PB Cup Blizzard...Non-Dairy, Dark Chocolate Style

It's no secret that chocolate + peanut butter is one of my weaknesses in life.

Faced with a jar of natural nut butter and a side of chocolate, I'm utterly defenseless. Any sense of restraint or self-control I once had goes out the window.

Give me a spoon, and let's get this job done.

Fortunately, many of you share my addiction. When I saw Kat's recipe for a homemade Peanut Butter Cup Blizzard this weekend, I was instantly hooked. So hooked in fact, that I went in the kitchen and made these tasty little treats the very same night.

I must warn you though: These treats are most definitely for the dark chocolate lovers out there, such as myself. They're apparently not designed for someone who requires super-sweet, milk chocolate. I realized this when Adam took a bite and scrunched up his nose. "What kind of chocolate did you use?"

It's called cocoa powder, buddy. It doesn't come in the form of a Hershey bar, a brownie, or a chip.

Oh, husbands.

Kat's recipe made 5 - 6 soft mini peanut butter cups. They don't fully solidify, so you might need a spoon if you choose to eat 'em on their own. I whipped up a batch of banana soft serve though, and tossed in 2 peanut butter cups to complete my rockin' blizzard.

Dairy Queen may never see me again.

Peanut Butter Cup Blizzard...The non-dairy, dark chocolate way

(recipe adapted from Kat's at Keep n' The Faith)

These PB cups won't freeze solid--they stay a little soft, which is a-okay since you're tossing them into a bowl of whipped banana goodness. I apologize for not having a picture of the Blizzard itself--I gobbled that baby up before I had time to snap a pic!

Ingredients:

• 2 TBSP unsweetened almond milk
• 1 - 1/2 TBSP honey
• 3 - 1/2 TBSP cocoa powder
• natural peanut butter
• 1 recipe banana soft serve

Directions:

Melt the honey and milk together. Stir in cocoa powder until desired consistency and flavor is reached (you can add more cocoa powder if you like!). Spoon a small amount of chocolate mixture into the bottom of 5 mini muffin cup liners.* Place a tiny dollop of natural nut butter on top. Spoon the remainder of the chocolate on top of the nut butter. Freeze over night (if you can wait). Enjoy plain, or stir into your banana soft serve for a blizzard-like treat!

*Alternately, if you'd like your PB cups to solidify more, you can stir some nut butter right into the chocolate mixture and THEN poor the mixed version into the muffin cup liners.

French Toast Elvis Sandwich

Girlfriends are kind of the best, aren't they?

They call to talk just when you need it. They're always ready to share a dessert. They travel hundreds of miles in a day, just to hang out for 24 hours.

And sometimes, on those especially rockin' days, they send you a package filled with goodies.

My buddy Katie is 4 feet and 11 inches of Cleveland-born awesome-ness. Today I found an early birthday package from her on my doorstep, filled with treats she knew I would appreciate (read: cookbooks and food). Amongst the goodies, I discovered this:

Alas! My heaven-on-earth Saturday night dinner was born.

Picture it: 2 slices of homemade bread, slathered with White Chocolate Peanut Butter, sliced bananas, and a drizzle of honey. Bread is sandwiched together, dipped in a wonderful cinnamon-egg batter, and turned into a French Toast sammie that will bring you to your knees.

I rest my case. White Chocolate Peanut Butter is reason #237 why girlfriends are kind of the best :)

Peanut Butter-Banana French Toast Sandwich

(I'd like to say it's a Hungry Spoon original, but I think Elvis may have beat me to it)

This sandwich clearly shows why peanut butter banana sandwiches and French Toast are a match made in heaven.

Ingredients:

• 2 slices of homemade bread
• Plenty o' peanut butter (I used White Chocolate Wonderful Peanut Butter)
• 1 banana, sliced
• a drizzle of honey
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• a little milk
• a pinch of cinnamon
• a dash of vanilla
• a little butter (or Smart Balance) for the skillet

Directions:

1) Prepare a Peanut Butter-Banana-Honey Sandwich to your liking (My method: Spread peanut butter on each slice of bread. Place banana slices on one slice of bread. Drizzle lightly with honey and place the other piece of peanut butter bread on top. Sandwich complete!).

2) In a shallow dish (I used a small pie pan), whisk together one large egg, a little milk, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Place the sandwich in the egg mixture and allow it to sit for about 30 seconds or so. Flip the sandwich and allow the other side to absorb the egg mixture.

3) Heat a little butter or Smart Balance in a skillet over low-medium heat. Place the sandwich on the skillet (you can pour any leftover egg mixture over top if you'd like) and allow the sandwich to cook until nicely browned on the bottom--about 4 minutes or so. Flip the sandwich and cook until the other side is also nicely browned. Serve with extra banana slices.

Cupcake Believer

In my previous life, I wasn't much of a cupcake person. I preferred a big ol' honkin' slice of cake.

I feared the cupcake because it seemed to dictate its serving size to me: One cupcake is one serving. With a full cake though, a serving is a slice...and your slice can be as big as you want it to be. That's my kind of serving size.

However, I've become a cupcake believer over time. They're cute, they're snack-size, and they're rich with decorating possibilities. Plus, as I near the ripe old age of 27, it's probably not such a bad idea that my food start to dictate its serving size to me.

Given my recent affinity for the cup o' cake dessert, I was thrilled to receive Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World as an early birthday present from my in-laws this weekend (They also gifted me with the unbeatable Veganomicon. Adam's parents clearly have impeccable cookbook taste).

This cookbook rocked my fuzzy socks right off my feet. We're talking over 100 pages of toasted coconut cupcakes, lemon-blueberry cupcakes, banana split cupcakes...and lots of dark chocolate ganache.

I may never go back to full-size cakes again.

Do you need a little push to become a cupcake believer? Try today's recipe: Chocolate Yogurt Cupcakes with Peanut Butter frosting. I adapted their recipe quite a bit to work with ingredients I had on hand, which resulted in a non-vegan cupcake with ever-so-slightly less fat than the original recipe (secret ingredient: vanilla yogurt).

The non-optional key to this recipe? The peanut butter frosting. Oh heavens, yes.

If these choco-peanut butter love bugs don't make you a cupcake believer, I don't know what will.

Chocolate Yogurt Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

(adapted from a recipe in Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World by Isa Chandra Maskowitz and Terry Hope Romero)

I subbed in non-fat vanilla yogurt for a significant amount of the oil in this recipe. You won't even notice...especially with those mounds of peanut butter frosting on top. And please note, this recipe is NOT vegan! This recipe makes 14 - 15 cupcakes

Cupcake Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt (I used nonfat)
• 1/2 cup milk (I used skim)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. almond extract
• 1 TBSP instant coffee granules
• 1 cup + 2 TBSP all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt

Peanut Butter Frosting Ingredients:

• 10 TBSP butter, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup no-stir, natural creamy peanut butter
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 - 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
• 2 - 4 TBSP milk
• Chopped peanut butter cups

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 12 cup muffin tin with cupcake liners (after filling the 12 cupcake cups, I poured the extra batter into 2 ramekins for 2 additional gi-normous cupcakes).

2) Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the yogurt, milk, sugar, oil, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Sift in the remaining ingredients and beat well with an electric mixer (about 2- 3 minutes). Stir in the melted chocolate.

3) Pour batter into cupcake liners, filling only 2/3 full. Bake for 23 - 26 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

4) To prepare the frosting, beat the butter and peanut butter together; beat in the vanilla extract. Slowly sift in the confectioner's sugar while continuously beating and add 1 - 2 TBSP of milk (whatever is needed to get the frosting to spreading consistency).

5) When cupcakes have cooled, frost each one generously with the peanut butter frosting. Top with chopped Reese's peanut butter cups.

Warm Up

I could not warm up at work today.

Does anyone else ever suffer from the "I work in the Arctic" syndrome?

I sat on my hands. I held them under my armpits. I wrapped my jacket around my shoulders. Yes, my shoulders. I've officially convinced myself that I'm a senior citizen trapped in a 26 year old body.

One of the student workers in my office asked why my lips were blue.

Needless to say I day-dreamed all afternoon about the warm-fest I would create for myself when I arrived home. I'm currently wearing five shirts.

In addition to wearing five shirts, the other cure for the Arctic Syndrome is a warm bowl of soup. Ah, yes. Just what I needed to warm my bones and eliminate that case of the shivers.

Adam created an interesting Peanut Tempeh Soup this evening from Bryant Terry's Vegan Soul Kitchen cookbook. While the recipe was delicious and super-filling, it tasted strikingly similar to the Moosewood's West African-Peanut Stew. This isn't a bad thing of course (we love the Peanut Stew), but I suppose tonight's soup just lacked the innovative and "exciting" piece we always seek in a recipe.

Nonetheless, if you love tempeh and you love peanut butter, you will certainly love this stew. (Bonus: it's chock full o' fiber and protein--the true love-bugs of a vegetarian diet, yes?). We served ours with homemade garlic bread.

Tomorrow, I'll take a stylish sweater to cover myself, and hopefully avoid the whole senior-citizen-in-my-20s situation. It's getting embarrassing.

Tempeh Peanut Stew

(recipe adapted from one in Bryant Terry's Vegan Soul Kitchen)

I absolutely love a warm, hearty, peanut stew. Something about the salty, nutty flavor combined with fresh veggies and spices just makes my tastebuds smile.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb. tempeh, sliced
• dash of olive oil
• 2 cups unsalted roasted peanuts
• 4 cups veggie stock, divided
• 1 large onion, diced
• 4 large carrots, sliced
• 1/2 cup natural crunchy peanut butter (salted)
• 1/3 cup tomato paste
• 2 cups diced tomatoes, drained
• 2 - 3 cups sliced cabbage (we took the easy way and used pre-sliced cole slaw mix cabbage)
• dash of lemon juice
• freshly sliced green onions, chopped peanuts, and parsley (garnish)

Directions:

1) Heat 1 to 2 TBSP olive oil in a large skillet. Add tempeh slices and cook on one side until golden brown on the bottom. Flip each slice and cook until lightly browned on the other side (about 3 - 4 minutes each side). Remove from pan and chop tempeh into cubes. Set aside.

2) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a blender, combine the peanuts, 3 cups stock, and a dash of salt and pepper to taste. Pour into a bowl and add 1 cup water; stir. Pour half of sauce into a baking dish that will hold tempeh cubes in a tight single layer. Place tempeh in the baking dish and pour remaining sauce on top. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 40 minutes.

3) While the tempeh is cooking, warm a little oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and a dash of salt, reduce heat and cook until onions are lightly browned (about 5- 7 minutes). Add carrots and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add peanut butter, tomato paste, and 1 cup of veggie stock. Add tomatoes and cook until heated through.

4) When tempeh is done cooking, add to the sauce, raise the heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until stew has thickened to the desired consistency. Stir in cabbage, season with salt and pepper, and garnish each bowl with parsley, green onions, and chopped peanuts.

Santa's Favorite Treat

If Santa made requests, I have no doubt that peanut butter balls would be at the top of his list of Christmas Eve treats. It's true: The big guy in the red suit prefers these bite-sized balls of PB-Chocolate joy to a sugar cookie any day.

I apologize to those of you who tire of my chocolate + peanut butter obsessions.

And I especially give my regrets to any readers with a peanut allergy.

But when you make something that tastes like a Reese's peanut butter cup in your own kitchen, you're so bowled over with holiday happiness you just know you've got to share it with someone. Or everyone.

Peanut butter balls are a classic addition to any holiday cookie platter. They taste just like a peanut butter cup, only ten times better because they're created with that special homemade lovin'.

The first time I made these little balls of PB joy, I was told they're called "Buckeyes" by all of my college friends who hail from Ohio. That works. But so does Peanut Butter Ball. Or Chocolate Peanut Butter Addict Treats. Or you could just call them Pure Holiday Heaven.

Whatever you call them, make sure you make them, eat them, and love them. It's good for the soul. And it will certainly get you on Santa's Nice List.

Peanut Butter Balls

(adapted from this recipe at Allrecipes.com)

Your holiday cookie platter will not be complete without these little gems. They're simple to make and require few ingredients. And who doesn't love a homemade peanut butter cup?

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 jar (15 oz.) of creamy peanut butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3 - 1/2 to 4 cups of powdered sugar
• 12 oz. bag of chocolate chips
• 2 TBSP shortening

Directions:

1) Beat the butter, peanut butter, and vanilla together with an electric mixer until smooth. Beat in powdered sugar until a dry play-dough like consistency is reached. Roll and/or mold the mixture into small balls and place on waxed paper.

2) Melt chocolate and shortening in a double boiler. Place a toothpick in the center of a peanut butter ball and dip in chocolate. Repeat with remaining PB balls.

3) Leave a plate for Santa. It's a holiday requirement.

Peanut Butter Cup Blondies

What could make a chewy, gooey, vanilla blondie--seemingly perfect as it is--even better?

Try throwing big ol' hunks of Reese's peanut butter cups into the mix.

As you know, birthday packages are amongst my favorite to create. My friend Anne turns 27 this week, and since I'm unable to hop a plane to Chicago to participate in the festivities, I sent my love through the mail...in the form of butter, sugar, and peanut butter cups.

Anne and her boyfriend went bananas for this summer's Peanut Butter Blondies with Milk Chocolate Frosting, so I knew I wanted to make a Chocolate + PB combo. I turned to Lindsey at Gingerbread Bagels for a recipe--she specializes in baked treats with candy mixed in (yes, these types of wonderful people do exist in real life.).

Score! She has a stellar recipe for Peanut Butter Cup Blondies that fit the bill perfectly.

It was all I could do to keep Adam from eating the whole pan, although I did save him a corner slice to munch on. I'll be making these blondies again. And again. Oh yes, and....again.

Peanut Butter Cup Blondies

(recipe from Lindsey at Gingerbread Bagels)

These treats cut smoothly and perfectly--barely a crumb left in the pan! That made them perfect for mailing--no goo or mess, just lots of blondie and peanut butter cup fun :)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/8 tsp. baking soda
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1 TBSP vanilla
• 1 large egg
• 6 full-size Reese cups, cut into quarters (or sixths)

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray an 8 x 8 baking pan with cooking spray.

2) In a small bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.

3) In a large mixing bowl, beat the brown sugar and butter together. Add the vanilla and egg and beat until well combined. Beat in the dry ingredients. Fold in peanut butter cups. Pour into pan and bake for 25 minutes, or until lightly browned at the edges and done.

4) Eat up! Or package 'em up, add a cute label, and mail to your buddy across the miles...

Happy 100th

Tonight and tomorrow will be devoted to baking and cooking for the T-Day feast at my parent's house on Thursday. I can't bear to photograph the superb Chocolate-Pecan Pie by my pathetic night-time kitchen lighting (it just doesn't do it justice), so your pie recipe will have to wait 'til morning.

Instead, today's post (written in between rolling pie crust and chopping sweet potatoes), will highlight my favorite Hungry Spoon recipes. Why, you ask, am I copping out on the biggest food week of the year? Because, friends, today marks my 100th post.

How do I feel about hitting the hot 100? This about sums it up:

If you need five more recipes to make before 2010 ends, please add these to your list.

1) Bulgur-Apple-Almond Salad: Super simple, lots of crunch, awesomely healthy (pictured above). Undoubtedly this is my favorite bulgur recipe--it was also my first post :)

2) Peanut Butter Blondies with Milk Chocolate Frosting: Anything that comes from Joy the Baker is a winner. Joy literally made me a winner when I entered these puppies in our county fair. (The county fair? I know, totally dorky. But don't expect me to be sewing a quilt anytime soon.).

3) Garlic & Pine Nut Bean Dip with Homemade Flat Bread: Oh goodness. I initially made the flatbread for a burrito recipe. When we discovered how magnificent it was all on its lonesome, the burrito recipe was scrapped and Garlic & Pine Nut Bean dip was born. Make it. Eat it. Love it.

4) Barbeque Tempeh Sloppy Joe Sandwiches: It's no secret that hearty, sloppy fork n' knife vege-head sandwiches top my list of favorite entrees. Within the category of favorite entree sandwiches, the Tempeh Sloppy Joe wins first place, hands down.

5) Pumpkin Cookies: As noted in the post, my family was on the brink of a collective food coma after eating these. What can I say? I have a shameless, unbridled enthusiasm for pumpkin cookies.

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, dear readers! I love sharing recipes with you, and I'm truly grateful for each visit you make to the Hungry Spoon kitchen.

Soft Serve Surprise

The picture below features my breakfast from this morning. What does it look like to you?

Soft serve chocolate ice cream with a little dollop of peanut butter? Or perhaps chocolate pudding with nut butter garnish? A chocolate smoothie in a bowl?

Mmmmmmm....tasty.

Would you believe that little glass dish contains only three ingredients: Banana, unsweetened cocoa powder, and all-natural roasted peanut butter (only one ingredient in the peanut butter: roasted peanuts!).

I know. It's amazing, isn't it? I first read about "Banana Soft Serve" in the blog world this summer. Everyone raved about the wondrous mystery of placing frozen banana chunks in a food processor, whirring for a minute or two, and opening the lid to find what appeared to be soft serve ice cream.

I was skeptical at first. I mean, come on: Don't frozen bananas thrown into a food processor simply produce...food-processed bananas?

A few weeks ago I put my curiosities to rest and set out to experiment with this recipe. One frozen banana and 1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder went into the processor and, lo and behold! Banana soft serve came out. Garnish with a dollop of roasted nut butter and we're in business.

This delicious dish has served as my dessert many evenings since I discovered it, but, as evidenced this morning, it makes a great breakfast treat, or after-work snack as well. If you're feeling especially decadent, throw in your favorite DQ Blizzard mix-ins--chocolate chips, nuts, coconut, etc. (although, if I'm in the mood for those types of treats, I'd rather just bake a real dessert, you know?)

At any rate, I'm now a Banana Soft Serve Believer. I'm on the bandwagon. It's never felt so good to follow the crowd.

Banana Soft Serve

(recipe from food bloggers everywhere)

This treat is wonderful as a snack, breakfast side, or for dessert when you need a break from all the holiday treats that will soon surround you.

Ingredients:

• 1 banana, cut into chunks and frozen solid
• 1 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder
• Optional: a little nut butter for garnish

Directions:

Place frozen banana chunks in a food processor. Process for at least a minute, whirring until it appears whipped and takes on the consistency of soft-serve ice cream. Add in cocoa powder and process until just combined. Enjoy with a dollop of nut butter if you so choose :)

Ganache Goodness

Girls' Night = great female company, plenty of food, and bubbly beverages.

Hard to beat, isn't it?

Tonight's girls' night, hosted by my friend Kate, will certainly bring some much-needed relaxation. Hot tub included. We're all looking forward to escaping the hustle and bustle of town, as Kate lives buried in the snow-capped mountains of neighboring Preston County. (I'm only slightly embarrassed that I just used the phrase "hustle and bustle." I'm definitely 26 going on 75).

I'll be making both a sweet and savory contribution to tonight's festivities, and since we all need more chocolate + peanut butter in our lives, let's begin with the sweet: Peanut Butter and Milk Chocolate Ganache Sandwich Cookies.

Brace yourselves. Dangerously awesome cookie recipe to follow.

As melt-in-your-mouth luscious as these sandwich cookies sound, multiply that times 400 and you might come close to how delicious they are. The ganache is a simple filling made with fine milk chocolate, peanut butter, and cream. Does it get any better? Yep: The cookies are a slightly crisp, very rich, and viciously good.

This recipe comes for Epicurious, famous for their gourmet recipes and features from Bon Appetit and Gourmet. When it comes to desserts, they won't steer you wrong.

I'd offer you a cookie, but I doubt there will be any left by the end of the night.

What's your favorite girls' night culinary indulgence?

Peanut Butter & Milk Chocolate Ganache Sandwich Cookies

(recipe from Epicurious)

As noted above, these little sandwich cookies are dangerously good. Let's face it: anything with ganache is hard to turn down. You could sandwich ganache between two mushrooms and I just might eat it.

Cookie Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup plus 1 TBSP brown sugar
• 6 TBSP butter
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 egg
• 1 - 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 - 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Ganache Ingredients:

• 3 oz. fine milk chocolate
• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 TBSP powdered sugar
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 6 TBSP whipping cream

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly coat two baking sheets with cooking spray.

2) Beat powdered sugar, brown sugar, and butter together until smooth. Add peanut butter and beat until well-combined. Beat in oil. Add egg and vanilla and beat until smooth. Inn a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat dry ingredients into batter. Stir in chocolate chips.

3) Spoon rounded tablespoon-fuls of cookie dough onto baking sheet. I shaped mine into neat little circles since I knew they'd be sandwich cookies :) Bake for 10 - 12 minutes (mine were done at 11 or 12 minutes), or until puffed and just lightly browned around the edges. Allow to cool on wire racks completely.

4) To prepare the ganache, place the chocolate, peanut butter, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. As soon as the cream is boiling, pour it over the other ingredients and stir until completely melted (I had to microwave the mixture for 10 additional seconds to smooth out the lumps of chocolate). Refrigerate the ganache until spreadable, about one hour.

5) To make these splendid sandwiches, spread one tablespoon of ganache on a cookie and top with another cookie. Promptly eat. Repeat.

Soup and...Peanut Butter?

I'm a firm believer that nut butter can solve almost any of life's problems--culinary or otherwise.

Remember the dad in the film "My Big Fat Greek Wedding?" He had a steadfast obsession with Windex, and a strong faith that it truly made the world go 'round.

I'm basically the nut butter version of the Big Fat Greek Dad.

Given my significant attachment to America's favorite pantry staple, it should come as no surprise that I would even love a tomato-based soup...with peanut butter. And not just a spoon-sized dollop--we're talking a full cup of the all-natural, freshly-ground stuff.

Enter the Moosewood Collective's West-African Peanut Soup. This thick stew boasts flavor from sweet potatoes, spicy tomato juice, and a big ol' scoop of peanut butter. It's definitely my favorite winter soup recipe, so I was thrilled when Adam wrote it into this week's menu (a full month before winter arrives!). It's even better the next day, so I'm already pumped for Wednesday's lunch-time leftovers.

Have a lovely Tuesday, and enjoy your soup. And remember: You don't need a bottle of Windex to solve your problems. A jar of peanut butter and a spoon will work just fine.

West-African Peanut Soup

(a recipe from the Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant cookbook)

This soup is hearty and filling--perfect for a main course. Serve with a green salad and garnish with chopped peanuts and a little chopped spinach. Looking to carry the peanut butter theme through the entire meal? Try some Peanut Butter Blondies with Milk Chocolate Frosting for dessert.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups chopped onion
• a little olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 2 cups chopped sweet potatoes
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 2 cups canned tomato juice
• 1 cup chunky natural peanut butter
• Optional: crushed red pepper for topping

Directions:

1) Heat a little olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add onion and saute until softened. Add cayenne, garlic, fresh ginger, and carrots, and saute for about 5 minutes. Stir in the vegetable stock and potatoes. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until veggies are tender.

2) In a food processor, puree the soup (we left about 1 cup of veggies un-processed, just to add a little texture). Return the pureed soup to the soup pot, and stir in tomato juice and peanut butter until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Gently reheat the soup until heated through. Serve with chopped peanuts and/or chopped spinach as a garnish.

A Match Made in (Nut) Heaven

The first gift Adam ever gave me was jar of peanut butter.

When we first started dating in college, I returned to my dorm room one afternoon to find a gift bag hung over the knob. Inside, I found a jar of peanut butter, a bag of chocolate chips, and a post-it note wishing me a good weekend.

A man who gives me nut butter to show that he cares? True love, I tell you.

Needless to say, someone with a nut allergy would not fare well in our house. My nut addiction extends far beyond the obvious peanut butter + chocolate obsession, and infiltrates most dishes we eat. Pasta dishes, salads, desserts, even bean burgers--they're all friends of the nut.

When it comes to desserts, I'd argue that quintessential nutty treat is the classic peanut butter cookie. Who doesn't love this sweet n' salty bite-sized treat, complete with its own signature--a stylish fork imprint?

While I love my classic PB cookies as much as the next girl (bring on the butter!), tonight we're going to explore the wonderful world of lower-fat, almost-vegan peanut butter cookies.

No worries--these cookies do not take on the cake-like texture that often characterizes lower-fat cookies (because let's be honest: there's nothing more disappointing than a dry, high-rise, cake-like cookie). They're chewy and ridiculously delicious, similar to their full-fat counterparts.

I discovered this recipe a couple years ago at the amazing Cookie Madness website. It makes an appearance in our house quite regularly, and happily satisfies my after-dinner-sweets-n-peanut-butter craving.

Eat up! And remember--if a guy ever gives you a jar of peanut butter as a gift, snatch him up and marry him. It'll be the best decision you ever made :)

(Almost) Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies

(Recipe adapted from Anna at Cookie Madness)

These cookies are a tad on the crumbly side, likely due to the lack of egg. I've never experimented with the recipe to see how this could be reduced (I love the taste and texture so much, the crumbly factor doesn't bother me a bit!). Either way, they completely satisfy the sweet n' salty peanut butter cookie crave :)

*The "almost" vegan tag is because I used yogurt. The original recipe calls for applesauce.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup, plus 2 TBSP unbleached, all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3 TBSP vegetable oil
• 3 TBSP fat free vanilla yogurt
• 2 TBSP honey
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare baking sheets with cooking spray.

2) Combine brown sugar, vegetable oil, yogurt, honey, vanilla, and peanut butter in a bowl. Add dry ingredients to peanut butter mixture and stir until fully combined.

3) Drop dough by large spoon-fuls onto baking sheet (makes about 12 large cookies). Use a fork to make awesome peanut butter cookie signature on top, if desired (I forgot this time).

4) Bake for about 10 - 12 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges. No worries about under-baking--they're vegan!

Chunky Monkey Bread

Let's face it: I'm bananas about chocolate + peanut butter.

Bananas?

Why didn't I think of this before? Chocolate + peanut butter + bananas.

My first experience with this terrific trio was Ben & Jerry's Chunky Monkey ice cream (Banana ice cream with fudge and walnuts). Although I haven't had it for years, I have fond memories of eating it out of the carton at high school slumber parties (it often made an appearance after 11:00pm....when the first movie screening of "Happy Gilmore" or "American Pie" was over for the evening).

Convert Ben & Jerry's brilliant flavor creations into loaf form, and you've got Chunky Monkey Bread.

I was inspired to make this bread after Cooking Light did a feature spread on banana bread last month. They boasted a Peanut Butter Banana Bread, as well as a Chocolate Banana Bread, but why not combine the two?

One tidbit of advice I recommend for this recipe is coarsely chopping the chocolate chips--it distributes more chocolate throughout the batter, and in what universe is that not a good thing?

My best serving suggestion is to top your slice of Chunky Monkey bread with some natural peanut butter and sliced bananas. I apologize for forgetting to snap a picture of my loaded-up slice before I ate it (the rest of this loaf is being shipped off to Wisconsin and Virginia for my two pregnant friends. When you're eating for two, you definitely can't get enough chocolate + peanut butter + banana in your life).

Enough talk though. Let's get our Chunky Monkey on.

Chunky Monkey Bread

(a recipe adapted from Cooking Light)

Just when you thought it didn't get any better than chocolate + peanut butter...we went and added bananas to the mix. I recommend topping your slice of bread with natural peanut butter and banana slices. But Nutella would work, too :)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups mashed, ripe banana
• 1/3 cup fat free vanilla yogurt
• 1/3 cup all-natural chunky peanut butter
• 3 TBSP canola oil
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/3 cup chopped, toasted pecans
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup chocolate chips, coarsely chopped
• Optional: natural peanut butter and sliced bananas to serve (Nutella would be tasty, too)

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with cooking spray.

2) Combine banana, yogurt, peanut butter, oil, vanilla, and eggs in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer at medium speed. Add white and brown sugar and beat until combined.

3) Combine flour, flaxseed, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Add flour mixture to banana mixture and beat until just combined. Stir in pecans and chopped chocolate with a spoon. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for approximately 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

4) Allow bread to cool. To serve, smooth some peanut butter on your slice and top with sliced banana.

Brownies and...NyQuil

Apparently it's cold season. And I'm not talking temperature.

My discovery of "cold season is upon us" arrived this morning when I woke up and realized I lacked the capacity to breathe through my nose. Awesome.

Given that my head feels like a lead balloon, I had to break my standing date with the kitchen tonight in favor of a much more alluring subject: the couch. The couch and I invited the latest issue of Newsweek and Hulu's re-runs of "Glee" to join us. It's been a double date of sorts.

But enough rambling--you didn't stop by to read my musings on the merits of NyQuil versus Therflu as a remedy for cold. You stopped by for more of what we all love: chocolate + peanut butter.

More specifically, Peanut Butter Fudge Brownies from the vegetarian goddess herself, Mollie Katzen. These rich cocoa brownies boast a full cup of all-natural peanut butter mixed right in. Plus dark chocolate chips for good measure (and yes, it has to be dark). The batter is so thick you'll think you made cookie dough, but it's no mistake! That thick n' doughy batter produces a dense, moist brownie with a subtle hint of peanut butter.

I'm thinking peanut butter frosting might be a necessity. Next time, friends. Definitely next time.

Fortunately, I baked these puppies a couple nights ago, prior to my "cold-season-is-upon-me" realization.

Forget chicken noodle soup. Vegetarians just need chocolate PB brownies to solve head congestion. And maybe a good dose of Nyquil.

Peanut Butter Fudge Brownies

(From Molly Katzen's Vegetable Heaven)

A full cup of natural peanut butter gives these guys a flavor burst unlike any chocolate + PB brownie you've tasted. The recipe calls for chocolate chips, but if you've got Reese's Cups sitting around (it is Halloween season...) I strongly urge you to chop them up and throw them into the batter.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup natural peanut butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups dark chocolate chips (or chopped Reese cups)
• Optional: peanut butter frosting (try Monet's recipe; I haven't yet, but I have no doubt that it rocks)

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch pan with cooking spray.

2) With an electric mixer, cream together the butter, peanut butter, and sugars in a large bowl, on high speed. Reduce the speed to medium and add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla. Add the flour and cocoa powder, and mix until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

3) Spread batter into prepared pan and bake for 15 - 20 minutes, or until the top feels firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

4) If you've got the time, whip up some peanut butter frosting, and smooth the nut buttery goodness all over the top (after the brownies have cooled, of course).

Need Chocolate. Now.

Tonight called for chocolate. Stat.

No time to waste. No time to dilly dally. Just a smiling Hungry Spoon (yours truly) and a desperate crave for some from-scratch chocolatey goodness.

The fix? Chocolate Fudgy Oatmeal Cookies. And, although the recipe didn't call for it, I smudged a little natural peanut butter on the top of one. Or maybe two or three. I have a weakness for chocolate + peanut butter that I simply cannot deny.

I selected this particular recipe because tonight I was looking for something quick and not too decadent (but still a smidgen decadent). These cookies fulfilled both requirements, and they're super tasty to boot. I cut the oil in half and compensated with applesauce, resulting in a more "cakey" texture that often characterizes lower-fat cookies (as opposed to the more "fudgy" texture of the original recipe. No worries fudgy fans: I posted the original recipe below).

You're likely not surprised that this recipe hails from my latest cookbook obsession: Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar. I truly hope I'm not overloading my dear readers with too many recipes from this one. While I aim to keep my cooking fresh and creative, I made a commitment to bake my way through this gem of a cookbook. And friends, that's just not the kind of commitment I can back out of. (It all began with those Rocky Road Cookies...).

Before I bid you a good evening (and happy baking), I'd like to give a shout out to Amie at the The Healthy Apple. She's a blogger extraordinaire, and I'm super excited to try the Mini Larabars that arrived on my doorstep today :)

As you tie up your apron and put on your pastry hat, just remember: That smudge of peanut butter atop these cookies is completely optional.

But is it really?

Chocolate Fudgy Oatmeal Cookies

(recipe from those genius ladies behind Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar--Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups quick oats
• 1 2/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 TBSP ground flax seeds
• 2/3 cup milk (both dairy and non-dairy varieties work)
• 2/3 cup canola oil (Again, stick with the 2/3 cup oil for those fudgy results. But, if you want to cut fat and don't mind a "cakey" result, you can use 1/3 cup oil and 1/3 cup applesauce)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp. almond extract
• 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
• Optional (sort of): that little smudge of natural peanut butter for topping :)

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat baking trays with cooking spray.

2) In a medium-size bowl, stir together oats, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

3) In a large bowl, beat together the sugar, flax seeds, and milk until smooth. Add the oil, vanilla, and almond extract and beat until well-mixed. Fold in the flour mixture until combined. Then, fold in chocolate chips.

4) For each cookie, drop 2 large tablespoon-fuls of dough onto the cookie sheet. leaving about 2 inches of space between each cooki. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes until cookies are just firm. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

5) As noted, if you've got the chocolate + PB crave, feel free to smooth a little PB on top. It's simply not optional at my house.

African Pineapple Peanut Stew

What do you get when you combine crunchy natural peanut butter, crushed pineapple, and fresh kale?

You guessed it: more Moosewood genius.

I'll admit, I was skeptical at first. I like my pineapple in fruit salad. I like my kale cooked down with garlic, onions, and tomatoes. And nut butter? Okay, I do like nut butter in just about anything.

But combining these three diverse foods? I never would have guessed the result would be a mind-blowing stew that takes vegetarian yummy-ness to a new level. The sweetness of the pineapple complements the crunchy and slightly salty peanut butter beautifully, making a surprisingly splendid sauce for the kale. Serve this stew over your favorite grain--we used Basmati rice, but couscous (or even quinoa?) would work well, too.

This recipe hails from Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home--a cookbook which lends itself to simple and relatively quick healthy meals (Being known for moving at a tortoise's pace in the kitchen, "simple" is undoubtedly what I need.). Added bonus: This cookbook highlights a variety of cuisines from all around the world. From Asian to African, Caribbean to Spanish, it seems no region of the world is left unnoticed.

Did I forget to mention the best part of this dinner?

White Chocolate Lemon Cheesecake for dessert. But I'll save that recipe for this

weekend :)

What's the strangest, yet delicious, food combination you've eaten?

African Pineapple Peanut Stew

(from Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home)

This recipe is both inexpensive and super simple. And come on: who can resist natural peanut butter in their stew?

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chopped onions
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 TBSP olive oil
• One bunch of kale (4 cups chopped)
• 2 cups of undrained (and unsweetened) canned, crushed pineapple (one 20 oz. can)
• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• salt and pepper to taste
• Toppings: coarsely chopped peanuts and chopped scallions

Directions:

1) In a saucepan, saute the onions and garlic in the oil over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently until the onions are lightly browned.

2) While the onion cooks, wash the kale, remove the stems, and stack the leaves on a cutting board. Chop the kale well (ours came to about 1 inch slices)

3) Add the pineapple and its juices to the onions and bring to a simmer. Stir in the kale, cover, and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the kale is just tender. Mix in the peanut butter and cilantro and simmer for 5 more minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

4) Holy Moly, that's a tasty dinner :)