peanut butter cheesecake - i love everyone's birthday!

This is my fourth year living with my roommate M, which means we have celebrated four of her birthdays together (all of which I have no recollection of). You see, last night we (me, her, our other roommate A, and a few other select close friends) spent the night wandering incoherently all throughout Manhattan. Luckily this morning we were able to piece together the night (seeing as how all of us had different memories and different blackouts) to conclude that we indeed did have an excellent time for her 21st birthday.


The following morning was a different story though. All of us woke up groggy, tired, and extremely thirsty. Somehow I managed to crawl downstairs and rummage through the kitchen for birthday-baking-ideas (while at the same time chugging copious amounts of water).


M is a pretty picky eater (and by picky, I mean she really only eats a few things- pasta, pasta, and pasta). One thing that I know for sure that she likes is cheesecake. But I've already made a ton of basic cheesecakes - Brown Sugar, Blackberry, Strawberry, Lime. And to be quite honest- I don't even know if she likes crazy flavored cheesecakes.


Ah but alas- my memory has saved the day. Every time she goes to TGIF, she comes home with a doggy bag of her unfinished Peanut Butter Cheesecake. I know this because she always ends up asking me to her her finish (which of course I gladly do).


Coincidentally, I happen to be the ultimate peanut butter lover. Perhaps this idea was just as much for me as for her; but nonetheless, I knew that she would enjoy a peanut butter flavored cheesecake.


Hungover and all, I made my other roommate A help me in the creation of this delicious cheesecake.


Of course the cheesecake cracked in the center (in the shape of a T nonetheless) just like every cheesecake I have ever made. I attempted to distract the attention from the deep gorges by decorating the top with big white blobs of royal icing (like she'd care anyways).


So after the birthday girl blew out the candles and opened up her presents (a pasta cook book and a 30-pack of Bud Light- yeah, we're really classy here), it was time to eat! Being the nazi that I am, I was given the knife to cut everyone their slice.


The cheesecake was smooth and creamy, how I personally prefer it. Unfortunately the peanut butter flavor was lacking and could have been much stronger. I wouldn't call this recipe a fail by any means, but I'd definitely like to try fiddling with it in the future.


Typical to my roommate, she ate one whole slice of cheesecake before the entire thing was gone. You see, she's not much of a sweets person, which contrasts greatly with the other two people in the house. What I'm basically getting at is that me and my other roommate happily helped the birthday girl finish her cheesecake. Happy birthday M!

---RECIPE---
Taken from Taste of Home.

ingredients:
1-1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup crushed cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies
6 tablespoons butter, melted
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup hot fudge ice cream topping, divided
6 peanut butter cups, cut into small wedges

directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine the cracker crumbs, sugar, cookie crumbs and butter. Press onto the bottom and 1 in. up the sides of a greased 9-in. springform pan. Place on a baking sheet.
2. Bake at 350° for 7-9 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack. In a microwave-safe bowl, heat peanut butter on high for 30 seconds or until softened. Spread over crust to within 1 in. of edges.
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in sour cream and vanilla. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Pour 1 cup into a bowl; set aside. Pour remaining filling over peanut butter layer.
3. In a microwave, heat 1/4 cup fudge topping on high for 30 seconds or until thin; fold into reserved cream cheese mixture. Carefully pour over filling; cut through with a knife to swirl.
4. Return pan to baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 55-65 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer.
5. Microwave remaining fudge topping for 30 seconds or until warmed; spread over cheesecake. Garnish with peanut butter cups. Refrigerate overnight. Refrigerate leftovers.

peanut butter stuffed chocolate cookies - a cookie with an identity crisis

I was excitedly awaiting the arrival of my cousin so much to the point that I could barely contain myself. To alleviate this impatient feeling, I decided to bake something to calm my nerves. Knowing that my dear cousin is an all-inclusive eater, I sought this opportunity to bake something that my boyfriend (a.k.a. Mr. Picky-Eater) would not like. Two ingredients popped into my mind- Peanut butter (his dreadful nemesis) and chocolate (his famously proclaimed disliked ingredient- which is in fact secretly one of his favorites because I know him too well). I recalled a cookie recipe I found in my old Better Homes and Gardens magazine which incorporated both peanut butter and chocolate, so I dug through my bookshelf to find this recipe.


These chocolate cookies were stuffed with a creamy peanut butter center. Even more delicious was the fact that the chocolate outer layer also got a little dollop of peanut butter hidden in (my boyfriend's worst nightmare- a double whammy of peanut butter).


I noticed that there was quite a bit of brown sugar called for in the recipe, so I hoped it would be an almost chocolate-sugar-cookie of some sort.


The egg and finally the chocolate got mixed into the batter. Only after folding in the cocoa powder did the dough finally begin to turn a dark-chocolaty color.


After preparing the batter for the peanut butter center, I rolled out and placed the dough balls for each.


I did have a slight dilemma with the amount of balls in front of me (that's what she said). I seemed to have had a brain fart, and rolled out equal amounts for both filling and outside; when in fact there needed to be double the amount of chocolate balls to peanut butter balls.


No worries, I rolled two peanut butter balls to make one large (and correctly sized) ball, which I then placed into between two awaiting chocolate balls. (There's way too many "balls" in that sentence.)


After closing the edges shut, I heavily rolled them in sugar as I would with typical sugar cookies.


The outer surface of the cookies delicately cracked and looked like little whimsical puffy rocks.


After taking my first bite, I was conflicted as to whether I liked these or not. They weren't as sweet as sugar cookies as I was hoping for, nor were they peanut-butter-y as the recipe implied. In fact, they weren't even as chocolaty as the cookie appeared to be. I'm not even sure what to call these cookies- they lacked a category for which to be differentiated as.


I came to the conclusion that these were so-so cookies. I mean, they weren't anywhere near inedible garbage (like my first sugar cookies were, for example), nor were they deliciously irresistible (like my chocolate chip cookies usually are). After tasting these, my cousin pointed out an interesting relation: My banana cupcakes were too moist, and my chocolate-peanut-butter-cookies were too dry. If only they could lend their characteristics to one another.

---RECIPE---
Taken from Better Homes and Garden magazine, 100 Best Cookies, December 2009
"Peanut Butter Munchies"

ingredients:
1+1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons granulated sugar

directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl stir together flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda; set aside.
2. In a large bowl combine butter and the 1/4 cup peanut butter. Beat with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the 1/2 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar. Beat until combined, scraping side of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg, milk, and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour mixture as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour mixture. Shape dough into 32 balls, each about 1+1/4 inches in diameter. Set aside.
3. In a small bowl combine powdered sugar and the 1/2 cup peanut butter. Beat until smooth, kneading by hand if necessary. Shape mixture into 32 balls.
4. For each cookie, flatten a chocolate dough ball; top with a peanut butter ball. (This is where I had my little mistake.). Shape dough around peanut utter ball to enclose. Place balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten with the bottom of a glass dipped in the 2 tablespoons granulated sugar.
5. Bake in preheated oven about 8 minutes or just until set and surfaces are slightly cracked. Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; cool.

amount:
Makes 32 cookies.

peanut butter doggy bones for the diva puppy's birthday

Today is a special puppy's first birthday. Her name is Xena and she is the sweetest and most energetic (not to mention, the most stylish with her new pink sweater) puppy pitbull ever. While I was busy with classes all day, she was with her daddy chasing dogs at the dog park and being treated like a little princess. But what was I to do for this little puppy? Why, bake dog treats, of course! I searched online and read my way through tons of doggy recipes. While some were disgusting (with chopped liver or strange meat pieces), some others were too difficult (yeast biscuits or dry milk powder). I finally found a simple and easy recipe- Peanut butter doggy treats (and the best part was that there were only 3 ingredients!).


Peanut butter, milk, and flour- Simple enough, but I was afraid it wouldn't be tasty enough. Especially since my boyfriend has bred the doggy version of himself- stubborn, strong, and a picky-eater. He spoils her with homemade gravies, fancy food, and always has to top off her meal with a sprinkle of cheese (lucky dog).


Tell me this cookie cutter isn't the cutest thing you've ever laid your eyes on, hehe.


Okay, I'll admit it- I tasted the doggy dough. Tease me all you want- but I was not hesitant to take a piece for myself. Verdict? Blah- nothing really. Since there was no sugar, it didn't really have a taste. So this is probably the only dough in the entire world that I won't eat.


Soon enough, I was mass producing doggy biscuits as if it was my job.


Just like I do with all cut out cookies, I placed them in the fridge to firm up before baking.


I was giddy with excitement waiting for the moment I could unveil my creations and see the look on this little puppy's face when I show her all her new treats.


When I brought them over to my boyfriend's house and showed him my present, he told me that Xena didn't like peanut butter. I stared at him in awe because I knew for a fact that I've not only seen her eat peanut butter, but demolish a whole wad of it. To show him, we gave her a treat, watched her pick it up, and take it under the table (a good sign because this is where she hoards her treasures). We watched her consume the cookie in a matter of seconds. I knew it, she loves peanut butter (despite what her peanut-butter-hating father wants).

---RECIPE---
Taken from All Recipes.

ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat flour (substituted all-purpose)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 cup unsalted natural peanut butter (I'm pretty sure I just used Jiffy)
1 cup skim milk

directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets. Stir together the flour and baking powder; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the peanut butter and milk. Stir in the flour mixture until well blended. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Roll out to 1/4 inch thickness and cut into shapes using cookie cutters. Place 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly brown. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.

amount:
Makes about 18 treats. (I halved the recipe, and still made probably around 18 treats)

peanut butter cookies - to tine, or not to tine?

I really did not stop baking this entire Christmas day. Literally, from the morning (around 9 AM) until about 4 PM (when the lighting starts to get too dark to take photos lol). I figured I'd just whip out recipes one after another, all incorporating ingredients I know my picky-eater wouldn't like. Next ingredient- peanut butter. I don't know how he doesn't like peanut butter, yet likes peanuts. Anyways, g-ma, like usual, loves peanut butter, so this seems fitting. My only other peanut butter recipe was the Peanut Butter Blossoms, so I thought I would just make a classic peanut butter cookie recipe this time.


I can not tell you how much I love any peanut butter cookie batter. I think it even tops a chocolate chip cookie dough as my ultimate favorite. I definitely ate more than half of the dough just by itself.


I guess I didn't take any photos of me preparing the cookies lol- I was probably too busy whipping out hundreds of cookies (literally).


My first batch doesn't look like the classic peanut butter cookies, you know the ones with the lines across them. The reason why I didn't do so was because I don't think cookies should be smashed before they go in the oven- I guess I just prefer huge round balls because it allows the cookies to spread and remain gooey in the center. Needless to say, these didn't look right, and I had to squash them at the end anyways because they just weren't cooking properly.


There we go, now it looks familiar. The tines of the fork really do make it look cute also. And yeah, I guess it did make sense to flatten it for better cooking...I hate when I'm wrong.


These were by far my favorite cookies of the day (and by cookies, I mean cookie dough).

---RECIPE---
Taken from Better Homes and Gardens magazine, 100 Best Cookies, December 2009

ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1+1/4 cup all-purpose flour
granulated sugar for rolling (after my last experience, I think not)

directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl combine butter and peanut butter. Beat with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add ½ cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, and baking powder. Beat until combined, scraping side of bowl occasionally (and eating dough occasionally, lol). Beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour. If necessary, cover and chill about 1 hour or until dough is easy to handle.
2. Place additional granulated sugar in a small bowl. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll balls in sugar to coat. Place balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Using the tines of a fork, flatten balls by making crisscross marks on top.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 7 to 9 minutes or until the bottoms are lightly browned. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; cool.

amount:
Makes about 36 cookies