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peanut butter

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Scones

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Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Scones

The June choice for the Avid Baker’s Challenger is Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Scones. The photo on the Brown Eyed Baker’s website looks so good, I could just imagine what they tasted like.

The oatmeal gives these scones a wonderful texture, and the light peanut butter flavor is terrific. Add chocolate chips to the mix and you have some very, very tasty scones!

You need a light hand mixing these so they won’t be tough. I used my fingertips to blend the butter into the flour and, after the chocolate chips were added, I dug in with both hands and squished the dough together – it blended easier that way. Just be gentle.

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Scones

If you search for scones on my site, you’ll find that I have quite a thing for them. My delicious Cinnamon Scones also have oatmeal in them and I just love that chewiness it brings to them.

Since they’re rather rich, next time instead of making a 9″ circle and cutting them into 8 scones, I’ll make two 5-ish” circles and make them more like mini scones.

Eating one of the big ones is quite a substantial breakfast. Of course that didn’t stop me from eating the whole scone, washing it down with coffee, and licking my fingers. It’s like having a big ole’ oatmeal peanut butter chocolate chip cookie for breakfast!

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Scones

These Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Scones are easy to throw together and so worth making. I’m planning on freezing a few of them and seeing how well they thaw. I’ll update you on that later.

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Scones

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Scones

Yield: 8
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 18 minutes
Total Time: 38 minutes

Great texture from the oatmeal, rich from the peanut butter and chocolate chips.

Ingredients

  • 2 C all-purpose flour
  • 1 C old-fashioned oats
  • 1/3 C dark brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 6 tbsp cold butter, cut into small pieces
  • 3/4 C buttermilk
  • 1 egg separated
  • 1/2 C peanut butter
  • 1 C semisweet chocolate chips
  • Sparkling or large grained sugar for sprinkling on top

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Line a wide baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, oats, brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the very cold butter and cut or rub the butter into the flour mixture until blended and pea sized (easiest to use your fingers, but do it quickly so the butter doesn't melt).
  3. In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and the egg yolk.
  4. Make a well in the flour mixture and pour the buttermilk mixture into the center of the well, then add the peanut butter.
  5. Gently fold the ingredients together with a rubber spoon, very gently until it starts coming together. Then add the chocolate chips and gently knead with your hands until chips are incorporated. (Do not over mix the dough - you don't want tough scones).
  6. Turn the dough out onto the parchment paper-lined baking sheet and pat it gently into about a 9" circle. Whisk the egg white, then brush it all over the top of the dough. Sprinkle generously with the sugar.
  7. Cut the dough into 8 wedges (do not separate them) and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the scones are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs.
  8. Remove from the oven and let sit on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then recut the scones and separate. Cool on a rack. Store in an air tight container for up to 3 days or, after they're completely cooled, freeze.

Notes

Tips and Stuff:

These were rather large and rich, so next time I would make two 4 to 5" circles and cut them smaller (and bake them for a few minutes less).

The changes I made from the original recipe:  I added a tablespoon of granulated sugar for a little more sweetness; I used salted butter; I used smooth peanut butter (hers called for chunky).

Don't overwork the dough - you don't want tough scones.  These are a little softer than usual for scones, but it works!

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1 grams
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 482Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 47mgSodium: 494mgCarbohydrates: 59gFiber: 4gSugar: 23gProtein: 11g

Nutrition Values are Approximate

© Adapted slightly from BrownEyedBaker.com
Category: Breads/Muffins

Peanut Butter and Jam Cake (#thecakeslicebakers)

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Peanut Butter and Jam Cake

The August selection for The Cake Slice Bakers is a wonderful array of jam/jelly cakes and I chose Peanut Butter and Jam Cake (#atkcake). What a novel idea – a peanut butter and jelly sandwich made into a layered cake!

I’ll tell you the quick instructions, then….below the second photo the REAL story!

First you make two square 8-inch cakes and slice each into two layers. A four-layer cake sounds enormous, but it really wasn’t because the layers didn’t rise all that high.

Generously spread jam on the bottom layer, then top with its corresponding top layer. Spread a cup of the luscious, light, and fluffy peanut butter frosting on that layer, then top with the bottom of the second cake. Repeat with the jam, top with the final layer, then slather that wonderful frosting all over the cake.

Toss peanuts on the sides of the cake and finish with thin lines of jam to finish off the look! Easy, right?  Continue on dearies….

Peanut Butter and Jam Cake

OK, so let’s start with slicing the cake. Ack! Even though I put two toothpicks evenly measured on each side of the cake, the knife went on its merry way up and down when slicing through it. So…I ended up with a wavy, generally not-even cake. No problem. I’ll cover it up with frosting.

I evenly spread the jam over two of the layers, spread the frosting in the middle (covering up a few of the waves in the cake) and topped it off with the rest of the frosting. Except that, because of the slippery jam, it slid around while I was trying to frost it. Ack, again!

I got the frosting under control and the Peanut Butter and Jam Cake was starting to look like a cake. The next part was pressing the chopped peanuts into the sides of the frosted cake. I ended up with frosting all over my fingers, a little in my hair, and peanuts everywhere. My dog appreciated the snackies that fell on the floor.

No time to dwell on the peanuts floating around in the frosting. I’ve got to warm up the jam, put it in a baggie, snip the corner and draw straight lines on top of the cake. See photo above with non-straight lines. Drag a knife across the jam lines to make a pretty decoration. Again, see photo above with non-pretty decoration.

Peanut Butter and Jam Cake

Et voila! It’s finished. All that angst and the cake actually came out pretty well. It wasn’t a fluffy cake like I’d thought it would be – more of a tight crumb. However, it didn’t slide away like I thought it would and it was quite tasty (especially that marvelous frosting)!

Would I make this peanut butter and jelly cake again? Maybe. I would try to come up with a couple of different techniques for the peanut plastering and line drawing. All-in-all, quite a nice tasting cake which was even better the next day.

Peanut Butter and Jam Cake

Peanut Butter and Jam Cake

Yield: 10 to 12 slices
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Additional Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes

A different spin on peanut butter and jelly! Great flavors dense cake, marvelous frosting!

Ingredients

  • For The Cake:
  • 1 C whole milk, room temperature
  • 6 large egg whites, room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 1/4 C (9 oz) cake flour
  • 1 3/4 C (12 1/4 oz) sugar
  • 4 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 12 slices and softened.
  • For the Frosting:
  • 16 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 16 slices and softened
  • 1 C creamy peanut butter
  • 3 tbsp heavy cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 C (8 oz) powdered sugar
  • 1 1/4 C seedless raspberry jam
  • 1 C dry-roasted peanuts, chopped

Instructions

  1. For the Cake: Heat oven to 350°. Grease two 8-inch square baking pans and line each with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper and lightly flour the pans.
  2. Whisk milk, egg whites, and vanilla together in a bowl.
  3. In a stand mixer, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt on low speed until combined. Add the butter, 1 piece at a time until only pea-sized pieces remain, about 1 minute. Add all but 1/2 cup of the milk/egg mixture, then increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Reduce the speed to medium-low and add the remaining 1/2 cup milk/egg mixture. Beat until incorporated, about 30 seconds (batter may look curdled, but that's OK). Give the batter a final stir by hand to get the stuff up off of the bottom of the bowl.
  4. Divide the batter between the two prepared pans. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out virtually clean, about 25 minutes, rotating the pans about halfway through baking. Let cakes cool in the pans on a wire rack for about 10 minutes. Run a thin knife around the edges to loosen from the pans and remove cakes from pan, peeling off the parchment paper. Let cakes cool completely on a lightly greased rack, about 2 hours.
  5. For the frosting:
  6. In a stand mixer, beat butter, peanut butter, cream, and vanilla on medium-high speed until smooth, about 30 seconds. Reduce speed to medium-low, slowly adding the powdered sugar. Beat until incorporated and and smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes. Turn the speed to medium-high and whip until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
  7. Using a long serrated knife, cut each layer into 2 even layers. Spread 1/2 cup jam on two of the layers, then lay one of those on your cake plate. Top with the second layer of cake, then spread 1 cup of the frosting on that layer. Place the third layer (the 2nd one with the jam on it) on top of the frosted layer, then place the fourth layer on the very top.
  8. Spread the remaining frosting evenly over the top and sides of the cake. Press the peanuts onto the sides of the cake.
  9. Microwave the remaining 1/4 cup of jam in a bowl until melted and smooth, about 20 seconds. Pour the jam carefully into a zip-lock bag and snip 1 corner off about a 1/4" from the corner. Pipe the jam in straight lines over the top of the cake, then lightly drag a knife through the lines to create a marbled appearance.
  10. Refrigerate leftovers. When ready to serve leftover cake, let it sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes to soften the frosting.

Notes

Tips and Stuff:

Read the text of my blog post - it'll give you a lot of tips!

Be patient putting the butter into the cake. It helps blend it in.

Have fun!

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1 slice
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 783Total Fat: 55gSaturated Fat: 25gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 25gCholesterol: 93mgSodium: 613mgCarbohydrates: 61gFiber: 4gSugar: 24gProtein: 16g
© America's Test Kitchen
Category: Cakes

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Oat Bars

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Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Oat Bars! These bars were created because we wanted a snack bar that has the best combination ever – peanut butter and chocolate chips. The oats add a great texture and the bar ends up chewy and chunky, and are an all-around great snack bar.

Sometimes you just need a little sweet goodness in your life.

The recipe is easy to throw together with ingredients you probably have in your cabinet. You can leave the cinnamon out, but I liked the added subtle spicy flavor.

I had to taste test them while I was taking the photos (it’s a hard life) and like them both warm with those gooey chocolate chips, and cooled off. I think the kiddos or grandkiddos will enjoy making these as well as eating them!

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Oat Bars have everything that’s good in a sweet snack bar. Oats give it a great, chewy texture. Peanut butter is sweet and nutty. And then last but not least, chocolate. What a great combination of such simple ingredients!

If you’re looking for another great snack bar, try these!

Dreamy Krispie Toffee Squares (one of the most popular on my blog)
Blonde Orange Bars with Orange Frosting
Butterscotch Cashew Bars

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Oat Bars

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Oat Bars

Yield: 20 -24 bars
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

These bars are full of peanut butter, chocolate chip and oatmeal goodness! Base adapted from A Taste of Madness.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 C granulated sugar
  • 1/2 C brown sugar, , packed
  • 1/2 C creamy peanut butter
  • 1/2 C butter, , softened
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 C all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 C oatmeal
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 C semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350° and lightly grease or spray a 11 1/2" x 7 3/4" baking dish.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the sugars, peanut butter, and butter until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).  Scrape down sides of bowl if needed.  
  3. Add the egg and vanilla to the sugar mixture and beat together until well combined.
  4. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, salt, oats, and cinnamon. Add to the wet mixture, one cup at a time, until just blended.  Stir in the chocolate chips by hand.
  5. Press the mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish and  bake for 25-30 minutes, checking at 25 minutes.  The bars should be a medium golden brown when done.  Cool bars in the pan on a rack before cutting.

Notes

Tips and Stuff:

If you don't have the size of baking dish indicated, go ahead and use a 9x9" square pan.  You could use a 13x9", but they come out rather thin and break apart easily.

Cinnamon is optional.  It's good either way.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1 bar
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 160Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 18mgSodium: 136mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 1gSugar: 12gProtein: 3g

Nutrition Values are Approximate

© sblades
Category: Bars

Peanut Butter Snowballs and Bonbons

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These simple Peanut Butter Snowballs and Bonbons are wonderful and perfect for Christmas (or any time of the year, really).  They come together quickly, although rolling them into balls takes a little time.  

I couldn’t decide whether or not to roll them in powdered sugar or dip them in chocolate, so I did both.

The peanut butter center is smooth and creamy and goes perfectly with either the powdered sugar or chocolate covering. Bret prefers the chocolate. I prefer both.

peanut-butter-snowballs-and-bonbons3

You’ve probably made similar candies in the past and its time to pull out the recipe and make them again for Christmas! Everyone will appreciate it and give you big kudos.

Your family will be excited to see these Peanut Butter Snowballs and Bonbons on the Christmas plate. They almost have a sweet-salty thing going and are absolutely, decadently delicious.

peanut-butter-snowballs-and-bonbons

Peanut Butter Snowballs and BonBons

Peanut Butter Snowballs (or Bonbons)

Yield: 30 candies

Outstanding smooth peanut butter center. Great with powdered sugar or dipped in chocolate!

Ingredients

  • 1/4 C butter, (melted)
  • 1 3/4 C powdered sugar
  • 3/4 C creamy peanut butter
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • Powdered sugar for coating
  • Melted chocolate chips for dipping, if desired
  • 1/2 tsp vegetable or canola oil

Instructions

  1. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a medium bowl, mix the melted butter, powdered sugar, peanut butter and vanilla until completely combined.  
  3. Roll the dough into 1 inch balls and place on the cookie sheet.  Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes, then roll each ball in powdered sugar.  Store in airtight container.
  4. For chocolate-dipped bonbons, melt about 1 cup of chocolate chips with 1/2 tsp. of vegetable or canola oil (microwave for 45 seconds, stir, then microwave for 10 second increments, stirring between after each 10 seconds).
  5. Dip the dough balls into the melted chocolate, then refrigerate at least 30 minutes to set chocolate.

Notes

You can easily double this recipe.  

I made half of mine dipped in the chocolate and half rolled in powdered sugar.  Both were great!

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 30 Serving Size: 1 grams
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 105Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 43mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 0gSugar: 12gProtein: 1g

Nutrition Values are Approximate

© sblades
Category: Candy

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

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I previously posted a wonderful Fudgy Peanut Butter Pie that is like a thick peanut-buttery mousse pie with chocolate drizzles (mmmm).  I love that pie, but I do believe this Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie is my favorite between the two.  Depends on what you’re in the mood for!

This peanut butter pie has Butterfinger-like crumbles on the bottom of the chocolate pudding pie and also sprinkled on top.  It’s hard to tell from this photo, but after the top sets up it turns a buttery caramel color and tastes just like the candy bar.  

I’m generous with the crumble because I really like it, especially on the bottom part.

Chocolate Peanut Butter PieL

It was really tough to get a good picture of the pie – mainly because we kept taking fork-fulls during the photo session.  The pie kept getting smaller and smaller and finally I just snapped the shot below real quick before it disappeared.

We love that smooth chocolate middle along with those sweet peanut-buttery crumbles!  The combination is perfect.

chocolate peanut butter pie2

This is fairly easy to throw together.  Just be sure you give it enough time to set up in the refrigerator so it won’t be even more messy than this pic! Messy, but oh so good.

Your family would be ever so pleased if you would make this Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie. So would you!

chocolate peanut butter pie

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

Yield: 10
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Inactive Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours 20 minutes

One of my favorite peanut butter pies. I could eat that crumble alone for a snack!

Ingredients

  • 1 deep-dish frozen pie shell, (or make your own)
  • 3/4 C powdered sugar
  • 6 tbsp smooth peanut butter
  • 1 small box of instant chocolate pudding pie mix
  • 1 3/4 C Milk
  • 1 tub, (8 oz.) extra-creamy Cool Whip

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven according to pie crust instructions.
  2. Prick the bottom of the pie shell with a fork and bake it for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown as indicated on the pie package. Cool for 10-15 minutes.
  3. Sift the powdered sugar into a small bowl and add the peanut butter - stir with a fork until crumbly.
  4. In another small bowl, mix the pudding pie mix with the milk. Refrigerate for 5 minutes.
  5. Sprinkle one-half of the peanut butter mixture evenly over the baked pie shell.  Pour the pudding on top and then spread with the Cool Whip.  Sprinkle the top with the rest of the peanut butter mixture.  
  6. Refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours until fairly set.  Keep leftovers refrigerated.

Notes

Use a bit less milk if you want a firmer, less creamy pie.  

Be generous with the bottom crumbles.  The more the better after the pie sets up!

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1 grams
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 206Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 159mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 1gSugar: 13gProtein: 5g

Nutrition Values are Approximate

© sblades
Category: Pies/Pastry/Puddings