Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Can I admit something? Ok..good. Summer has started and instead of being full of energy and getting lots done I have been...exhausted. Am I that programmed that without a set schedule everyday, alarm clock buzzing in my ear, and a mile-long to do list I am eh? Blah? *Sigh*  Perhaps I need some protein in my diet. Perhaps I need some sugar. Perhaps I need...a cupcake. I know!  A chocolate cupcake with peanut butter frosting!

Ok, what an argument to have a cupcake in your life huh? Did it work for you too? I hope so. These cupcakes were described as "the best thing I have made thus far" by my Culinary Companion. For a person who does NOT (I know..seriously how can that be?!?) eat sweets that is a BIG statement. I have to agree though, these cupcakes were packing a peanutty punch. Rich. Decadent. Satisfied after one, but kept help thinking of having another one. 

The chocolate cupcake base was the Hershey's Chocolate Cake recipe. The boiling water in this recipe I think is the trick. Yes, don't worry, the batter is runny but results in a fabulously moist cupcake. Nothing is worse than a chocolate cupcake that is dry. Yech. The frosting had me skeptical at first. There was quite a bit of powdered sugar in the recipe. I ended up cutting back on it, and adding a touch more milk. To me, it was just a matter of taste. Add. Mix. Taste some more. Repeat until Peanut Butter Frosting Nirvana is reached. Lick beaters when no one is looking. Oh come on, you know you do it too.

So if your summer is starting on a bit of a low point and is need of a pick me up I suggest these. That July 4th picnic coming up? These will definitely be a hit, I promise. Ok sure they aren't red, white, and blue, but chocolate and peanut butter? An American Classic! You can't go wrong, and maybe after you have one of these your summer will be kicked into high gear.

HERSHEY'S "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

• 2 cups sugar
• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Prepare muffin tins with cupcake liners.

2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin).

Pour batter into prepared pans.

3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. 

Peanut Butter Frosting

Adapted from Cookies and Cups

1/2 cup butter, room temp (1 stick)

1 cup creamy peanut butter

5 cups sifted powdered sugar

1/4 cup milk (you can add more if your prefer a creamier frosting)

1. Combine butter and peanut butter on medium speed until combined.

2. Slowly add powdered sugar until combined.

3. Add milk until desired consistency is reached.

4. Pipe frosting on cooled cupcakes and garnish with miniature peanut butter cups (optional, but totally worth it)

Seven Layer Bars

It has been a week or so since I have posted anything. School ended. Summer started. The sun blazed on. In the simplicity and heat of summer I wanted a simple and easy dessert. Seven layers. Ladies, if you want a dessert to impress, and not a lot of fuss start here. The ooey gooeyness presented in this bar recipe, will let anyone forgive you for really not stretching your baking muscles here too much. This is a light day at the gym. This is a lazy Sunday, keep the pajamas on, I don't feel like doing much kind of dessert. And boy, oh boy is it much appreciated.  I made these for a Pampered Chef party I hosted and unfortunately for my waistline I made too many to be eaten for the small group of us and now I have a large plate of them left behind. My tummy appreciates. My thighs, not so much.

There are seven easy layers to put together. Let me break it down for you.

1. Crush a package of graham crackers (there are 9 in one package- that is how many you need. How easy is that?)
2. Add a stick of melted butter. Mix and press into the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch pan.
3. Then (are you ready for this?)..sprinkle on your walnuts, your three different kinds of chips, and coconut (that has been toasted in the oven prior for 4 minutes..that is as culinary as we get here folks).
4. Pour a can of sweetened condensed milk over.
5. Done. Bake. Enjoy.

A few of my baking challenged friends came by for the P.C. party, and I convinced them this is a recipe they need to try. You really can't get any easier. I am now on though to thinking how can I change this gooey concoction. Add nutella? Hmm. Pecans? Salted caramel. Oh boy...Possibilities. Are. Endless.

Oh all these free things I get to purchase through Pampered Chef? Yea, expect me to be making delicious things with all of those gadgets soon. Oh boy, I can't wait to use those!

Seven Layer Bars
15-24 bars (depending on how big you like your bars!)

1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
9 graham crackers (5 ounces), crushed
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup white chocolate chips
½ cup butterscotch chips
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with non-stick spray. Line the pan with two overlapping pieces of foil or parchment paper, leaving overhang to act as handles for lifting the bars out of the pan. Spray with non-stick spray.

2. Spread the coconut on a baking sheet and bake until the outer flakes just begin to brown, about 4 minutes. (Keep a close eye on it – coconut can go from slightly browned to burnt in a matter of seconds.) Set aside.

3. Melt the butter and combine with graham cracker crumbs in a small bowl. Toss with your fingers until the butter is evenly distributed. Press the crumbs evenly onto the bottom of the prepared pan.

4. In order, sprinkle the walnuts, chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and coconut over the graham crumbs. Pour the condensed milk evenly over the entire dish.

5. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 25 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack to room temperature, about 2 hours.

6. Remove the bars fromthe pan using the foil or parchment handles and transfer to a cutting board. Using a sharp knife or bench cutter, cut into 2 by 3-inch bars.

Nectarine Pie with Almond crumb topping

Is there anything homier and more comforting than pie? Seriously think about it for a second. I think you will agree there is not. And pie is something I think seems to have a place all year round. I adore pie in the wintertime with all the holidays. Nothing is more satisfying than a slice of pie after my Thanksgiving meal. I honestly cannot have any other kind of dessert afterwards. In the summer time, I get excited about peach pie, and berry pies galore. Pie always has a place on my table.


Enjoying pie and making pie though two very different topics. Pie dough and me have not always been a perfect union. I have tackled different culinary/pastry techniques and for some reason pie dough is the one that always befuddles me. Sometimes its too sticky, then it won't roll out, it's too soft, too crunchy, not enough flakiness- you get my point. I have the answer though! Use. Your. Hands. Put that food processor away. Take the jewelry off. Roll up your sleeves. Get to know your dough. It is so much more forgiving. Oh and one more point. Use butter. There are many debates about using half shortening/half butter to achieve the perfect flavor/flakiness ration. Shortening, though, is well- it's icky. Seriously, what is that stuff? Trust me, use all butter, and your hands and you will get that great flavor to flake ratio. Using the food processor, can result is overworking your dough, causing that gluten stuff to act up resulting in a tough dough. Your hands, can't work as fast and therefore you stand a better fighting chance of not overworking your dough. Besides, it's just plain fun to get in there and get messy. My last major tip. Use very, very, cold butter.  I like to cupt up my butter into small chunks and then re-freeze it aftewards. Just the warmth of the knife can soften it too much. For a great step by step tutorial, check out smitten kitchen's post on how to make perfect pie dough.

For this pie, I decided to use nectarines. This was just a perfect juicy summer pie.  It's the simpler cousin of peaches. I didn't have to blanche my nectarines like I would normally with peaches (put them in boiling water for a minute in order to remove the skins). I just simply sliced them and they were good to go- which made this pie pretty fast to throw together! The almond crumb topping with this pie was a perfect balance with the nectarines. The almond taste was subtly in the background, not too overpowering.  After this pie, I definitely want to try and make more pies by hand. So be ready for that. Pie, pie, and more pie!


You could definitely skip the making pie dough part if summer is calling your name. Use a store-bought pie crust and this pie is ready in no time. Fill up your sangria glass (I'm not judging) and get ready to the enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Nectarine Pie with Almond Crumb Topping
Adapted from William-Sonoma "Home Baked Comfort", and "Pie" by Ken Haedrich


Pie Dough, single crust


1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp sugar (if making a savory dish, omit)
7 tbsp very cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
5 tbsp ice water, more if necessary


makes enough for one 9-inch pie


In the bowl of your food processor or by hand using a pastry cutter stir together the flour, salt, and sugar, if using.  Sprinkle the butter over the top and pulse for a few seconds. If by hand, cut the butter in using your pastry cutter until it slightly broken up into the flour but is still visible in pieces. Evenly sprinkle the ice water over the flour mixture, then process just until the mixture starts to come together. Dump the dough into a large zip lock bag and press into a flat disk. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes or up to 1 day, or freeze up to 1 month.

Filling

6 cups pitted and sliced ripe nectarines, unpeeled

Scant 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Almond Crumb Topping

3/4 cup whole or slivered almonds
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

1. Refrigerate pastry for crust until firm enough to roll, about 1 hour.

2. On a sheet of lightly floured wax paper, roll half the pastry into a 13-inch circle with a floured rolling pin. Invert the pastry over a 9 1/2-inch deep-dish pie pan, center, and peel off the paper. Tuck the pastry into the pan, with out stretching it, and sculpt the edge into an upstanding ridge. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400F.

3. In a large bowl, combine the nectarines, 1/2 cup of the sugar, the lemon juice, and lemon zest. Set aside for 10 minutes to juice. Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and the cornstarch in a small bowl, then stir the mixture into the fruit. Stir in the almond extract. Scrape the filling in to the chilled pie shell, smoothing the fruit with a spoon. Place the pie on the center oven rack and bake for 30 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, make the topping. Combine the almonds and the sugar in a food processor, pulsing in short bursts to chop the almonds well. Add the flour and the salt and pulse briefly to mix. Scatter the butter over the dry ingredients and pulse until the mixture looks like fine crumbs. Dump the crumbs into a large bowl and rub between your fingers to make large, buttery crumbs. Refrigerate until ready to use.

5. Remove the pie from the oven and reduce the temperature to 375F. Carefully dump the crumbs in the center of the pie, spreading them evenly and tamping them lightly with your hands. Return the pie to the oven, placing it so that the part that faced the back of the oven now faces forward. Just in case, slide a large aluminum-foil-lined baking sheet onto the rack below to catch any spills. Continue to bake until the juices bubble thickly around the edge, 30 to 40 minutes.

6. Transfer the pie to a wire rack and let cool for at least 2 hours before serving.