Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

I know this recipe as it is written in my book is old because it calls for a 12 ounce package of peanut butter chips. They only make 10 ounce packages anymore. You could just add in a few chocolate chips like I did to make up the difference. :)


Ingredients:

1 cup butter (or any substitute like Butter Flavor Crisco)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2-3 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder (dark dutch processed)
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 package peanut butter chips


You will also need:

Stand mixer (unless you want to mix by hand - ugh!)
Spatula or spoonula
Medium "ice cream" scoop (if you have one)
Cookie/baking sheets
Parchment paper


Method:

In a small bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.

With your stand mixer, cream together butter and sugars until fluffy. Add (room temperature if possible) eggs one at a time, mixing well with each addition. Add in vanilla and mix to combine.

Add the flour mixture in several stages mixing and scraping with a rubber scraper as you go until all the dry ingredients are fully incorporated. Mix in the peanut butter chips.

Cover and refrigerate for 3 - 4 hours until firm.

Make one-inch balls either by rolling with your hands or by using your scoop and place them on parchment paper on your cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes @ 350 F.



Yes, I realize they look like something that is not polite to talk about at the dinner table...

but they are OH. SO. GOOD!



If you like this recipe, you might also like:

Brownies
Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies
Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Bread Pudding (with Dried Cherries)

Adapted from this recipe




Ingredients:

6 cups, packed, of 1" cubes of slightly stale white bread (challah or french loaf), trimmed of crust
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup heavy cream
1-1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon Dutch processed cocoa powder (sifted)
1 teaspoon salt
4 whole eggs, plus 1 egg yolk (you can save the white for later by freezing)
1 cup milk
1 Tbsp. vanilla


Optional Ingredients:

1 cup dried cherries (dried Bing cherries preferable if you can find them)
1 cup orange juice
1 cup Cabernet Sauvignon (or Port if you have it)


You will also need:

Soufflé or round baking dish (7-9” diameter, 3-4” high)
Butter for soufflé dish
Aluminum foil
Metal baking pan (9 x 13)
Heatproof batter bowl
Two sauce pans (one larger, one smaller)
Whisk
Heatproof spatula/spoonula
Ladle


Method:

Slice the bread into thick slices, remove most of crust and then cut into cubes and place in one layer on rimmed baking sheet & loosely cover with plastic wrap. Leave overnight & until you’re ready to cook.

Generously butter your soufflé dish then place the stale bread cubes into the buttered dish – it will be very full.

If using dried cherries, warm the wine and orange juice just a bit. Add in the cherries and let them sit to plump up while the rest of the dish is assembled.

Heat cream over low heat (or in microwave) until very hot. Place chopped unsweetened chocolate into a small heatproof bowl, then pour hot cream over the chocolate and place on small sauce pan with ½” – 1” of simmering water on low heat (do not let water touch bottom of bowl). Whisk/stir often until chocolate is completely melted. Heat milk (in microwave or on stove) until very hot; gradually add to melted chocolate mixture, stirring constantly. Add powdered cocoa and whisk until smooth. Allow to remain over heat for several minutes. Remove from heat. Refill the saucepan with water (to be heated later).

While chocolate is melting, whisk together sugars, and salt in a large sauce pan. Beat in eggs and yolk. Gradually stir in melted chocolate mixture, which should be warm. Place over low heat stirring constantly for 3-5 minutes. Custard should become warm and only thicken slightly. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

If using dried cherries, drain the cherries from the wine/orange juice mixture; lightly rinse and dry using paper towels. Toss the cherries with the bread cubes in the soufflé dish.

Slowly ladle all the custard into bread so that every piece gets soaked. Let it sit for about 15 minutes, tossing to rotate the bread cubes after about 5 minutes so that the top layer gets re-soaked.

Bring several cups of water to a boil in the first saucepan. Adjust rack to center of oven and preheat to 325 F. Place your shallower metal baking dish on the oven rack and carefully pour in a thin layer of boiling water. Place filled soufflé dish into the water and cover with aluminum foil, folding it down over the sides. Then continue filling the metal baking dish until it reaches a depth of 1 inch.

Bake, covered, for 35-40 minutes. Remove foil and bake approximately 15-20 minutes longer. Test for doneness by sticking a sharp knife into the center about halfway down and removing. The knife should only be partly clean and still should have a slight smear of custard on it.

Carefully remove the soufflé dish from the oven and pan of water, taking care that the dish will be hot and possibly slippery.

Allow the pudding to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

Refrigerate leftovers and reheat in the microwave for just a minute or so. Eat within two days of making.

Serve alone or with:
Crème Anglaise
Caramel sauce or Cajeta

***

Unlike what you might do for your kids, remove the crusts from the bread then cut it into cubes.




From what I've read, somehow using a combination of solid baking chocolate squares and cocoa powder is the best combination for this dish.



Chop up the chocolate into small pieces. I use my Pampered Chef food chopper. You could use a Slap Chop if you've been sucked into the "You can have an exciting life" line.




If you are using dried cherries, which I highly recommend, soak them in either straight organge juice, red wine, Port, or a combination thereof.



Just look at that chocolatey goodness warming on my stove. Life just doesn't get much better than a big pot of chocolate custard warming on your stove.




Pour just a little boiling water in your large baking dish... I use a disposable one that is marked for just this use.



Then, after placing your souffle dish full of bread pudding inside the metal baking dish, continue to add boiling water until you have it about 1 inch deep. Be careful because the water will dribble down the side of your sauce pan. It's probably best to cover the bread pudding with the aluminum foil first, which I failed to do this time. I was lucky no water ended up in it.



Then you just slide that bad boy on into the oven. Cook it covered for probably close to 40 minutes, then uncover and continue to cook for probably at least another 15 minutes.



And when it's done, you will have the most wonderful chocolate smell throughout your house... mmmmm.

Leg of Lamb with Garlic & Herbs

adapted from a long time ago in the Williams-Sonoma catalog

**I will update with pictures when I have them.**

Ingredients:

1/2 cup chopped mixed fresh herbs (ex.: rosemary, thyme, oregano)
1/4 cup chopped garlic
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
5 tablespoons EVOO
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 leg of lamb (5-6 lb, bone in preferable)
20 fresh rosemary sprigs
5 heads of garlic, 1/4" cut off top
1/4 cup Madeira *
2 cups beef stock


You will also need:

Large roasting pan
Sauce pan


Method:

Combine herbs, chopped garlic, zest, 1 teaspoon salt, 3 tablespoons EVOO and pepper. Coat lamb with mixture.

In a large roasting pan over medium-high heat, warm 2 tablespoons oil. Brown lamb 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter.

Arrange rosemary in center of pan. Place lamb, fat side up on top. Arrange garlic heads around lamb.

Roast at 450 F for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 F. Cook until thermometer reads 130 F for medium-rare, about 1 hour. Transfer to carving board, cover loosely with foil and let rest 20 minutes.

Skim fat from pan & set over medium heat and add Madeira, stirring to scrape up browned bits from pan bottom and smash roastic garlic & add stock. Strain into a saucepan; cook over medium heat until thickened, 5-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Carve lamb and pass sauce alongside.

*In place of Madeira I have used just about any red wine that I have on hand that we will be drinking with dinner; from Merlot to Cabernet. Whatever you've got. Or, you might try just a little balsamic vinegar for a different taste and a non-alcoholic version.

Tuscan (inspired) Lamb Chops

This is one of my family's favorite "one dish wonder" type meals that I got out of one of those little cookbooks in the checkout line at the grocery store.




Ingredients:

4-8 lamb loin chops
Olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 19 ounce can white kidney (cannellini) beans; rinsed & drained
1 8 ounce can Italian style stewed tomatoes
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons snipped fresh rosemary


You will also need:

Large skillet
Wooden spoon
Crusty bread for soppin' up the awesome sauce!!!


Method:

Trim fat from chops. Heat oil in large skillet. Cook chops in hot oil over medium heat until well seared on all sides. Transfer to plate.

You may want to pour the tomatoes out of the can into a seperate bowl and cut them up if they are not diced. But do NOT drain them.

Stir garlic into drippings in skillet & cook for just 30 seconds – 1 minute. Pour in balsamic vinegar to deglaze the pan, scraping up the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Add undrained tomatoes, beans and rosemary & simmer briefly. Reduce heat to low and add chops back in, coating them with the sauce. Cover and keep warm on stove-top or in oven (if you are using an oven-safe skillet; 300 – 350 F) until ready to serve.

(Add less balsamic vinegar if it is too strong of a taste for you. I up the amount of balsamic because we really like the flavor of it in our house.)

Corn Stuffed Pork Chops

adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook

Ingredients:

2 pork loin rib chops, cut 1 1/4 inches thick
1/3 of an onion (chopped) (approximately 1/4 cup)
1/2 of a green pepper (chopped) (approximately 1/4 cup)
1/2 of a rib of celery (chopped) (approximately 1/8 cup)
1-2 cloves of garlic (minced) (approximately 1 teaspoon)
2 (ish) tablespoons butter
3/4 cup cornbread stuffing mix (or crumbled leftover cornbread is even better)
1/2 cup cooked whole kernel corn
2 tablespoons chopped pimiento
salt
pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander


You will also need:

Bowl, water, salt, & sugar for brine
Non-stick skillet
Wooden toothpicks
Broiler pan


Method:

In a bowl mix 3-4 cups of water, and approximately 1/4 cup of each salt and sugar. Stir until salt and sugar are both fully dissolved. Add pork chops, cover, and allow to refrigerate several hours if possible.

When ready to prepare, remove from brine, rinse and pat dry. Trim fat from chops. Cut a pocket in each chop by cutting from fat side almost to bone.

For stuffing, in a non-stick skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium high heat. Sautee onion, green pepper and celery until tender then add garlic, cumin and coriander and cook a little longer until fragrant(a little browned is okay in my book). Add another tablespoon or so of butter and stir in stuffing mix, corn, pimiento, salt and pepper; cooking and stirring until the stuffing mix is completely moistened and all ingredients are combined and heated through.

Season the outside of the pork chops with some peppe and sprinkles of ground coriander and cumin. Open the pocket made in the pork chop with one hand and spoon in the stuffing with the other, pressing it in with the back of the spoon or with your fingers. Secure pockets with toothpicks. Place chops on broiler pan and bake at 375 F for 40 - 50 minutes or until no pink remains.

Remove toothpicks and serve.

****

Season the outside of the pork chops with some peppe and sprinkles of ground coriander and cumin.




Open the pocket made in the pork chop with one hand and spoon in the stuffing with the other, pressing it in with the back of the spoon or with your fingers.

Secure pockets with toothpicks.

Place chops on broiler pan and bake at 375 F for 40 - 50 minutes or until no pink remains. Remove toothpicks and serve.