Peanut Butter Snickers Cookies

What can be better than a peanut butter chocolate chip cookie?  What about a mini snickers bar stuffed in it?  Yes!  Yes!  Yes!

These cookies are amazing.  Not for the light hearted for sure.  But made for a dreamy dessert coma.

These cookies only lasted for about 24 hours. 

Peanut Butter Snickers Cookies
Adapted from Kirbie's Cravings

1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup wheat flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 bag mini Snickers candy bar
3/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350F.
2.  Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.
3.  Cream butter and peanut butter until fluffy.
4.  Add sugars and beat until smooth.
5.  Add egg and mix until combined
6.  Add the milk and the vanilla extract and mix.
7.  Add the flour mixture and mix until just combined.
8.  Stir in the chocolate chips.
9.  Unwrap the mini snickers bars
10.  Cover the mini snickers with 1 cookie scoop of dough for the top and bottom.
11.  Bake for about 9 minutes or until cookies are slightly brown on the edges.
12.  Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes then remove to a rack to cool completely.

The husband approved this cookie for sure.  Of course we shared and I am happy to say they were a hit.  I can wait to see what other kind of stuffed cookie I can make. 

Enjoy!
XOXO

Blueberry Buckle Cake

What happens when you get blueberries from Costco?  Lots of blueberry recipes.  I don't know why the husband and I shop at Costco so much when it's just the two of us.  Somehow we always leave with a cart full of groceries.  The sad thing is most of the food gets eaten.  We must be fatties. 

I love coffee cake.  It takes all my will power not to order a coffee cake whenever I get coffee from Starbucks (because I have already broken down and gone to Starbucks the last thing I need is a coffee cake).  There's just something about a coffee cake.  It's not cake.  It's not a muffin.  It's a amazing snack that goes great with coffee.

Blueberry Buckle Cake
Adapted from Two Peas & Their Pod

Ingredients:

For the topping:
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup wheat flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup butter

For the batter:
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup wheat flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 cups fresh blueberries

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease a 9-inch cake pan and set aside.
2.  Mix together brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon.  Rub in butter using a fork until mixture is crumbly.  Set the topping aside.
3.  Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.  Cream together sugar and butter.  Add the egg and vanilla extract.  Alternately add the buttermilk and flour mixture to the creamed mixture ending with flour.  Gently fold in the blueberries.
4.  Pour the batter evenly into prepared cake pan.  Sprinkle the topping over the batter and bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick come out clean.  Let the buckle cool for 10 minutes.

As I pull this Blueberry Buckle Cake out of the oven my mom calls me and asks what I am doing.  She would.  How does she know I just pulled out a cake?  In about 15 minutes my parents are over having coffee and Blueberry Buckle Cake.  This cake is amazing and I would like to say the topping is to die for.  You know.  The kind of topping crumble that when you are done with the cake you use your fingers to pick up the fallen topping and in the end lick the napkin.  Oh wait ... am I the only one that does that?

Enjoy!
XOXO

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Chip Pretzel Cookies

Who does like chocolate?  Who does not like peanut butter?  Who does not like the sweet and salty combination?  No one!  This cookies is amazing!  Just thinking about them makes me want to start up another batch.  This cookie has chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, and pretzels.  Yes, that's right.  I said pretzels.  It's such a yummy combination.  The chips make the cookie sweet and the pretzels add salt and crunch to the cookie but leaves the chew texture.  Oh it's heaven.

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Chip Pretzel Cookies
Adapted from Sugar Cooking

Ingredients:
3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter chips
1/2 cup broken up pretzel pieces

Directions:
1.  Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.
2.  Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy (about 3-5 minutes).
3.  Add egg and vanilla extract.
4.  Add dry mixture and beat until just combined (do not over mix)
5.  Stir in chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, and pretzels.
6.  Cover and refrigerate for an hour.
7.  Preheat oven to 350F.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
8.  Use ice cream scoop to scoop out batter to make cookies (dough does not spread)
9.  Bake for about 9 minutes.

These cookies have not lasted very long in my house.  I may need to make more soon.  They are that good.  I think the only thing I would change is to double the ingredients so there will be more cookies!  Muahaha!

Enjoy!
XOXO

Banana Coconut Muffins

I hate coconut.  In fact I call them crap-o-nuts.  I am not fan of the flavor or the texture.  My dad hates it so so you can call me a daddy's girl.  One time my dad was eating a German Chocolate Pie and spit it out of his mouth and asked why there was worms in the chocolate pie.  Hahaha.  I love my dad.

But my husband loves coconut.  Some people ask why I keep baking coconut items and I tell them it's because my I am a good wife and my husband likes it.  Here's my deep dark secret ... I make things with coconut so I can get my baking fix and not eat the item so no extra calories.  Muahahaha!  Is it evil or genius?  You decide. 

Banana Coconut Muffins
Adapted from Amandeleine

Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup ripe bananas (about 2 bananas)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted (1 stick)
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 375F.  Line 12 muffin cups
2.  Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt together.
3.  Cream butter and sugar
4.  Add banana until combined.
5.  Add egg until combined.
6.  Add vanilla extract and coconut
7.  Mix in dry ingredients until just combined.  Do not over mix!
8.  Use a ice cream scooper to scoop batter into lined muffin cups.
9.  Bake until muffins are puffed and golden, about 23 minutes.

As a person who hates coconut these muffins smells fabulous baking in my kitchen.  I am pretty sure my husband's mouth was watering the whole time these were baking.  The muffins came out nice, fluffy and moist.  The husband loved them and announced that he will eat them for breakfast every day.  We will see if that is true.

Enjoy!
XOXO

Blueberry Muffins

I am always looking for yummy muffin recipes because my family always complains that American desserts are too sweet.  However muffins are usually the only item that they agree are not too sweet.  Blueberries are full of great vitamins and when purchased at Costco super cheap.  

Blueberry Muffins
Adapted from A Zesty Bite

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 cup wheat flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups blueberries, dried and lightly coated with flour
1 tablespoon sugar (for sprinkling)

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350F
2.  Whisk flour, baking powder and salt
3.  Cream butter and sugar until fluffy, about 5 minutes.  Add eggs one at a time and mix until smooth.  Add in buttermilk and vanilla extract.
4.  Add dry ingredients.  Do not over mix.
5.  Slowly start to fold the blueberries into the mix.
6.  Line muffin pan and pour batter into liners with a ice cream scooper.
7.  Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown
8.  Stick a toothpick in the center to make sure it comes out clean

These muffins came out amazing.  Moist, cakey, and just the right amount of sweetness.  I made these for the volunteers at a Tzu Chi free clinic.  The clinic was out in Raisin City and pretty much in the middle of nowhere.  Tzu Chi brought 2 mobiles with them and set up tents to see patients.  I decided to make these muffins because it seemed the easiest to eat  while out in the middle of nowhere. 

Enjoy!
XOXO

Cheesy Jalapeno Cornbread

 What's more comfort than corn bread.  Okay, maybe chocolate but that's another post.  Corn bread is always yummy.  But it seems that not too many place serve it anymore.  Marie Calendar's has a pretty yummy cornbread but their food is so bad that I pretty much never go there.  But since I like my food with a little kick jalapenos had to be added.

Cheesy Jalapeno Cornbread
Adapted by The Yummy Life

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups ground yellow cornmeal
3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup + 2 tablespoons buttermilk
1 egg
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 cup corn
1 tablespoon minced jalapeno
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray 8x8 baking pan with cooking spray
2.  Whisk cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt. 
3.  Beat eggs, buttermilk and honey.  Add dry mixture.  Stir until just mixed.  Do not over mix.
4.  Add onion, corn, jalapeno and cheese.  Fold into batter until mixed. 
5.  Pour into baking pan and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and toothpick inserted in comes out clean.
6.  Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. 

This corn bread was delicious.  I think the only thing I would change would be to bake it with a little less time.  maybe 20-25 minutes next time.  Other than that this recipe is a keeper.  I love that actual pieces of corn.  It goes the cornbread some grown up texture.  This would be wonderful served with some chili. 

Enjoy!
XOXO

Banana Bread Chocolate Chip Cookies

With my current cookie craze I decided to try to make a cookie using banana.  Why not?  I have used so many other ingredients.  Banana is yummy in cake and muffins so why not cookies?

Banana Bread Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from Heather's Dish

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, soften
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3-4 ripe bananas, mashed well
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 375F.
2.  Whisk together flour, salt and baking soda.
3.  Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time and mix until smooth.  Add in vanilla and mashed bananas.  Add in dry ingredients and mix until just combined.  Fold in chocolate chips.
4.  Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before baking.  The batter will be wet, much like banana bread, and it will just spread if not chilled first.
5.  Spoon the dough onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake for 9 minutes until just slightly golden brown.
6.  Let cool before eating.

Okay.  So these cookies were not bad.  But they were not super duper fantastic.  These cookies were more like muffin tops.  Which for most people would be a good thing but I like muffin bottoms.  I like my cookies thick and chewy.  These were cakey and muffiny.  Blah!  Needless to say I will not be making more of these.

However, my parents loved these cookies.  They would.  Good grief!

Enjoy!
XOXO

Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake

This was my first try at baking with sour cream.  I have seen many recipes using sour cream but have never dare tried it.  I figure it was about time.  Oh and I am so happy I did.  This coffee cake came out amazing.  Such a great treat.  I made this for the volunteers at the Tzu Chi free medical clinic in Raisin City to snack.  I normally volunteer at these clinic but when I can't go I usually send treats.

Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake
Adapted from Two Peas & Their Pod

Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chip

Cinnamon Sugar Topping/Filling
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions: 
1.  Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease an 8 inch square baking pan and set aside.
2.  Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Set dry ingredients aside.
3.  Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy, about 5 minutes.  Add in eggs one at a time and beat until smooth.  Beat in the sour cream and vanilla extract.  Mix until well combined.
4.  Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
5.  Make the cinnamon sugar topping/filling.  Stir together sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon.
6.  Pour half the batter into the prepared cake pan and sprinkle with half the cinnamon sugar and half the chocolate chips.  Spoon the remaining batter over the filling, spread gently.  Sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon sugar and chocolate chips.
7.  Bake until golden and toothpick inserted in the center comes our clean, about 34 minutes.  Cool to room temperature and serve.

This coffee cake was easy to make and super yummy.  The coffee cake was so moist and fluffy.  The cake was so yummy it could be a breakfast, snack or dessert.  The husband has requested I make this more often.  With how easy it was I will for sure make it again.

Enjoy!
XOXO

Korean Pork Ribs

Easy recipes are my favorite.  Oh this recipe is easy.  It requires a little prep work but the end result is much worth it.  I bought ribs and instantly marinaded them when I got home from the store.   You see, this recipe requires 8-24 hours of marinating.  Hence the yummy end flavor. 

When it comes to dinner and never know what to make.  My worst nightmare is when the husband texts "what's for dinner?"  Bah!  I am also indecisive.  So if I don't marinate meat or set a meal plan for the week I have known to let meat go bad in my refrigerator.  I know I know.  Bad!  I must work on this.

Korean Pork Ribs
Adapted from Runs with Spatulas

Ingredients:
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons garlic hot sauce
1 pound pork ribs

Directions:
1.  In a large ziploc bag, combine all ingredients including pork.  Marinate in refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight.
2.  Preheat oven to 350 F.  Line a baking pan with foil for easy cleaning.
3.  Bake for about 40 minutes. 
4.  Ribs should fall off the bone.

These ribs made a amazing dinner.  The meat fell off the bone and was super tender.  The husband really enjoyed this dinner. 

Enjoy!

XOXO

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

I am currently obsessed with cookies.  If one couldn't tell by all the cookie recipes.  Maybe it's because they are fast to whip up.  Maybe because they are addicting to eat.  Maybe because cookies are AWESOME.  What ever the case here is another cookie recipe!

Ingredients:
3/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups flour
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350F
2.  Cream together the peanut butter and butter until well mixed.
3.  Beat in the egg and vanilla until blended.
4.  In a separate bowl whisk baking powder, baking soda, and flour together.
5.  Combine the dry and wet mixture until just combined.  DO NO OVER MIX!
6.  Stir in the semi sweet chocolate chips.
7.  Freeze batter for 2 hours or over night.
8.  Scoop out the batter onto whoopie pie pans or baking sheets.  Bake for 9 minutes and let cook in pan.

I made these cookies for my husband's softball team to eat.  These cookies were enjoyed by players and spectators. The cookies came out more crumbly than I would like in my cookie but no one else seemed to notice or care.  But then with a combination like peanut butter and chocolate chip who can blame them.

I normally like my cookies soft and chewy so I am not sure I would make this recipe again.  But then again I don't need to be eating anymore cookies.

Enjoy!
XOXO

Turkey Burger

 

What is for dinner on a hot summer day?  Turkey burgers of course.  This is the best burger recipe after a long day at work.  It's simple and fast. 

Ingredients:

1 package of ground turkey

1 package of onion soup mix

lettuce

tomato

Colby cheese

sliced wheat bread

ketchup

Directions:

1.  Mix ground turkey with onion soup mix.  Shape into patties and cook on a griddle.

2.  Clean lettuce and slice tomato

3.  Assembly burgers once patties are cooked.

My worst nightmare is when the husband send me a text asking "what's for dinner?"  Why is it the woman's job to come up with what to eat for dinner?  I work just as long as he does.  Blah!  No fair!  This burger recipe is the perfect solution to dinner making.  The best part is when he asks what's for dinner the next day I reply "leftover burgers?"  Muahahahahah! 

Enjoy!

XOXO

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

I don't know what made me want to bake cookies with no AC but I did it.  Who knows what my problems is but I am sure my husband and my pup think I am insane.  It's been over 2 weeks and I still do not have a working AC.  It's suppose to be fixed this week.  I have been living in a house that runs anywhere between 90-93 degrees inside.  Pretty insane.  Oh and after the AC is all fixed I will be broke.  Ah it's Murphy's Law.  Just when I think I can start saving some money for a project something breaks and needs fixing.  Sad.  At least these oatmeal cookies were served at a cool place.  

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
Adapted from Tracey's Culinary Adventures

Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups oats
2 1/2 cups peanut butter cups, coarsely chopped

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 F.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2.  Whisk flours, baking soda and salt together. 
3.  Cream the butter and sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes)
4.  Add eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla and beat until smooth. 
5.  With the mixer on low, add the dry mixture and beat just until incorporated.  Do not over mix!
6.  Mix in oats. 
7.  Mix in peanut butter cups into batter.
8.  Use a small cookie scoop to drop balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between them. 
9.  Bake for 9 minutes.  
10. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. 

The husband has been secretly eating my peanut butter cups and replacing them waiting for me to use them in a cookie.  However, I never knew old people would like this cookie this much.  My grandparents seemed to really like these cookies and sweets are not even their thing.  Must be the oats.  My godmother loves sweets so of course she approved.  Hopefully the next time I use this recipe it will be a better temperature in my kitchen.  I think it effected how my cookies looked. 

Enjoy!
XOXO

Turkey & Spinach Stuffed Shells

I have never cooked stuffed shells and have always wanted to try.  So here is my attempt at making stuffed shells.

Ingredients:
1 package jumbo pasta shells, cooked and drained
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 lbs ground turkey
1 onion, diced
1 (15oz) container Ricotta Cheese
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cups breadcrumbs
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan Cheese
1 tablespoon oregano
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 (10oz) package frozen spinach
3 cups spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Directions:
1.  Cook Shells according to directions.
2.  Drain and squeeze out excess moisture from spinach.
3.  Brown turkey and onions in 2 tablespoon olive oil.
4.  Preheat oven to 375 F.  Grease a large baking dish.  Spread 1 cup sauce on bottom of baking dish.
5.  Cream together eggs and ricotta cheese.  Add breadcrumbs, garlic, Parmesan cheese, oregano, salt & pepper and mix well.  Then gently fold in the spinach and turkey mixture.  Fill shells with this mixture.
6.  Add shells and cover with remaining sauce.  Top with Mozzarella cheese.  Cover with foil.  Bake 30-35 minutes until warmed through and bubbly.

Sometimes I feel that Italian cooks are like Chinese cooks in the way that both slave away all day to make a meal sometimes.  After my first attempt at stuffed shells I have decided this is a lot of work and to think it all gets gobbled up in seconds.  There is a lot of prep work but the dish is very yummy.  This dish was husband approved.  

Enjoy!
XOXO

4th of July Flag Cake

So my AC is acting up and we cannot turn it on.  This holiday weekend it was over 104 all 4 days.  Needless to say I did not want to stay in the kitchen too long.  (Oh and I don't even want to get into the story of my AC.  Fingers crossed it will not cost me my first born child to fix.)

Since it was a steamy 90 degrees in my home I tried to make my holiday dessert as simple as possible.  Hopefully all the sweating has cause me to loose some weight so I can eat more of this cake.  The flag cake I made is from a box cake mix with some simply homemade cream cheese frosting topped with fresh strawberries and blueberries.  How much easier can you get? 

Ingredients:
1 box white cake mix
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 1/4 cup water
3 eggs
8 oz cream cheese
1/4 cup butter (1 stick)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-3 cups of powder sugar
Strawberries, quartered
blueberries

Direction:
1.  Pre heat oven to 350F degrees.  Prepare a 9 x 13 pan with PAM.
2.  Mix white cake mix with vegetable oil, water, and eggs.
3.  Pour batter into pan and back for 26 minutes or until a tooth pick come out clean.
4.  Let cake cool in pan for about 10 minutes and then transfer to cooling rack.
5.  Beat cream cheese and butter.  Once combined add vanilla extract.
6.  Add powder sugar 1/4 cup at a time until you reach a consistency you like.
7.  Frost cake with cream cheese frosting on cooled cake.  Decorate with strawberries and blueberries.

This cake is nice and refreshing on a hot day.  The cake is a yummy dessert and the fruit keep it refreshing.  The red, white, and blue colors keep the cake festive for the holiday.  My family really enjoyed this cake on the 4th of July.  My grandmother even had 2 slices of cake.  So if you don't have much time but still want to have something homemade this is a great recipe for the holidays. 

Enjoy!
XOXO