Peanut Butter Desserts

Peanut Butter is one of those iconic foods that many of us grew up loving (at least here in the U.S.). Add dessert to that (as in Peanut Butter Desserts), what's not to love? Check out the two Peanut Butter Pies, the Peanut Butter Silk Cake, and the rest of today's yumminess. Enjoy!

EASY VEGAN PEANUT BUTTER-MAPLE ICE CREAM

This is from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. Melissa wrote, "With a flavor like the inside of a peanut butter cup and a plush, velvety texture, this four-ingredient ice cream is one of the easiest, most satisfying dairy-free recipes of its kind. The key is to use unsweetened oat creamer as the base. Not only does it have a neutral flavor and thick texture, but its starches also help keep iciness at bay. Simmering the maple syrup to eliminate excess water is another trick to enhance creaminess, and the concentrated maple flavor is delightful. A topping of chocolate shavings or sprinkles is optional, but really drives home the peanut butter cup comparison."

Yield: About 3-1/2 cups; Time: 20 minutes, plus 4 hours' freezing

This was featured in "Four-Ingredient Peanut Butter Ice Cream, Without a Machine", and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1023276-easy-vegan-peanut-butter-maple-ice-cream.

While you're at it, check out Melissa Clark's wondeful guide, "How to Make Ice Cream". It's well worth your time.

Ingredients

3/4 cup pure maple syrup

2 cups unsweetened oat creamer

1 cup smooth creamy peanut butter (preferably not natural peanut butter, which can be gritty; see Tip)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

Chocolate shavings or sprinkles, for serving (optional)

Preparation

In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, simmer maple syrup, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reduces by a third, 8 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat and let syrup cool completely, stirring it occasionally as it cools. You should have about 1/2 cup.

Place syrup, creamer, peanut butter, vanilla and salt in a blender or food processor (or use an immersion blender), and blend until smooth, 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Pour ice cream into a loaf pan.

Cover and place in the freezer to harden overnight or for at least 4 to 6 hours. Remove pan from the freezer at least 10 minutes before scooping and serving, topped with chocolate shavings or sprinkles, if you like.

Tip

You can substitute other nut butters (almond, cashew, hazelnut) for the peanut butter. Just make sure to choose ones without added sugar or it may end up too sweet.

GRANDMA'S PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

This was one of my grandmother's recipes, along with the oatmeal cookie recipe that follows. You can find them in my e-cookbook, Off The Wall Cooking.





Ingredients

1/2 C butter

1/2 C peanut butter

1/2 C sugar

1 egg, well beaten

1-1/4 C flour

3/4 tsp. soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

Directions

Cream butter & peanut butter together. Add sugar gradually & cream thoroughly. Add egg. Sift flour once before measuring. Sift flour, soda, baking powder & salt together & add to creamed mixture. Chill dough well, then form into balls the size of walnuts. Place balls on lightly greased baking sheet. Flatten with fork dipped in flour, making criss-cross pattern. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

PEANUT BUTTER SILK CAKE

This is from Betty Crocker, and begins, "Love sweet and creamy peanut butter? Try it in both a whipped cream filling that's loaded with flavor and a moist cake enrobed in creamy chocolate frosting."

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes; Makes 12 servings

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 box Betty Crocker™ Super Moist™ Yellow Cake Mix

1-1/4 cups water

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/3 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup whipping cream

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1 container (1 lb) Betty Crocker™ Rich & Creamy chocolate frosting

1 cup chopped peanuts, if desired

Directions

Heat oven to 350°F (or 325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Generously grease bottoms only of 2 (8- or 9-inch) round cake pans with shortening or cooking spray.

In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, 1/2 cup peanut butter, the oil and eggs with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pans.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Run knife around sides of pans to loosen cakes; remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

In 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat; stir in brown sugar. Heat to boiling; boil and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat. Refrigerate 10 minutes.

In chilled medium bowl, beat whipping cream on high speed until soft peaks form; set aside. In another medium bowl, beat 1/2 cup peanut butter and the brown sugar mixture on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add whipped cream to peanut butter mixture; beat on medium speed until mixture is smooth and creamy.

Split each cake layer horizontally to make 2 layers. Fill each layer with about 2/3 cup peanut butter mixture to within 1/2 inch of edge. Frost side and top of cake with frosting. Press peanuts onto frosting on side of cake. Store covered in refrigerator.

Tips from the Betty Crocker Kitchens

tip 1

To cut cake layers in half horizontally, insert 6 toothpicks around the side of each layer, halfway down the side. Using the toothpicks as a guide, slice layer in half with a long knife.

tip 2

For a fun garnish, top this cake with coarsely cut-up chocolate-covered peanut butter cups. Or dot the top with mini cups that have been cut in half crosswise.

PEANUT BUTTER PIE

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.

This is in my e-cookbook, Off The Wall Cooking.



Ingredients

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)

Directions

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 PIE

This is from Samantha Seneviratne in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. Samantha wrote, "Dead simple to make, this pie hits all the right notes. Sweet, nutty peanut butter mellows next to the tang of rich cream cheese and gets a lift from a little whipped cream. But if that doesn’t convince you, the chocolate cookie crust may. This version relies on five ingredients, instead of pre-made cookies, with the cocoa giving it a deep chocolate flavor. The crust is pressed into a well-buttered pie plate, baked, then cooled, ready to be filled and chilled. When it's time to serve, you have options: Finish it with a decorative chocolate topping or a puff of lightly sweetened whipped cream and a sprinkling of cocoa powder."

Yield: 8 to 10 servings; Time: 50 minutes, plus chilling

To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018635-peanut-butter-pie.

Ingredients

For the crust:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the pan

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-processed)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

For the filling:

1-1/4 cups heavy cream

1-1/2 cup smooth, sweetened peanut butter, like Jif or Skippy

1 8-ounce block full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature

2/3 cup light brown sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (optional)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter (optional)

Preparation

Make the crust: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Have a nonstick standard 9-inch pie plate ready, or generously butter a 9-inch standard pie plate. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder, flour and salt. Add butter, stirring and mashing with a fork, until the crumbs are evenly moistened.

Transfer the crumbs to the prepared pan and press them evenly into the bottom and sides until crust is about 1/4-inch thick. Bake crust until it looks dry and set, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer the pan to a rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes.

Make the filling: In a large bowl, whip the cream to stiff peaks using an electric mixer at medium-high speed. Set aside. In another large bowl, beat the peanut butter, cream cheese, brown sugar, vanilla and salt on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Use a large rubber spatula to gently fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and smooth the top. Chill uncovered for at least 4 to 6 hours, until filling is set.

Make the topping, if using: In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate and the butter together in short bursts, stirring often. Transfer the chocolate mixture to a small plastic bag, and cut a 1/8-inch hole in one corner. Drizzle the chocolate over the top to make a decorative pattern. (You may have some left over depending on your taste.) Serve immediately.

PEANUT BUTTER COCONUT ICE CREAM

This is from the June 2008 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 63. It begins, "A heavy-duty blender (such as a Vita-Mix) makes quick work of this frozen treat, but a regular blender will get the job done if you just keep turning it off and pushing down the ice cubes. Or you can simply blend all the ingredients, chill, and process in an ice cream maker." Makes 6 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/peanut-butter-coconut-ice-cream/.

Ingredients

1 13.5-oz. can light coconut milk (1-1/2 cups)

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup French vanilla soy creamer, divided

Preparation

Purée coconut milk, maple syrup, peanut butter, and vanilla in blender until smooth. Pour mixture into 2 ice cube trays, and freeze solid. Transfer to resealable plastic bags if storing for more than 2 days.

Place half of ice cream cubes and 1/2 cup soy creamer in blender, and process until smooth and creamy. Repeat with second tray of cubes and remaining 1/2 cup soy creamer.

Comments

Popular Posts