Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

The blog has focused alot on on saving these last weeks so it's time to indulge with these little treats! FYI--great recipe for Halloween candy! 

(Adapted from Real Simple Tear-Out Recipe Years ago)

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Equipment:

Cookie Sheets

Parchment Paper

Handmixer

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 12 oz bag Reese' Cups, unwrapped and coarsely chopped

Instructions:

1. Wash your hands.

2. Preheat oven to 375F degrees.

3. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt tofgether.

4. Cream butter and sugars.

5. Add egg and vanilla.

6. Add dry ingredients.

7. Fold in coarsely chopped peanut butter cups (not whole as seen in picture)

8. Place large tablespoon size on parchment lined baking sheet.

9. Bake x 8-12 minute depending on your oven.

10. Share.

Pucker Up Citrus Cookies

Can't believe summer is almost over! It's just now starting to hit 90 degree weather! For some, school has already gotten started…for others, enjoy the remaining few weeks that are left!  

If you are packing up for the dorm or off-campus living, take some of these with you to make an entrance or first impression, or welcome your roommates back--either way, you will keep and make a few new friends! These little bites are light, buttery citrus-infused desserts that melt in your mouth with a pop and wake-up call.

Super easy recipe for college cooking; although, having a hand mixer is necessary. Hopefully, if you have been cooking (and baking) along since the inception of this blog, you (or someone around you) has one to utilize! Key to this recipe is having butter and eggs at room temperature and your ingredients prepped. Things will go fast from stirring to eating. Enjoy!

(Adapted from Pioneer Woman's Frontier Cookbook)

Pucker-Up Citrus Cookies

Equipment:
Baking sheets, preferably with parchment paper
Mixing bowls
Zester or Grater
Whisk or fork

Ingredients:
4 sticks butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 egg yolks (put 1 egg white aside)
1 Tbls orange, lemon, lime zest each
4 cups of flour
2 Tbls orange, lemon or lime juice (choose your preference)

Icing Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 Tbls whole milk

1 Tbls zest, your choice

1 Tbls egg white (optional)

Juice of 1/4 lime

Juice of 1/4 lemon

Dash of salt

Instructions:
1. Wash your hands.
2. Preheat over to 350F degrees.
3. Prep all of your ingredients.
4. Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl.

5. Add the egg yolks.

6. Add the zests.

7. Add the flour until just incorporated.

8. Add 2 Tbls of juice--choose your preference--lemon, lime, orange.

9. Use a heaped teaspoon size to roll balls of batter and place them on a lightly greased cookie sheet or parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake x 10-12 minutes.

10. Make the icing combining all ingredients into a small bowl, and dip each cookie once they have cooled.

Prep these cookies for travel and consumption!

I Scream For Ice Cream

Summer awesomeness just got better for college living and college cooking with these bites of goodness: Semi-Homemade Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches! Trust me!! Maybe you just a need "something sweet"…a little bite…cool, delicious, refreshing, spot on!

Take this challenge to see what phenomenal combos you can come up with--decadent and splurge; or, keep it ultra healthy with frozen yoghurt or sorbets!

Bite-sized phenoms!

(Adapted from July 4th article in Woman's Day magazine found on my treadmill at the gym)

I Scream You Scream Sandwich Bites

Equipment:

Container with lid

Ingredients:

Oreo Cookies (I'm sure you can find use for white oreo filling)
         --Mint-Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
         --Strawberry Ice Cream

Ginger Snaps (Walker's Shortbread Ginger Cookies perfect)

         --Pineapple-Coconut Ice Cream
         --Lemon Sorbet

Vanilla Oreos or Shortbread Cookie

         --Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

         --Chocolate Fudge Ice Cream

Instructions:

1. Wash your hands.
2. Prep your cookies and remove filling (or not).
3. Soften the ice 'just enough' to scoop a tablespoon size ball.
4. Dollop your bottom cookie.
5. Add top cookie and press gently.
6. Place in a lid-fitted tupperware, seal and freeze x 20-30 minutes.

7. Pull these out on a hot summer night!

Strawberry Rhubarb Summer Cup Crisps

Hope you are taking full advantage of summerbreak and summer produce! I know that I certainly have! The produce and seasonal items make for an abundance of flavors as well as provide reason to try new things. It's a great time of the year to roam at the farmer's market and be awed by the variety of tomatoes, carrots, beets, berries, greens, apples, and fruits.

One of my favorite summer desserts is fresh Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie--the way my Mom made it. That being said, she made everything from scratch with one of those real, light and flaky, buttery pie crusts that dissolves in your mouth. I simply do not have that kind of time!

Taking a recent class at The Chopping Block in Lincoln Square in Chicago, IL, we made an incredibly, simple alternative--Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp, and instead of using pie crust, we topped pure filling with a delicious crumble! Super simple and a great way to stretch your college grocery budget!  

Makes 6 single serving (1 cup) ramekins!
Or, put the filling in to a pre-made pie-crust and top with crumble!
Or, place it all in a lightly buttered (8"x 8" or small "rectangular") Pyrex dish

Strawberry-Rhubarb Cup Crisps

Equipment:
Mixing Bowl
Ramekins or Pyrex Dish
Baking sheet
Parchment Paper

Ingredients:

For The Filling:
1 pint (1 lb) strawberries, quartered
1 pound rhubarb, largely chopped
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 Tbls cornstarch
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp salt
1 Tbls lemon juice

For The Crumble:
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup rolled "old-fashioned" oats
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
Pince of salt
1 stick cold butter, cubed

Topping:
Vanilla Ice Cream 
Whipped Cream

Instructions:
1. Wash your hands.
2. Preheat 375F degrees.
3. Stir together the strawberries, rhubarb, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and lemon.

4. Make your crumble, mixing the brown sugar, oats, flour and salt together.

5. Use your hands or a pastry cutter or 2 knives to incorporate cold butter to dry mixture.

6. Put it all together and fill your ramekins or baking dish.

7. Top your filling with an ice cream scoop size of crumble.

8. Place the ramekins or pyrex dish on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
9. Bake for 45 minutes until the filling is bubbling thru the golden brown crisp.