Peanut Butter Cup Rice Crispy Treats

Since the advent of Facebook and blogs and, especially, Pinterest... I've seen this same basic recipe in many dozens of places with about the same number of people taking credit for inventing the yummy bars.  I first learned to make them in High School, probably 1981.  It was a recipe shared by the new Home Ec teacher that year...   Her name was Cindy James. She was young, and cute and before we realized she was a teacher (barely 4 years older than most of us) all us girls were walking the halls trying to size up the new competition.  And, until the administration cracked down, she let us call her Cindy and not the more formal Miss James.

I've heard they don't teach Home Ec in school anymore... and, should that rumor be true, it's sad.  It was a great class to learn needed life skills and how to run a home and manage a family.

Cindy James' Scotcheroos
 Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly:
1 cup light Karo syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter

Pour over 6 cups of crispy rice cereal.  Press evenly into a greased 9 X 13 cake pan.

Melt together 1 cup chocolate chips (milk or semisweet depending on your preference - mine is and probably always will be milk chocolate) and 1 cup butterscotch chips.  Spread over cereal mixture in pan.  Cool until chocolate is set then cut into bars.  Store airtight.

Inspiration picture from cookingclassy.com.

I've also pressed this into a loaf pan and cut as slices.  That is a pretty presentation on cookie plates at Christmas-time or for a party!

I wrote about them here not long after making them for Derek the first time.

But, you know, at my house these things must be tinkered with...  and tinker we have!

My first alteration to the recipe...
The first time I wanted to make them, Derek pulled faces and informed me that he doesn't like butterscotch.  So I started making them with just plain milk chocolate chips, using closer to 1 1/2 cups.  I still like the hint of butterscotch in them, but they are very good with just plain chocolate on top.

My second alteration to the recipe...
I started adding about 1/2 cup more peanut butter trying to get a slightly softer texture to the finished bars.  And I eyeball it since peanut butter is so icky to get out of the measuring cup and I'm 100% of always stuck with clean-up duty.

My third alteration to the recipe...
Cut 12-15 miniature Reese's Peanut Butter Cups into fourths and sprinkle over the top of the cereal mixture.  Melt 2/3 cup chocolate chips and drizzle over the top of the peanut butter cups.  (They look very much like the picture which was what inspired the addition of the peanut butter cups.  Proudly, mine didn't last long enough to get their portrait taken!)

The next requested alteration...
He wants more chocolate!  So we're going back to the melt 1 1/3 cups of chocolate chips and spread over cereal mixture.  Cut 12-15 miniature peanut butter cups into fourths and sprinkle over the top of the melted chocolate layer.

Baked 'Smores

Too often lately I'm finding a recipe for sweets that becomes a temporary addiction around my house...

It's the addiction du jour until the next tempting morsel comes along, anyway!

And this is one of them.

Baked 'Smores

Mix together and press into the bottom of 12 regular or 24 mini cups of a muffin pan:
1 c finely crushed graham cracker crumbs (about 7 whole crackers)
1/4 c powdered sugar
6 Tbl melted butter

Bake at 350F for 4-5 minutes or until edges are bubbling.

Break 2 big (1.55 oz) Hershey Milk Chocolate Bars into rectangles.  Remove muffin pan from oven and place chocolate on top of hot crumbs, dividing evenly.  (That works out to 1 rectangle per cup if you're using the mini muffin pan.)  Cut 12 large marshmallows in half crosswise with scissors that have been dipped in warm water and place on top of chocolate in muffin pan with the cut side down.  (That's half a marshmallow per cup if you're using the mini muffin pan.)  Set pan under broiler and watch closely for 1-2 minutes until marshmallows soften, start to puff and lightly toast on the top.  Remove from oven and allow to cool 15 minutes in the pan before carefully transferring to a rack to cool completely.

Break 1 Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bars into small pieces and melt in a heat-proof bowl in the microwave.  Dip the top of each marshmallow in the melted chocolate, or drizzle it over the top with a spoon, and return to the rack to cool until set.

You're going to think I'm a 'yes man' as I try to anticipate some questions you might have.

First yes... you could substitute chocolate chips or the small bite-size chocolate bars.  I did.  My grocery store did not have the plain Hershey's Bars and I didn't want the ones with almonds or their special dark blend so I got a bag of the bite-size nuggets.  They're just a little thicker so I put the pan in the oven for 1 minute between the chocolate and marshmallow steps in the recipe.

Second yes... your scissors will get sticky but don't worry... it's just sugar and that comes right off with hot water.

And third yes... this is a lot of directions for something so simple!

Just in case you're a picture person, here's the step-by-step (or blow-by-blow, if you prefer):

Mix crumbs, sugar and butter together then press into the bottom of your muffin cups and bake 4-5 minutes.

Break up chocolate bars, cut marshmallows and place on top of hot crumb mixture.

 Broil 1-2 minutes then allow to cool completely.

Dip or drizzle marshmallow tops in melted chocolate and allow to set.

Eat!  Smile!  Be happy!!
(Leftovers, should there be any, can be stored in an airtight container.)

The Quest for MORE Cookies

I've decided I want to make some frozen balls of chocolate chip cookie dough to bake a few cookies at a time when we want them for dessert or a snack.  My first step, obviously, was to consult Pinterest for a recipe and some tips to ensure success.

It seems I just need to whip up a batch of our favorite cookie dough.

Can it really be that simple?

Seriously... where are the extra steps to make it work as an individually portioned freezer-to-oven treat?  Just the same cookie dough I would make anyway will work?

I don't know if to be impressed at its ease or miffed that I did not already know this!

I think this is the cookie recipe I'm going to use since we already have all these things in the pantry.

Except eggs.

I forgot to get them today.  So I do need to buy eggs tomorrow when I pick up strawberries for the dessert pizza we were requested to bring to the 4th of July party at Derek's sister's house.  We're also taking  baked 'smores... check for that recipe, pictures and a description of their heavenly yumminess to be posted tomorrow.

Before I get too far off track, the cookie recipe:

Chocolate Chip Cookies

12 tablespoons of butter, melted and cooled
3/4 cup of firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
2 egg yolks plus 1 whole egg
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking soda
1 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips  (use your favorite - I have a predilection for milk chocolate)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine melted cooled butter, sugars, and salt, and mix on medium speed until mixture starts to look smooth, about 1-2 minutes.  Lower speed and add vanilla and eggs and continue mixing until well combined.  Add baking soda and flour to bowl and mix just until combined.  Add chocolate chips and give a final stir with the mixer to incorporate.  Measure out two tablespoons of dough and roll into a ball. Place cookie dough on parchment paper lined baking sheets.  Bake cookies for about 8 minutes. Remove from oven when edges start to brown. The center half of the cookie will still be puffy and look undone. Firmly rap cookie sheet on countertop to promote wrinkly appearance. Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes. Cookies will continue to wrinkle as they cool.

Not overstate the obvious or anything but since I'm wanting to freeze the dough we'll be stopping where it says "...two tablespoons of dough and roll into a ball."  The next logical step would be place on a lined cookie sheet and freeze, but there's a problem with that.

Actually 3 of them.

• my freezer is pretty small.  It's a side-by-side, which I love, but it does mean the space is too narrow to lay a cookie sheet flat.
• my freezer is very full at the moment.  Yesterday was our first big trip to Sam's Club.  And, yeah... we went just a teensy little bit over board.
• my whole kitchen needs a re-work.  The only place for the fridge to sit puts the freezer door against a wall which means it doesn't open all the way.  Anything wider than about 5 inches isn't going in there.

My solution?  Ice cube trays.

I'll use ice cube trays just like in this picture blatantly ripped from the boards of Pinterest!!  Right-sized for my freezer and perfectly portioned.

Score!!

Besides, by getting the ice cube trays tomorrow for the cookie dough I will have them Friday (or Saturday, or...) to make those frozen yogurt dog treats I've been promising my boys to help them beat the summer heat.  I'll post that over the weekend with updated pictures of Thunder and Lightning so you can see how much they've grown.

Ugh!  I'm distracted from telling the tale of my cookie quest again.

Once the dough is frozen, I'll pop them out of the ice cube trays and store in a ziplock bag in the freezer.  When we get that cookie craving, I'll just put half a dozen on a baking sheet and give them a few minutes in a hot oven.  And then... yum!

Cookies... Gimme Cookies!!

Way back before Christmas I posted the recipe for some bomb-diggity chocolate chip cookies that Derek's Dad made when he was home for a Christmas visit.  (He works out of state.)  I made them again last night, except we didn't have enough chocolate chips... so only half the batch got finished according to the recipe.

I just took half of the dough out of the bowl before that final step of adding the chocolate chips.  So we got some chocolate chip cookies and some not at all chocolatey ones from my little burst of kitchen creativity.

Using the 'plain' dough, I then formed walnut-sized balls.  Then I rolled them in cinnamon sugar and placed on a baking sheet.  Finally I used a fork and squished them down nearly flat.

And guess what?

That same recipe (minus the chocolate and adding a little cinnamon and sugar coating) makes some stinking dang good Snicker Doodles!!

Click the link above for the recipe.