Tag Archives: dessert

Ree’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

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Recently, the thought occurred to me that it might be high time for some pie.

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What began as a fleeting whim became an urgent need after catching The Pioneer Woman (Ree Drummond) whipping up a peanut butter pie on her Food Network show…

One of the talented, funny, and overall amazing ladies who first made me want to start baking with a whisk in one hand and a camera in the other – Ree’s humble food-blogging beginnings have transformed into a well-loved blog, another blog that features the tasty creations of other cool & quirky food-bloggers, fantastic cookbooks, a television show, and even some spiffy stories featuring a rather cute basset hound.

Wow.

Hmm…I wonder if her pup likes peanut butter as much as this goof.

goof

Probably.

Anyway, while watching this pie being put together by the Pioneer Woman herself, I was inhaling sipping coffee in shorts and a tank top, knowing full-well that as the morning sun shone on, the temperature was already climbing towards the low nineties.  Needless to say, one of the major selling points of this pie as a summertime dessert was the fact that it wouldn’t require having my oven on all afternoon in June’s sweltering heat.  Getting the crust set in the oven only takes about five minutes time, and while this no-bake pie sets up in the refrigerator, you can cool your heels in the air conditioning or perhaps by a pool.

The overall simplicity of this recipe adds to its appeal too.

Although, I think what really had me swooning was the pie’s crust composition…

cookies

Twenty-five Oreos in a blender.  This is serious business.

Not so serious that you can’t have a cookie while pie-making.

Remember, this is a judgement-free zone.

oreo crust

Judgment-free and full of chocolate cookie crumbs and peanut butter…

I like this place, I may stick around for a while.

mix

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

recipe courtesy The Pioneer Woman

for the crust:

  • 25 whole chocolate sandwich cookies (Oreos, of course)
  • 4 tablespoons butter, melted

for the filling:

  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter
  • one 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
  • 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar
  • one 8 oz. package of whipped topping, like Cool Whip

Preheat the oven for 350 degrees F.  Crush 25 cookies in a blender or food processor.  Melt butter and once cooled, mix melted butter with finely crushed cookies with a fork or in a food processor.  Pour crumb mixture into pie pan and press to form the crust.  Put crust in the oven for about 5 minutes, until crust is set.  Set aside to cool completely.

In a large bowl, whip peanut butter and cream cheese until well-combined (using a hand mixer or using a stand mixer makes this quite easy, indeed).   Gradually add powdered sugar with mixing to combine completely.  Add and mix in Cool Whip.  Once filling is fully-incorporated, pour into the pie crust and smooth the surface with a spatula.  Allow the pie to chill for at least an hour to set before serving.

This pie is very rich, so I suggest a small sliver…maybe with a little ice cream too…

yum

Mmm…pie.

 

Simple Cream Cheese Frosting

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Sometimes, in this fast-paced world of finicky, hungry, and impatient eaters — eager to make the most of their weekend (a.k.a. not  spending it cooking or baking in the kitchen) — we need a miracle-worker.

In trot boxed cake mixes.

Convenience is all well and good, but if we’re talking cake I’d prefer to make my own.

But if I can’t, at least making good homemade frosting is easy as pie.

frosted

Or a boxed cake mix…hmm…

I just whipped up this frosting (literally) as the cake was baking and set it in the refrigerator to keep it cool until the cake was ready to frost.

Although if you have any family members lacking strong will-power you may want to make it after the cake is ready…leaving this frosting in the refrigerator unattended could be dangerous.

above

Basic Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 1 (8 oz.) package of cream cheese, softened
  • 4 tbsp. butter, softened
  • 2 cups confectioner’s sugar
  • 3 tsp. vanilla extract

In a large bowl, whip softened cream cheese and butter until light and well-incorporated with an electric hand mixer or stand mixer.  Add powdered sugar gradually — I added 2 cups total by adding 1/3 cup at a time and whipping it in after each addition.  Add vanilla extract and whip frosting until well-blended and until it reaches desired consistency.

close up

cookies, cake…weekend things

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Sometimes weekends include chocolate chip cookies…

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scoop

and baking assistants…

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birthday cake,

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and garden musings…

rainbowbubble

These are good weekends.

cookies

{Your basic, irresistible NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Mini Morsel Cookies:

  • 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 cups (12 oz. package) of mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl.  Cream together sugars, butter, and vanilla together in a large mixer bowl.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well to incorporate after each addition.  Gradually beat in dry ingredients.  Stir in mini chips.  Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.  Bake for 9 – 11 minutes or until golden brown.  Allow cookies to cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes before removing them to cool on wire racks.}  

P.S. I hope your weekend was as lovely as mine. 

 

Christmas Coffee Cake

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I’m excited to tell you about this coffee cake…prep

Mostly because it was one of the best breakfasts/desserts/midday snacks I’ve ever made in general…but more significantly because it was the only sweet something made this jolly holiday that was completely demolished by my whole family (save for the standard, unassuming but delectable pumpkin pie).

stir

Everybody ate it, everybody liked it, everybody came back for more…what more could this proud baker ask for?

Cinnamon and sugar is without a doubt a winning combination, especially with my family.  My mother is not at all averse to whipping up a coffee cake mix or a batch of quick cinnamon rolls on a lazy Sunday any time of the year (nor am I when I’m visiting, for that matter).  However, we really enjoy the opportunity that the holiday brings – a chance to slow down, make everything “from scratch”, and hang out in one of the best rooms in the house – the kitchen!

Christmas morning tradition stipulates that while Santa’s presents and stocking contents are free game (once everyone is awake), no one may open a present from under the tree until after breakfast.  Of course, cereal and milk just won’t do when we want to make Christmas Day last as long as possible…we have to pull out all the stops (and cook like we’re feeding a small army…)

Dad made bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, biscuits, home fries…(phew!)

And I made this fabulous cake! (The night before so I wouldn’t get trampled in the kitchen.)

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Incidentally, the above list is only a minuscule portion of the food made this Christmas…I’m pretty sure we have a refrigerator that expands magically to accommodate more leftovers…kinda like the Weasleys’ flying Ford Anglia…(yeah, I went there).

Anyway…

crumb

This cake. Oh my goodness this cake.  It’s egg-free!  Also, it’s made with applesauce (enough that you can taste a just a hint of apple, which makes me giddy and eager to add more apples next time) and Greek yogurt.  As a result, this cake is wonderfully dense.  The cinnamon-sugar crumb is cause for celebration too – since the cake itself isn’t overwhelmingly sweet, the crumbly streusel adds both a different texture and an additional burst of spice and sweet flavor.  I have to say, it is truly an excellent complement to a fresh mug of coffee – a delicious Christmas morning treat!

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You need a hearty breakfast…those presents aren’t going to open themselves.

It tastes pretty fantastic with coffee ice cream too, by the way…

Coffee Cake
Adapted from the spectacular & splendid Shutterbean
For the Streusel:
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted, plus more for coating
• 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose), plus more for coating
• 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

For the Cake:
• 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Begin by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F and be sure to put your oven rack in the middle. Take a 9-inch spring form pan and coat it with some butter and flour. Set the pan aside and get ready to make streusel (the best part, always)!

Combine above streusel ingredients in a small bowl. Stir until well incorporated and let it chill in the refrigerator while making the cake batter.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to mix and break up any clumps. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until fully combined. Add Greek yogurt and mix well. Add the applesauce and vanilla and stir until well-incorporated. Add your dry ingredients slowly and mix until just combined. Pour your batter into the prepared spring form pan. Take your streusel out of the refrigerator and stir it up a bit. Top the cake off with an even spreading of your streusel mixture – it will sink into the cake as it bakes. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 50 to 55 minutes.

Let cool completely before popping out of the pan and serving.

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I hope you all had a merry Christmas and I wish you a Happy New Year!