing. These peanut butter and chocolate cookies were part of the spread at Laura Gerrero and Luke Wiehagen's wedding in 2009. The recipe came from the bride's family.”
Yield: 5 dozen cookies; Time: 35 minutes
This was featured in “The Wedding? I’m Here for the Cookies”, and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1012939-peanut-butter-blossoms.
Ingredients
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 ounces (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar, more for rolling
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Nonstick spray or vegetable oil for cookie sheet, optional
5 dozen (one 11-ounce package) Hershey’s Kisses, foil removed
Preparation
Sift together flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. Using an electric mixer, cream together butter, peanut butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar and light brown sugar. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat until well blended. Gradually add flour mixture, mixing thoroughly. If the dough is very soft, refrigerate for about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray, oil or line a cookie sheet with nonstick liner and set aside. Roll dough into 1-inch balls. (For a precise number of cookies, divide the dough into 5 pieces, and shape each piece into 12 balls.)
Roll cookies in sugar and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake until very light brown and puffed, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove sheet from oven and lightly press a candy kiss into center of each cookie, allowing it to crack slightly. Return to oven until light golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from oven, cool completely and store in an airtight container.
MARBLED PEANUT BUTTER BROWNIES
I'm not sure where this recipe is from; I have a sneaking suspicion it's from the infamous long-since-forgotten-emailing-list.
Makes 24 squares; Prep time: 15 minutes; Bake time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
No-Stick Cooking Spray
2/3 cup All-Purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup Creamy Natural Peanut Butter
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray an 8x8-inch baking pan with no stick cooling spray; set aside.
In a mixing bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer combine brown sugar, peanut butter and butter; beat until light and creamy. Add eggs and vanilla extract; beat until fluffy. Stir in flour mixture just until blended. Spread in prepared pan.
Drizzle melted chocolate over batter. Use a small sharp knife to swirl the mixtures together and marbleize. (Note: do not over-mix or swirls will blend)
Bake 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on cooling rack; cut into 24 bars.
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