There is nothing to make you feel more uncoordinated than playing video games with kids. I had an 8 year old desperately wanting to play Halo with me. I informed him that I was no good at playing Halo. That was putting it mildly. Being 8 an optimistic he didn’t seem to take me all that serious and assured me that he could do what others had not been able to before, he would teach me Halo.

I was already down and out staring at my little pink Xbox controller (yes, mine is pink) while he quickly went over what each button did and then listed the exceptions, which there seemed to be many of. I think at this point I was mostly blinking when I was informed just follow my guy and I’ll tell you what to do.

You think that would have been easy? Just follow his guy. Sure. Yeah, not so much. I couldn’t get my up and down right. I would move when I was supposed to be looking. And then the next thing you know I was somehow on fire. To which he was in awe that I was on fire since we hadn’t even gone against any enemy yet. Yes, my inadequate video game skills were shining through and through. Once I was brought back to life again and once I stopped laughing I attempted to follow him again. Which usually ended up with a whole lot of “no, up, you are looking down” and “where did you go?”

I never did end up getting to the point of actually going against an enemy. After 15 minutes of being completely lost and somehow setting myself on fire the oven timer went off and a 13 year came to my rescue and actually played the game how you are supposed to play it. I’m not giving up yet. I don’t think the 8 year old is going to let me. Next time I am just hoping to not catch on fire.

After a long day of being reminded you are old there is nothing better than chocolate. A few years ago I joined a group called Tuesdays with Dorie that my friend Laurie started. They finally reached the end of the book (it’s a big book and one you should own if you are a baker) and that got me thinking about some of the things I have made from that book. One was a chocolate chip topped brownie. Thought I would throw in left over Nutter Butters and add a few peanut butter chips and some peanut butter to the mix. Almost made me forget I suck at Halo. Almost.

Ghetto Chocolate Chip Topped Nutter Butter Brownie Bars

For the brownie layer:

9 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
8 ounces unsalted butter, cut into pieces (melt quicker that way)
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
30 Nutter Butter Cookies

For the cookie layer:

1 ¼ cups flour
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
10 TBSP unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 TBSP peanut butter, I used Jif
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
¾ cup milk chocolate chips
¾ cup peanut butter chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-x-13-inch baking pan, line it with wax or parchment paper and butter the paper. Put the pan on a baking sheet.

For the Brownie Batter: Put chocolate and the butter in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Heat just until the ingredients are melted, stirring occasionally. Remove the bowl from the heat.

Working with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the sugar and eggs on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes, until pale.

Beat in the salt and vanilla extract. Reduce the speed to low, and mix in the melted chocolate and butter, mixing only until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then, still on low speed, add the flour, mixing only until it disappears into the batter.

Pour brownie batter into prepared pan. Place Nutter Butter Cookies close to each other but not overlapping (cut some in half if need be to make fit) until the brownie batter is covered in Nutter Butters.

Clean the mixer bowl to use again for the cookie dough.

For the Cookie Dough: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

Working with a stand mixer, beat the butter, peanut butter, and both sugars together on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes.

One at a time, add the egg and the yolk, beating for 1 minute after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing only until they disappear into the dough. Mix in the chocolate and peanut butter chips.

Drop the cookie dough by spoonfuls over the brownie batter with Nutter Butters and, using a spatula and a light touch, spread it evenly over the batter.

Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until the cookie top is deep golden brown and firm and a thin knife inserted into the brownie layer comes out with only faint streaks of moist chocolate. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool to room temperature.

When the bars are completely cool, carefully run a knife between the sides of the pan and the brownies, then invert them onto another rack, remove the paper and turn right side up onto a cutting board. Cut into bars about 2 inches by 1 inch.

Adapted from Baking From My Home To Yours by Dorie Greenspan

This fun cake comes from October 2007! Some days it’s hard for me to believe that I had a blog that long ago or should I say still have a blog. I go through phases where I wonder if should keep doing it. And I always come back to continuing the blog.

Definitely been having writers block, and combine that with the fact that people only comment nowadays on controversially posts only makes it hard to want to keep on putting effort in. No worries though, whenever I think I am going to stop I keep going. I’m sure I will keep going just like I always do. I won’t even threaten to take time off as every time I say that I rush out and do a bunch of posts.

The cake is an adaptation of this peanut butter chocolate chip cake I made a year or so ago, the difference being the use of the peanut butter chips. The other difference is the use of my mini(4-inch diameter) tart pans. I used those to give the cake a more peanut butter cup look. If you get too much rise on your cake you can always trim off the top with a bread knife(that’s what I had to do). If you don’t have little tart pans, you could simply bake it in the rectangular pan and then cut out circles with a cookie cutter. It won’t have that cute peanut butter cup shape but will be tasty nonetheless.

Peanut Butter Cup Cake

Peanut Butter Peanut Butter Chip Cakes(recipe follows)
Chocolate Glaze(recipe follows)
peanut butter cups, chopped, for garnish

Peanut Butter Peanut Butter Chip Cake

2 ounces unsalted butter
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup tightly packed brown sugar
3 ounces creamy peanut butter
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup hot water
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup peanut butter chips

Preheat oven to 325F.

Grease three 9 x 1 1/2 inch pans.(I personally used just one 9 x 13 pan). Line your bottoms with parchment. Set aside.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Mix together brown sugar, peanut butter and butter for two minutes. Add egg and egg yolk and mix for another 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and mix for another minute.

Add half of the flour mixture and mix until incorporated about 20 seconds. Then add the sour cream, mixing again for 20 seconds. Gradually add the remaining flour mixture. Add the hot water in a slow, steady stream and mix on low to combine, about 30 seconds. Add the vanilla and mix for another 10 seconds. Add the peanut butter chips and use a rubber spatula to finish mixing the ingredients until thoroughly combined.

Divide the cake batter into the prepared pans, spreading it evenly. Bake for about 22 minutes. If you have 4 inch diameter tart pans like I used, it takes the same amount of time to bake the cake, if not a few more minutes. Use a knife to see if it is done.

Source: Death by Chocolate Cake by Marcel Desaulniers

Chocolate Glaze

6 ounces semisweet chocolate
4 TBSP unsalted butter

Break chocolate into small pieces and place in a small stainless steel bowl over a pot of hot(not boiling)water. Melt the 4 TBSP butter in a small saucepan, and skim off the white foam that rises to the top. When chocolate is just melted, stir in the clarified butter(discard the white solids left behind). Set aside until chocolate is 86F.

To Assemble: Place cakes on a wire rack. Place rack on top of a cookie sheet so that the extra chocolate has a place to drip onto.Pour chocolate glaze over cake and using a narrow metal spatula, quickly pared it evenly over the top and sides of the cake. Allow chocolate to set to firm consistency before serving. Garnish with chopped peanut butter cup.

So I know people on Facebook are upset about the new changes. I’m not here to discuss those changes. I’m here to discuss the phenomenon that is couples as one person on FB. I hate this. Because usually I’m not friends with the couple, I’m friends with one of the two people. So half the time when they post I don’t know who is actually posting. And then when you comment and it’s the other person and you thought that it was your friend they ask who are you? I’m C’s friend. Oh.

Yes, oh. If you are going to make a joint account maybe only friend the people who you know together as a couple. Maybe only friend other people that are on joint couple accounts.

Interestingly enough, most of the people I know that have these joint accounts usually have them because the significant other wants to make sure that nothing is going on behind their back. If you are at the point where you don’t trust what your spouse is doing on Facebook, maybe you should spend less time on Facebook and more time with your spouse/significant other working on your relationship. In person. Just a thought.

Maybe reconnect with your spouse/significant other by cooking/baking together. If you are like me you have over ripe bananas somewhere on your counter right now. Work on your relationship and bake banana bread all at the same time. Win-win. This of course is not your typical banana bread. I’ve added some peanut butter as well as peanut butter chips. Spread a little marshmallow fluff on there and dead Elvis might come by to visit you.

Peanut Butter Banana Peanut Butter Chip Bread

6 TBSP unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup peanut butter
1 cup granulated sugar
½ tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
3 medium, super ripe (like the color scares you ripe) bananas
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 cup peanut butter chips

Preheat oven to 325F.
Sift all the dry ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.

Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, peanut butter, and sugar on medium-high for 3 minutes, it should be light and fluffy.

Add eggs, one at a time and beat for 30 seconds after each egg addition. Add vanilla and beat another 30 seconds.

Add bananas and mix until incorporated.

With the mixer on low speed add the dry ingredients and mix until everything is just incorporated. Don’t over mix. Remove from mixer and fold in peanut butter chips with a spatula. This will also help the rest of the ingredients mix in.

If making mini loaves (makes three) these bake about 30-40 minutes. If you are doing a full size loaf it will take about an hour to an hour and 15 minutes. As always, just watch it because each oven is different.

Insert witty post here.

Sorry I have been MIA busy weekend obviously and no real time now. So I will leave you with these. They were one of the original recipes on this blog back in 2006! And no this isn’t a Way Back as I remade them. I actually make them a lot. People and kids (in fact I had helpers make these…they get mixed by hand so that’s always good to get the kiddos involved with) alike love them.

Hope everyone had as awesome of a holiday weekend as I did!

Brownie Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

Cupcakes
6 TBSP (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips (about 8 ounces)
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt

Frosting:

1 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter (do not use old-fashioned or freshly ground)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 teaspoons (about) whipping cream (optional)

For cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 10 standard (1/3-cup) muffin cups with paper liners.

Combine butter, 1/2 cup chocolate chips, and unsweetened chocolate in top of double boiler set over simmering water.

Stir until mixture is melted and smooth. Remove from over water. Whisk both sugars into chocolate mixture, then whisk in eggs 1 at a time.

Whisk in vanilla, then flour, salt, and remaining 3/4 cup chocolate chips.

Divide batter among prepared muffin cups (about 1/4 cup for each).

Bake cupcakes until tester inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 20 minutes. Transfer cupcakes to rack and cool completely.

For frosting:

Put powdered sugar and next 3 ingredients in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat until mixture is smooth, adding whipping cream by teaspoonful’s if frosting is too thick to spread.

Spread frosting over top of cupcakes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Store in single layer in airtight container at room temperature.)

Makes 10 cupcakes.
Bon Appetit
January 2003