No bake peanut butter bars

Finally! We've had temperatures in the 70s and I could not be more happy!  I am completely adapted to typical Seattle weather.  I grew up in a very hot climate, but everyone had air conditioning, and lots of people have swimming pools.  When you don't have all these wonderful things to help you beat the heat, you start to get a little cranky.  However, I have a cure for this crankiness....no bake peanut butter bars!  No need to turn on your oven and only 6 ingredients separate you from this tasty treat.   

These bars taste very similar to Reese's peanut butter cups. Who doesn't love a Reese's peanut butter cup? Did I tell you about the blizzard I recently had? Reese's peanut butter cup pie! Um, yeah...awesome.  Peanut butter cups, pie crust, peanut butter chunks.  I typically get a mini size, but this time I went for small (wanted a large) and didn't have a single ounce of guilt about it.  I hope you have a DQ near you because this blizzard is worth every last bite. If you don't immediately have access to a DQ, make these bars.  I can't decide if I prefer them at room temperature, or right from the fridge.  I may need to make another batch for more research.  

No Bake Peanut Butter Bars

1 cup butter, melted

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

2 cups powdered sugar

1 cup peanut butter + 4 Tablespoons reserved

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 and 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips

In a medium bowl combine melted butter, graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar, 1 cup peanut butter.  Once combined, press into 9x13 pan.

Using your microwave, melt chocolate chips and peanut butter, stirring at 30 second intervals.  Spread over peanut butter layer. Refrigerate for at least one hour prior to cutting.  

*I kept the pan in the fridge because of the warm temperatures.

*I think you could easily cut this in half and use a 9x9 pan, but I don't know why you would want to.

I hope you're making these right now....or eating that blizzard.

Here's another great no bake cookie recipe.

Nutter Butter and Chocolate Cupcakes

This is a combination of two of my favorite things: chocolate cake and Nutter Butter cookies.  Why only have one when you can have both?  These were baked up for a dear friend's birthday.  There are Nutter Butters in the cake batter and some mini cookies on top.  

I love how the cookies added a little something extra to the cakes.  A little unexpected extra dose of peanut butter.  That's a nice surprise.  The chocolate cake is my absolute favorite recipe from Hershey's.  Every time I make this cake it turns out just right.  Perfectly moist and just the right chocolate flavor.

Chocolate cake

2 cups sugar

1 3/4 cups flour

3/4 cups cocoa

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk 

1/2 cup oil

2 tsp vanilla

1 cup boiling water, I used coffee

12-14 Nutter Butter cookies, broken into small pieces

Heat oven to 350 and prepare your baking pan with cupcake liners

In the bowl of your mixer stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder and soda, and salt.

Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla. Beat on medium for 2 minutes.  Stir in boiling water/coffee.

Fold in Nutter Butter cookies.  

Bake for 20-25 minutes.  Allow cakes to cool before frosting.

Peanut Butter Frosting

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp kosher salt

5 Tbsp softened butter

1/3 cup heavy cream

Combine all ingredients except for the heavy cream. Scraping bowl as needed. Once combined add heavy cream and beat on high until smooth and creamy.  I dressed up my cupcakes with mini nutter butter cookies and a sprinkle of sea salt.

These cupcakes will definitely please anyone who loves chocolate and peanut butter....all in one perfect little cake!

Peanut butter wrapped in chocolate cookies.

There are few things in life better than this combo: peanut butter and chocolate.  I think if you did a survey, many people would say it is their absolute favorite combo.  I am one of those people.  However, I think this is one of the best ways to consume peanut butter......

yes, one (or two, or three) big spoonfuls.  Nothing to distract from that magical peanut butter!

But, we were celebrating Doctor's Day at work, and treats had to be made.  I figured a peanut butter and chocolate cookie would be a crowd pleaser. I had seen this recipe on  bakeorbreak.com.  A fun website with some tasty looking cookies.  Then after doing some web-surfing, I saw this recipe repeated on several different websites.  I had to give it a shot!
Basically you make a peanut butter filling and wrap it inside a chocolate cookie, like a baked peanut butter cup!

Let's start with the Chocolate Cookies:

• 1 1/2 c flour
• 1/2 c granulated sugar
• 1/2 c brown sugar
• 1/2 c unsweetened cocoa powder ( I used Hershey's)
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 c softened butter
• 1/4 c peanut butter
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbsp milk
• 1 tsp vanilla

Stir together flour, cocoa and baking soda and set aside.

In a mixing bowl combine butter, sugar, brown sugar, and peanut butter.  Beat in egg, milk, and milk. Add the flour mixture until combined.  Roll into balls a little over an inch in diameter, place on a cookie sheet for later use. (On a side note, many of the recipes I saw said this would make as many as 30 cookies, I ended up with just over 20!)

Peanut Butter Filling

• 3/4 c powdered sugar
• 1/2 c peanut butter

I thought it might be a good idea to add some smashed Reese's pieces to the peanut butter mix.  I used about one bag, but I have to say it really wasn't worth the extra step.  I didn't notice the candy in the finished product.  Add it if you like, but definitely not necessary.

Combine peanut butter and powdered sugar until smooth.  (I just kneaded it with my hands.) 

Roll into balls.  Preheat oven to 350.  Slightly flatten a chocolate dough ball and top it with a peanut butter ball.  Wrap the chocolate around the peanut butter dough.  Roll into a ball until the peanut butter is completely covered.  

Place cookies about 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Flatten the cookies with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar.

I baked them for exactly 9 minutes and they turned out perfect.  Cool on the pan for a minute and then transfer to a rack.  

Looks pretty tasty right??  

Overall, I liked the cookie.  Was it my favorite chocolate peanut butter cookie? No.  

Would I make it again? Maybe. 

 I was happy to have tried it and they all got eaten up at work, so I would say it was a success!