Peanut Butter Butterscotch Marshmallow Squares

So, when my dear friend Tim very kindly offered to de-virus my computer, I asked what kind of compensation he would like – hopefully in the form of a baked good. He specifically requested “those peanut butter marshmallow squares” and I immediately began my research to find a good recipe, as I had never made them before.

Turns out, there are about a bagillion recipes for these squares on the internet and they’re almost all exactly the same. So it was pretty easy.

Oh, and the recipe is ridiculously easy too. No wonder these are so popular – with only 4 ingredients and no baking required, they’re pretty much the easiest dessert in the world to make.

And I’ve now rekindled a love for butterscotch that I didn’t even know I had.

No-Bake Peanut Butter Butterscotch Marshmallow Squares

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
1 cup peanut butter
1 bag (300 g) of butterscotch chips
1 bag (250-300 g) of mini rainbow marshmallows*

*Don’t use white marshmallows. Apparently the rainbow fruity marshmallows make a difference (as opposed to regular white marshmallows). Don’t ask me why.

Directions:

Melt together the butter, peanut butter, and butterscotch chips on low heat until it’s all melted and mixed, stirring constantly. Let the mixture cool for a little while so the marshmallows don’t melt.



Stir in mini marshmallows. Pour mixture into a greased 11"x13" pan.

Refrigerate for a few hours. Cut into small squares and serve.

Monster Cookies

I got nostalgic this weekend. I wanted monster cookies. I don’t normally make them as I kind of think that once you pass the age of 12, you look kind of silly eating cookies with Smarties in them…

Who am I kidding? No one ever looks silly eating monster cookies.

Speaking of which, I’ve always wondered why they are even called “monster cookies”. If anything, they should be called, “recycle cookies” or “everything-I-have-in-my-baking-cupboard cookies”. Cus that’s basically all they are. Aside from the standard peanut butter, oatmeal and Smartie components, you can really throw any sort of mix-ins into these cookies. You can even mix up different types of peanut butter and oats. They are mish-mash cookies at their finest.

So go ahead, clean out your cupboards, make some cookies and feel like you’re 12 again! It really is the best – and not to mention, most delicious – way to recycle.

Monster Cookies
Usually, these cookies are made without flour. However, I was experimenting today with a mix of a few different recipes and found the dough wasn’t stable enough, so I added a bit of flour to stiffen it up. However, you could always up the oatmeal instead.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp maple syrup
1 cup peanut butter (I used 1/2 creamy, 1/2 crunchy)
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3½ cups oatmeal (quick cooking or old fashioned)
1/2 cup flour
2 cups of add-ins (I used Smarties, chocolate chips and Skor bits)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter with the brown and white sugars until blended. Add eggs, vanilla and syrup. Beat until combined.

Add peanut butter, baking soda and salt. Beat until combined.

Slowly add oatmeal and flour (if using). Blend and then fold in mix-ins.

Drop dough onto baking sheets and bake for 8-10 minutes until light brown and just set around edges. Cool on wire racks.

Soft & Sweet Peanut Buttery Goodness

We have a bit of a peanut butter epidemic in our house. For some reason, we just keep buying jars of it well before we’re out and consequently, they’ve been seriously piling up…which is surprising considering how much peanut butter I consume.

So, I decided to put our overstock of peanut butter to good use and make peanut butter cookies! It was also my reward for surviving a ridiculously long and stressful day…

Just so you know – these cookies are DEADLY. I ate about 8 right out of the oven…then, I had the dangerous idea to spread Nutella on one…then I decided to make a Nutella sandwich, with the cookies as the “bread”.

Please don’t try this at home if you value your figure.

Peanut Butter Cookies
(Adapted from Joy the Baker’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies)
I omitted the chocolate chips from this recipe simply because I didn’t have any…however, they would still be amazing in these cookies. The cookies themselves are softer than normal peanut butter cookies with just the right balance of sweetness and peanutty taste. They are a nice change from the chunky, hard, super peanut buttery cookies we’re used to.

Ingredients:

2½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup peanut butter- crunchy or smooth, but not natural
1 cup light brown sugar (packed)
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs

1/2 cup additional granulated sugar (for rolling cookies)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F . Line two baking sheets with parchment paper (or aluminum foil).

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

Working with a stand mixer (or hand mixer) in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed for a minute or two, until smooth and creamy. Add the peanut butter and beat for another minute. Add the sugars and beat for 3 minutes more. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and, on low speed, add the dry ingredients, mixing only until they just disappear. You’ll have a soft, pliable dough.


Pour the 1/2 cup of sugar into a small bowl. Working with a level tablespoonful of dough for each cookie, roll the dough between your palms into balls and drop the balls, a couple at a time, into the sugar. Roll the balls around in the sugar to coat them, then place on the baking sheet, leaving 2 inches between them. Dip the tines of the fork in the sugar and press the tines against each ball first in one direction and then in a perpendicular direction- you should have a flattened rough of dough with crisscross indentations.


Bake the dough for 10-12 minutes. When done, the cookies will be lightly colored and still be a little soft. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a minute before transferring them to a cooling rack. Cool to room temperature.

Butternut Squash Soup

I love squash. All kinds of squash. They’re kind of amazing vegetables due to the fact that they adapt very well to both savory and sweet dishes. They’re so versatile and so delicious – everyone should eat more squash!

Butternut squash is probably one of the most popular types of squash out there these days. However, it’s a tough bugger to cut. I love butternut squash but I absolutely hate peeling and slicing it so I admit that I don’t eat as much of it as I probably could.

But this weekend I got brave. I went out and bought a fresh squash, rolled up my sleeves, and went to town on it with the biggest and sharpest knife I had. It still took awhile, but I destroyed that squash in the end. Then I cooked it up with some other veggies, threw them all in my food processor and turned it all into delicious soup.

And it was good…

Curried Butternut Squash Soup
(Adapted from Martha Stewart’s Puréed Butternut Squash Soup)

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
1/2 an onion, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2¾ pounds small butternut squash, prepared and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
2 cups vegetable stock
2 cups water
1/2 cup peanut butter
Curry powder
Coarse salt and ground pepper

Directions:

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion, ginger, garlic and celery until fragrant (about 2 minutes). Add squash and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant (about 6 to 8 minutes). Stir in water and stock. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer until squash is tender (20 minutes).


Purée your soup in two batches. (*Note: When blending hot foods, allow the heat to escape to prevent splattering. Remove the cap from the hole of the blender’s lid, and cover with a dish towel.)


When soup is blended, pour back into pot and stir in peanut butter, and enough curry powder and salt and pepper to suit your tastes. Serve hot.

Peanut Butter Brownies

I don’t bake brownies very often. In fact, despite the fact that I really love them, they are probably one of the desserts I’ve baked the least. However, I thought I would give this peanut butter brownie recipe a try to bring for dessert for a family dinner tonight and after a series of minor kinks, I think they turned out alright. I like the peanut butter and chocolate balance, however they are fairly cakey. There was no oil in the recipe so I think when I try them out again, I’ll replace the butter with oil. Otherwise, they’re pretty yummy – especially if you like chocolate and peanut butter.

I’ll also use a legit square cake pan next time. My only one is currently filled with vegetarian casserole in my freezer so I used 2 loaf pans instead…and wax paper, cus I was out of parchment.

Peanut Butter Swirly Brownies
(Adapted from my November 2010 Canadian Living magazine)

Ingredients

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
5 oz bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled (I used 3 oz bittersweet and 2 oz dark)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
pinch salt

Directions

In large bowl, beat 1/4 cup of the peanut butter, the butter and sugar; beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Beat in vanilla. Beat in chocolate.

Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. Spread in parchment paper–lined 8-inch (2 L) square metal cake pan.

By spoonfuls, drop remaining peanut butter over top. Run knife through batter to swirl; smooth top. Bake in 350°F (180°C) oven until tester inserted in centre comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging, about 20 minutes. Let cool in pan on rack. Cut into squares.


Make sure you have a big glass of milk for these!!