Buckeye Brownie Bowls

It all started with this pan, a brownie bowl pan. I loved the shape of it and I knew I could bake many things from it.  Lemon cakes filled with a chiffon lemon cream and fresh raspberries, strawberry cakes, chocolate and vanilla cakes filled with a variety of things. You could also fill your cakes or brownies with just fresh whipped cream and fruit or make and ice cream brownie sundae out of them, it really does have a lot of uses.  Almost any batter could be baked in this versatile pan.  I chose to make brownie bowls in my pan, but not just plain brownie bowls, Buckeye Brownie Bowls, filled with a fluffy peanut butter center and topped with hot fudge sauce and sprinkled with chopped peanuts. It was easy and they were so delicious!

The pan has six inverted bottom cups in it.

This is the underside/bottom of the pan.

I was in a hurry so I used this box mix.  I used the amounts of ingredients called for to mix the batter, but I don't follow directions, I put the packet of fudge in the mix instead of on top, I'm crazy like that.  I sprayed the pan wells with cooking spray before I baked them.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until the tops spring back when touched.

The amazing, fluffy, peanut butter filling needs just a few ingredients you probably already have in the pantry.

I used 2 cups of 10X sugar, 3/4 cup of creamy JIF peanut butter, 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla and about 1/3 cup of milk.  If the mixture is too thick add a little milk at a time to make it more smooth and fluffy.  If it becomes to loose add a little more 10X sugar.

It's so creamy and fluffy, I love peanut butter!

The brownie bowls came out perfect

Nice deep wells, just waiting for that creamy fluffy peanut butter.

To fill brownie bowl.....

add peanut butter filling.....

hot fudge sauce.....

and top with chopped peanuts. And there you have Buckeye Brownie Bowls ready to eat and they were wonderful!

 

Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

My new favorite chocolate vegan cake, just got an update, a new taste.  This cake is so versatile you can do anything you want with it.  It's one cake that I know my vegan son will eat, he loves it!  I know some will say, vegan eeewww!, but this is not the cake you will be saying that too, I promise.  Now, I used regular peanut butter on mine, but by all means try whatever you like, almond butter or cashew butter will work too.

Some ingredients to get this recipe started.

You don't even need a mixer, that is the best part, less cleanup.  This is my old standby for making sure it doesn't stick to the pan. 

Got the cake baked, let it cool, spread on the peanut butter, chill for an hour, then pour on the frosting.  This is so easy!

And D-E-L-I-S-H-I-O-U-S!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

Ingredients for the cake

Bakers Joy or use canola oil and flour

2 1/4 cups of unbleached four

1 1/2 cups of white sugar

1/3 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons of baking soda

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1 1/2 cups of strong coffee, cooled or water (see note)

1/2 cup canola oil

41/2 teaspoons of white vinegar

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
1 cup of peanut butter

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish or pan with Baker's Joy, set aside. In a large mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk together until all the lumps are gone. With a spatula or whisk, stir in the coffee, oil, vinegar, and vanilla. Scrape bowl from the bottom up to make sure everything is combined. Pour the batter into the baking dish/pan.

Bake for 30 minutes or until a cake tester inserted, comes out clean. Cool the cake for about 1/2 hour, then spread on peanut butter, refrigerate for 1 hour. While peanut butter is setting up on the cake, make the frosting.

Frosting
1/2 cup vegan butter ( Earths Balance is what I used)
1/3 cup almond milk with 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, stir together
1/4 cup cocoa powder, sifted
1 lb box confectioner's sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla

Place the sifted sugar in a large bowl and set aside. Combine butter, milk, and cocoa in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, while stirring, until the mixture just begins to boil. Remove from heat and pour into sifted confectioner's sugar. Beat until smooth, stir in the vanilla. After peanut butter has set, spread frosting to completely cover the peanut butter on the cake. Makes 12 servings.

NOTE: I use 1 cup of coffee and 1/2 cup of water. The coffee brings out the flavor of the chocolate, but the cake does not taste like coffee.

Peanut Butter Cookies

Christmas is on the horizon, so I thought I would try out a new recipe for Peanut Butter Cookies, one of the Christmas cookie tray staples.  I usually have a Christmas cookie making party (I have to get on that and start planning), I invite family and friends, we all bake our favorite cookies, then share them, and everyone goes home with a huge tray of assorted cookies.  In between all the baking, I serve a very nice lunch, with a festive table setting, and then it's right back to the baking.  Sometimes we are in the kitchen for 12 or more hours baking non-stop.  It's always fun and we get to spend time together.  Recipe for cookies is below.

A few of the ingredients.  I like JIF Peanut Butter I think it's smoother.  Mixed up and ready to be rolled.

Don't forget the parchment paper, it keeps cookies from sticking to the sheet.  All rolled and evenly spaced.

 Use flour to make your grid marks on top of the cookies. 

 Baked and ready to eat with a cold glass of milk.  They won't last long! 

 Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups of sifted flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup of JIF Peanut Butter

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Line your baking sheet(s) with parchment paper.  Put 1 tablespoon of flour in a small bowl, set aside to use later.  Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.  In a large bowl of a mixer, cream the butter and peanut butter together.  Add the brown sugar and white sugar and beat until fluffy.  Add the egg and the vanilla and beat.  Add the dry ingredients and mix until all is combined.  Using 1 rounded tablespoon of dough for each cookie, roll into a ball by rolling it in the palms of your hands.  Place 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. With tines of a fork, dipped in the tablespoon of flour, press crosswise one way on the cookie, and then over lay the other way, making a grid impression on the cookie.  Bake 10 - 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a baking rack.  Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Tip: If you like peanuts, use 1 cup of chopped peanuts in the recipe, or roll the balls in the chopped peanuts and then flatten if you like, with the bottom of a glass.