Deluxe Marshmallow Bars

Check out the recipe for these on Mother's Niche!  You won't be sorry!

Peanut Butter Cheesecake

Peanut Butter Cheesecake

Oreo Crust:

• 2 rows oreos, crushed.
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup peanut butter cups, chopped
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

In 9" spring form pan, mix crushed oreos and melted butter until combined.  Press onto bottom and sides of pan.  Sprinkle peanut butter cups and chocolate chips on top.

Cheesecake Batter:

• 4-8 oz. bricks cream cheese, softened
• 5 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla

Beat cream cheese in large mixer until smooth.  Add eggs, one at a time until combined.  Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until smooth.  Pour onto crust.  Set two ramekins or small baking dishes full of water on either side of oven.  Place cheesecake in the center of the oven.  Bake at 350 for 45 minutes, or until just browned on top and slightly jiggles in center.  Cool on stove-top or counter for 1 hour.  

Ganache Topping:

• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Heat cream in saucepan until boiling.  Take off heat and add chocolate chips.  Whisk until smooth.  Pour or drizzle on top of cheesecake.  Add peanuts and more peanut butter cups if desired.  Refrigerate overnight.  Enjoy!

Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake

Hop on over to Mother's Niche for my Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake recipe!

Peanut Butter and Caramel Cupcakes

Peanut Butter and Caramel Cupcakes

• THIS chocolate cake recipe
• 1 C. butter, softened
• 1 C. creamy peanut butter
• 4 Tbsp. milk
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 4-6 cups powdered sugar
• Caramel sauce and peanuts to decorate

Bake chocolate cupcakes according to directions.

For frosting, cream butter and peanut butter together until smooth.  Add milk and vanilla, and beat until incorporated.  Add powdered sugar and beat until you get the consistency you like.  Pipe onto cupcakes.  Drizzle caramel sauce, then sprinkle peanuts on top.  Enjoy!

Serious Brownies

I call these Serious Brownies, because I take them very seriously.  I know.  I am very creative with names.  But seriously- they are perfect.

I was arguing with myself all week about making these.  I have made plenty of delicious brownies, but they have never been my idea of perfect.  But lately, I have been craving the perfect brownie that I have never yet tasted.  Well, I adapted a few recipes and guess what?  They turned out just how I wanted them to!  I hesitate in building them up too much, because I know everyone has their own tastes.  And if you're a food snob, or even worse- a dessert snob -it could get ugly.

So, if you are like me, and want a rich, chocolatey-fudgey-but not too fudgey-brownie with the perfect frosting...well, these might just be for you!  Give them a try, and please let me know how you like them.

Serious Brownies

• 1 cup butter
• 1 oz. unsweetened, or semi-sweet baking chocolate
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder

In large saucepan, melt butter and chocolate until smooth.  Take off heat.  With wooden spoon, gently stir in sugar, eggs, and vanilla.  Then add cocoa, flour, salt, and baking powder.  Mix just until combined.  Spread batter in greased 9x13 pan.  Bake at 350 for 28 minutes.  (Mine came out perfect at 28 minutes, but I know everyone's ovens bake differently, so bake until toothpick comes out mostly clean-but a little tiny bit fudgey.)

Frosting

• 6 tbsp. butter, softened
• 6 tbsp. cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp. honey
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 1/2-2 cups powdered sugar

Beat until combined to the consistency you like.  You can add milk to thin it.  Frost while brownies are still warm.

Salted Caramel Cupcakes {and Happy Mothers Day}

This past week, my sweet 5-year-old daughter came home from pre-school with a beautiful potted flower she had made herself, along with a painting that said "Mother, all flowers remind me of you." She showed them to me and since it was days before mothers day, I knew they were a gift for me. I told her, "Aww, this is so sweet. Thank you!" But she just looked at me funny and said, "Uh...these aren't for you. I decided I want to keep them." I gave her my best fake sad face and told her, "What about the card? It says all flowers remind you of me!" She simply said, "Yeah, flowers don't really remind me of you. Stoves and microwaves remind me of you."

SO, my mothers day gift was an afternoon of baking! Actually, this IS what I asked for. A quiet kitchen free of children running under my feet where I get to do one of my favorite things. And here is what I made...

Salted Caramel Cupcakes
{Truffle filled Chocolate Cupcakes with Caramel Buttercream Frosting}

• 1 box devil's food cake mix (plus ingredients for cake mix)
• 1 small box instant chocolate pudding
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 jar Caramel topping
• Sea Salt

Caramel Buttercream Frosting

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 3+ tsp. caramel topping (leftover from cupcakes)

Pre-heat oven to 350. In large bowl, combine cake mix plus ingredients for cake mix, pudding, and sour cream. Set aside. In small saucepan, heat whipping cream until boiling. Take off heat. Stir in chocolate chips until smooth. Pour into cupcake liners about 1/2 full. Spoon about a teaspoon of truffle sauce on top of cupcake batter. Bake for 18 minutes. Cool completely. Top each cupcake with a smear of caramel. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt.

Next, in a separate bowl, mix butter and powdered sugar until fluffy. Add caramel until desired consistency. Frost cupcakes and sprinkle with more sea salt.

P.S. My daughter ended up "surprising me" on Mothers Day morning with the flowers. I guess she was just holding out as a cover-up. I asked her if she would like to take care of the flowers for me, and she thought that was a great idea.

Sinful Chocolate Cake

This is the best chocolate cake recipe I have tried yet. My sister made it for me a year or so ago, and I instantly fell in love. In fact, I had to steal a piece of the cake on my way out her door to enjoy on the 4+ hour drive home. The cake didn't make it 10 minutes out of her town. Then I made it for my husbands family last year, and as I was transfering the leftover cake from their house to my car, it fell onto the driveway. I may or may not have scraped off the top and eaten the rest of it anyway. MAYBE!!


Sinful Chocolate Cake

• 1 box Devil's Food Cake Mix
  
• 1/2 Cup water
  
• 1/2 Cup oil
  
• 4 eggs
  
• 1 Cup sour cream
  
• 1 box instant chocolate pudding
  
• 1 16 oz. bag chocolate chips
  
• 1/2 Cup heavy whipping cream
  

Pre-heat oven to 350. Spray bundt pan. Mix together cake mix, water, oil, eggs, sour cream, and pudding. Mix for 10 minutes. Then add half a bag of chocolate chips. Pour into bundt pan and bake for 45-50 minutes.

For ganache topping, heat whipping cream just until boiling. Take off heat and add the rest of the chocolate chips. Stir until smooth. Pour over cake. ENJOY!