PB Cup Tartlets

Here I go with another Chocolate and Peanut Butter post.

My handsome husband always keeps a bag of Reese's Peanut Butter cups on hand. Just the mini-ones. He doesn't like the chocolate/peanut butter ratio of the standard size.

I've seen these little treats at parties and finally got around to making some myself. They are SOOOOO tasty. You most likely have everything you need to make them...

You do have a mini muffin pan, right?

And you have a stash of mini PB cups in your pantry or freezer, don't you?

Doesn't everyone?

Recipe adapted from Hershey.com

About 40 (13-oz. pkg.) REESE'S Peanut Butter Cups Miniatures
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup Creamy Peanut Butter
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Remove wrappers from candies. Spray mini muffin cups with cooking spray.

2. Beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, peanut butter, egg and vanilla until light and fluffy in large bowl. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; add to butter mixture, beating until well blended. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; place one in each prepared muffin cup. Do not flatten.

3. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until puffed and lightly browned; remove from oven. Immediately press peanut butter cup onto each cookie. Let cool 5 minutes in muffin pan, then carefully remove from pan and cool completely on wire racks.

Makes 40 cookies.

Silver Dollar Pancake Stacks

My girls told me these pancakes are their new favorite (but they tend to throw around the word "favorite" pretty liberally... actually to describe just about anything I bake for them).
My opinion...these pancakes are DELICIOUS. They could easily become my "every day" pancake recipe. They require no special ingredients or equipment, they are quick to make, and they melt in your mouth. We loved the silver dollar size. You can pop them into your mouth two at a time! (My second born ate a stack of five in three bites.)

Silver Dollar Pancake Stacks
from Williams-Sonoma Cooking Together

1 cup flour
2 T sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
1 cup milk
1 large egg
2 T melted unsalted butter
1/4 tsp vanilla
sliced bananas, berries, syrup

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, melted butter and vanilla. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture and stir until no lumps are visible.
Heat a griddle over medium heat. Lightly grease (I spray with Pam) pan. Using a Tablespoon measure and working in batches, drop small rounds of batter onto the pan. Cook the pancakes, turning them once with spatula, until golden on both sides, about 3 minutes total. Transfer to a platter and keep warm in a 250 degree oven. Repeat with remaining batter.
To serve, make stacks, layering a thin slice of banana between each pancake. Drizzle with syrup or serve with berries.

Simple Peanut Butter Chip Brownies

This is my go-to brownie recipe. I always have the ingredients in my kitchen. They are much better than a boxed mix, and come together just as quickly. On a whim, I threw in a bag of peanut butter chips. Good decision on my part.

3/4 c butter
3 (1 oz) squares unsweetened chocolate
1 1/2 c sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 t vanilla
1 c + 2 T flour
11 oz bag peanut butter chips.

Melt butter and chocolate together in saucepan. Remove from heat and add sugar, eggs, vanilla and flour. Mix well. Stir in peanut butter chips. Bake in greased 9" x 13" pan for 18-20 minutes at 350*.

Pesto Cheesecake Appetizer

This is a delicious and impressive appetizer.

It needs to be made several hours before you want to eat it (I always make it the night before), but the preparation is really quite simple.

Pesto Cheesecake Appetizer
from Peacocks on My Porch
1 cup crushed sesame crackers (I like Keebler Toasteds)
6 T melted butter
1 cup ricotta cheese
4 oz crumbled feta cheese (look for a sun-dried tomato or Mediterranean herb flavor)
8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1/4 cup prepared pesto
1/3 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350. Mix cracker crumbs and butter. Press into bottom and 1 1/2 inches up the sides of a 9 1/2 inch spring-form pan. Combine all cheeses and beat until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Stir in pesto and sour cream. Pour into pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, until the top starts to brown and the center is almost set. Let cool on wire rack for 30 minutes. Loosen sides of pan with a knife and cool completely (about one hour). Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least four hours to set. Serve as a spread with crackers.

You can serve this right out of the refrigerator. I prefer to let it warm up to near room temperature.

Sour Cream Belgian Waffles

The cyclist and I are becoming real jet-setters. We are currently (and on short notice) enjoying a week of pizza, insalata caprese, and gelato (like gelato after every meal...sometimes a double scoop.) Having never traveled across this many time zones, this is my first real bout of jet-lag. That is why I have been awake since 2:00 a.m. (7:00 p.m. in my hometown.) I always thought that jet-lag meant you were endlessly tired (hence the word "lag"). Not the case.

We made this for Sunday brunch the day before we left. We LOVED these (at least I thought I loved them, I ate them before I had tried gelato).

Sour Cream Belgian Style Waffles
recipe from my neighborhood cookbook

3 eggs, separated
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup melted butter
3/4 cup sour cream or nonfat plain yogurt
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 T sugar

Beat egg yolks in a large bowl. Add buttermilk, butter and sour cream. In a medium bowl, sift together dry ingredients. Add to sour cream mixture and whisk to combine. In separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff and carefully fold into batter. Bake in Belgian waffle maker and serve with desired toppings. You'll never guess what we topped ours with.

Seriously, about the gelato. How can each new flavor be better than the last? Creme de Argentina? Panna cotta? Yogurt framboise? Do you think there are any gelateria's open at 3:00 a.m.?