It was 90 degrees here today. Finally, a hot summer day! The kind of day where there’s nothing to do but spend it in the pool. We did drag ourselves back inside late in the afternoon once our skin was sufficiently pruney and bronzed.
When I started scratching up something to make for this week’s edition of Summer Chillers, I knew that I did not want to turn on the oven or the stove top. So I called my mom to get this recipe. She informed me that this actually came from the school cafeteria where she taught before I was born. Don’t let that scare you though. It doesn’t taste anything like cafeteria food. That was back in the early 1970′s, and no one yet cared what their children were eating in school, so things still had sugar, fat and flavor in them.
Anyway, class, the only heat source you will need for today’s lesson is a microwave.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Bar Recipe
3/4 C of Butter or Margarine, melted plus a little more
3 Cups of Peanut Butter
3 3/4 Cups of Powdered Sugar
1 Tsp Vanilla
5 ounces of Chocolate Chips
Melt the butter in the microwave. Mix together the melted butter, peanut butter and powdered sugar. Press into the bottom of a 9×13 inch pan.
In the microwave melt the chocolate chips with a little bit of margarine. (This is how recipe was written. I used about a tablespoon.)
Spread the melted chocolate evenly over the peanut butter mixture. Refrigerate for two hours before cutting into squares and serving. And you must eat these things with milk. A LOT of milk. They’re good, but that’s a whole mess of peanut butter to wash down.
Melting Chocolate in the Microwave
Up until a few moths ago I melted chocolate the old fashioned way, in a double boiler. I got brave one day and decided to try it in the microwave. While it’s quicker and easier, it must be done very carefully. It takes only a few seconds too long to turn you chocolate into a hard, burned mess. How do I know? Let’s just say experience is the best teacher.
So put the chocolate in a heat proof bowl. Glass is better than plastic. Nuke it at 30 second intervals, stirring each time. Chocolate can deceive you by holding it’s shape even though it’s actually melting. When most of the chocolate is melted, take it out and stir until it’s smooth. A few remaining chunks will be dissolved by the chocolate that’s already hot and melted.
The same goes for melting butter in the microwave. It only takes about 30 seconds to a minute. You can melt it most of the way, then finish it up by taking it out and stirring. If you over cook the butter it will splatter, and you’ll have a nice greasy mess to clean up. I learned that hard way too.
I had almost a whole box of plain Cornflakes left over from an Oven Fried Chicken recipe that didn’t work out very well. It was the really big box. The only size they sell plain Cornflakes in at my grocery store. No one in my house was going to eat them for breakfast. We only eat cereal that’s coated with processed sugar and high fructose corn syrup. But I couldn’t bring myself to just throw away an entire box of cereal either. I had to find something to do with it.
No-Bake Peanut Butter Cornflake Cookie Recipe
1 c. white sugar
1 c. corn syrup
1/4 c. butter
1 c. peanut butter
6 c. corn flakes
Bring sugar & syrup to a boil. Remove from heat & add butter & peanut butter. Melt, pour over cornflakes. Mix together well. Spoon onto wax paper.
So easy, so quick and so tasty. Cereal smothered in sugar. Just the way we like it!
I’ve made some “fancy” cookies the last few times and my husband was lamenting that I never make any “regular” cookies. So this week I made one his favorites, the Peanut Butter Cookie. An oldie but a goodie.
When ever I make classic American anything I always turn to my beloved Fanny Farmer cookbook where this recipe comes from. It’s worn and the pages are falling out, but I love it. Every recipe in there works exactly like it says it will, and turns out tasty each time. From pancakes to apple pie to fried chicken, you’ll find all the mainstays of the kitchen in Fannie’s cookbook with detailed instructions that guarantee success. There are also great chapters on canning, jam making and pickling. Add this book to your collection. First published in 1896, it’s been updated several times. You can find the most current copy at many on line book sellers.
Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe
1 cup shortening
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup peanut butter
3 cups flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tsp baking soda
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease cookie sheets. Cream together shortening, vanilla and sugars. Add the eggs and beat well. Stir in peanut butter. Mix together flour, salt and baking soda then add the peanut butter mixture. Combine thoroughly. Form into tiny balls with palm of hands. Place on cookie sheet. Press each cookie twice with back of fork to make crisscross design. Bake 8 to 10 minutes.
I made these and I told myself I was going to be good and only have one today. I ate four. I just couldn’t help myself. So Good!
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Rounds with Chocolate Chips Recipe
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Beat together butter and peanut butter until well combined. Add sugars, and baking powder and soda. Beat until combined. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Beat in flour. Stir in oats and chocolate chips.
Drop by rounded teaspoons on to ungreased baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes or until light brown around edges.
Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook
These came out just perfect. Crispy outside, soft and chewy when you bite into them. And full of chocolate. I love it when a recipe actually works the way the book says it will. The baking time was even dead on. Usually I at least need to adjust that. I did put in more than a cup of chocolate chips. I just dumped in the whole 16 oz. bag. Probably why I can’t stop eating them!
