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Tag Archive: Peanuts

Quadruple Peanut Cookies

Written on May 4, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

You know what’s a sign of a good cookie recipe?

When you consider not baking them at all and just eating the batter.

I couldn’t resist trying out this recipe when I saw it online. I mean—peanut butter, peanuts, peanut butter chips, and peanut butter candies? Where can you go wrong? The next time I was at the store I made sure to pick up all the mix-ins; I’m down for any excuse to keep peanut butter chips in the pantry. Always.

To make them gluten-free, I used my favorite and easiest peanut butter cookie batter; there’s no wheat(or even butter!) necessary for these rich, melt-in-your-mouth cookies. I’d recommend if you’re using a non-stir peanut butter to melt it slightly in the microwave before mixing it with the other ingredients.

Quadruple Peanut Cookies(adapted from this recipe)

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 18 minutes

Ingredients(Makes about 20 cookies)

1 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup cane sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup Reese’s Pieces
1/4 cup peanut butter chips
1/4 cup salted peanuts

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
Combine all of the ingredients together evenly into a thick batter.
Roll 1 ounce of dough into a ball in your hand and place it on a lined or greased baking tray. Press down on the dough in a criss-cross pattern with a fork gently
Bake for 15-18 minutes until the sides are browning.
Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool completely before taking them off the baking tray.

These cookies don’t disappoint at all. They’re definitely a must-make for any peanut butter lovers. If you don’t have peanut butter chips, I’m sure chocolate chips would be a great substitution as would chopped Reese’s peanut butter cups for the Reese’s Pieces.

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Triple Nut Bark

Written on March 13, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

Thanks so much for your feedback on my last post; cover photo #2 was the clear winner. I probably would have picked #3 myself so I’m glad I asked and got different opinions.

On Sunday I wanted to make bark but couldn’t think of what recipe to make. Then I remembered one I made way back at the start of this blog that sounded delicious and decided it’d be a perfect chance to update the recipe and the photos.

It’s funny to think the last time I made this I was using a point + shoot and now I have a digital camera with 4 different lenses. It’s definitely an expensive hobby, but so much fun to get into.

Don’t have parchment paper? You can use a brown paper bag as a non-stick surface. It’s saved me from sticking chocolate many many times.

Triple Nut Bark

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 0 Minutes

Ingredients(Makes 15-20 servings):

12oz semi-sweet chocolate or chocolate chips
3oz(3/4 cup) peanuts*
3oz(3/4 cup) almonds*
3oz(3/4 cup) cashews*
Coarse sea salt(optional)

*Roasted nuts will be more flavorful than raw one, but either will yield a tasty result

Method:

Melt the chocolate in a microwave or over a double boiler.
Spread the chocolate out in a thin layer on a non-stick surface.
Evenly distribute the peanuts, almonds, and cashews over the chocolate and press them in lightly.
Sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
Refrigerate for 10-20 minutes until the bark has hardened. Remove it and break the bark into individual servings.
Store refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

The more sea salt on this, the better. It’s totally optional but a must if you love salty-sweet desserts.

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Monkey Trail Mix

Written on February 27, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Snack

If I remember anything from high school biology, it’s that monkeys are one of are closest relatives.

We like bananas; they like bananas. We like peanuts; they probably like peanuts. We like chocolate; they’d love chocolate if anyone were weird enough to give chocolate to a monkey.

Basically, monkeys have good taste in trail mix. And we do, too. This snack is packed with just things monkeys(and people!) would like.

I could only find Reese’s peanut butter chips so those are what I used. If you’re looking for something more natural, Sunspire makes really good peanut butter chips which you can find at some Whole Foods and natural food stores.

Monkey Trail Mix

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients:

1/2 cup banana chips
3/4 cup salted peanuts
3/4 cup raw cashews
1/4 cup peanut butter chips
1/4 cup chocolate chips

Method:

Combine all of the ingredients and mix together.

It doesn’t get much easier than that.

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Snack Balls

Written on January 11, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Snack

Lately I’ve been obsessed with these raw fruit and nut snacks. And I’m always obsessed with chocolate peanut butter. I can’t understand what took me so long to combine the two.

I’m not going to sugarcoat these and say they taste like Reese’s peanut butter cups; they don’t, and anyone who could get that flavor with just fruit and nuts would be a miracle worker. But these do taste deliciously sweet and salty with a hint of cocoa and silky smooth peanut butter. They’re certainly good enough to satisfy a snack craving. And if you want to take these to the next level, you can always mix some chocolate chips(or peanut butter chips!) into the batter for a real chocolate peanut butter treat.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Snack Balls

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(makes about 14 balls):

16oz pitted dates
1/2 cup peanut butter
6 Tablespoons cocoa powder
3 Tablespoons chia seeds
1/4 cup peanuts or chocolate chips(optional)

Method:

Blend the dates in a food processor until they stick together and form a big dough ball.
Add in the peanut butter and cocoa powder and continue mixing until all of the ingredients are blended together.
Stop the processor; move the dough to a separate bowl and add in the chia seeds and any other mix-ins you might want. Knead them in throughout the dough.
Break off 1oz pieces and roll them into 1-inch balls. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.

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Honey Vanilla Peanut Butter

Written on December 19, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Miscellaneous

I really like fancy flavored peanut butter and almond butter and all those butters. The problem is they’re usually double or triple the price. Thankfully they’re so easy to make at home. This is a great DIY recipe if you want to make breakfast a little more special, or even a great homemade gift to give a peanut butter lover in your life.

Honey and vanilla go so well together, even better with peanut butter. I got tired of making this in single servings and decided to make a big batch so I could eat it again and again. You can start with peanuts or peanut butter that’s already ground—the recipe’s pretty much the same either way.

Honey Vanilla Peanut Butter

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes about 16oz):

12oz(3 cups) peanuts OR 12oz(1 1/2 cups) peanut butter
1/2 Tablespoon good quality vanilla extract
3 heaping Tablespoons honey

Method:

Put the peanuts into the food processor and blend until it forms a smooth, runny butter(if using peanut butter, omit this step).
Combine the rest of the ingredients with the peanut butter in the food processor and blend until emulsified.
Scrape into a seal-tight jar. Store at room temperature for up to a month.

I somewhat wanted to add more honey to this because it wasn’t quite sweet enough for my taste; then again, I have a huge sweet tooth and would turn everything into dessert if I could, so I’m guessing 3 tablespoons is enough for most people, although judge by taste always.

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Peanuts And Pretzels Dark Chocolate Bark

Written on November 21, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

Over this weekend I went to Philadelphia and ran a marathon. How did I do? I don’t actually know yet; I’m writing this 2 days before the actual marathon. You can probably check my Twitter. I hope to have an actual recap up by tomorrow.

But whether I hit my goal or not isn’t important(OK, it’s kind of important); what matters more is that I had fun with some awesome people. Madeline and her boyfriend were kind enough to let me crash at their place the night before the marathon so it only seemed fair that I shower them in chocolate.

Madeline and Boots love gluten-free pretzels and gluten-free chocolate covered pretzels even though neither are gluten-free, which I find hysterical as someone who’s gluten-free and never even bought pretzels before I decided to make these. I don’t know that they like peanut butter, but I’m just going to assume that that’s the case, too. Because—I mean—who doesn’t like peanut butter?

I sneaked a piece before I gave the rest away(because you can’t give something as a present and not taste it first to make sure it’s good, right?) and they were good. I would have added a touch more salt; when I tried the gluten-free pretzels on their own I realized they weren’t as salty as I expected them to be and I think the sweetness is a little overpowering. Otherwise I hope these will be a hit. And if you enjoy things that are sweet and salty I’d highly recommend them, too.

Peanuts And Pretzels Dark Chocolate Bark

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes(allow 20 minutes for cooling)

Ingredients:

12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate OR 1 3/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup crushed pretzels
1/4 cup salted peanuts
1/4 cup peanut butter chips

Method:

In the microwave or over a double boiler, melt the chocolate until it’s smooth and liquid.
Spread the chocolate out on a piece of parchment paper in a 1/2-inch thick layer.
Evenly distribute the peanuts, pretzels, and peanut butter chips over the chocolate. Press the ingredients lightly into the chocolate to make sure that they stick.
Refrigerate the chocolate for 20 minutes until it has hardened.
Break the bark into individual-sized pieces. Store at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Peanuts-And-Pretzels-Dark-Chocolate-Bark-square

I hope to have a full marathon/weekend recap up tomorrow morning, but if it’s a little late it’s because I’m going from Philadelphia to Boston to Providence and then back to Massachusetts to cook and photograph and eat Thanksgiving dinner. Basically it’s going to be a bust week and I can’t wait for all of it.

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Hot Banana Breakfast Quinoa

Written on October 21, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Breakfast

Pretty much as soon as I made Banana Breakfast Quinoa I knew I wanted to try a hot, cooked version of it. I really like eggs in the morning so adding them and cooking it in the microwave seemed to be the easiest way to make something tasty. What resulted is a warm, hearty breakfast reminiscent of banana bread that’s both delicious and filling.

This has quickly become my new favorite breakfast, one that I eat most days of the week. It doesn’t take more than 10 minutes to make start to finish so even on my busy mornings I have time to throw it together. And it’s filling and healthy, too. A bowl with 2 tablespoons of peanut butter clocks in at around 25 grams of protein and no added sugar.

Hot Banana Breakfast Quinoa

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 3 minutes

Ingredients(For 1 serving):

1 banana, mashed
1/3 cup cooked quinoa
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Nuts, nut butter, dried fruit, or sweetener for toppings

Method:

Combine the mashed banana, quinoa, eggs, salt, and cinnamon together in a small bowl and mix thoroughly.
Transfer the batter to a ramekin or other microwave-safe bowl, leaving a little room at the top to prevent overflow.
Microwave on high for 3 minutes or until the center is cooked through and set.
Top with nuts, dried fruit, and/or sweetener and eat hot.

The texture, as you can see, is soft and spongy almost like a baked bread pudding. You could also try baking it in the oven for 12-15 minutes which would result in a similar texture and flavor.

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Halloween Crack Corn

Written on October 5, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Snack

I must have been living under a rock or sheltered as a child because I never knew the amazing combination of candy corn and peanuts until Holly posted about it. I really should have guessed that two of my favorite food groups(because they definitely deserve their own food groups) would only be even better put together. And combined with popcorn it’s a crunchy, crackly, filling snack that tastes eerily like kettle corn.

The truth is I don’t see a time when this wouldn’t be good. You can make it as an afternoon snack or a dessert late at night, put it in a bowl and serve it at a Halloween party or put it into goodie bags to give out at a kid’s party. There’s no one who wouldn’t like this.

Halloween Crack Corn(inspired by Holly’s post)

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(for 2 servings):

3 cups of popcorn(click here to see how to DIY)
1/2 cup candy corn
1/2 cup peanuts

Method:

Combine all of the ingredients together and toss until evenly mixed. Pour into a serving bowl and eat up immediately.

This makes for a very filling afternoon snack when you eat the whole thing yourself. That is until you remember you have all the ingredients to make more.

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Raw Pad Thai

Written on August 16, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Entree

When I shared A Day In The Life Of A Restaurant Intern, a reader wanted to know more about the raw pad Thai bowl I had for lunch. This is something I’ve been making all Summer long and honestly I never blogged about it because I didn’t think it was that exciting. Healthy? Yes. Delicious? No doubt. An excuse to eat peanut butter for every meal? Totally. But not really exciting.

I never really make this the same way, sometimes adding sesame oil, sometimes using chickpeas instead of tempeh—you get the idea. One ingredient I highly recommend investing in is miso paste. I never really knew much about it before a few months ago and certainly never would buy it at the store. Now I wouldn’t keep a refrigerator without it. The salty/savory flavor is truly unique and adds a special depth of flavor that’s crosses cultures. I’ve used this in place of garlic, onions and salt in greens and beans and it tastes just as good. It’s definitely worth the investment.

Raw Pad Thai

Ingredients(For one serving):

1 zucchini
2 carrots
1/2 cup bean sprouts
1/2 block tempeh
peanuts to garnish

For the sauce:

2 Tablespoons peanut butter
2 teaspoons maple syrup
1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
1/2 Tablespoon white miso paste
1 teaspoon siracha sauce(optional)

Method:

Using a vegetable peeler, peel the zucchini and carrots into long, thin “noodles” using as much of the vegetables as possible.
Make the sauce by mixing together the peanut butter, maple syrup, vinegar, miso, and siracha if using until smooth. If necessary add a few teaspoons of water until the sauce is runny yet thick.
Toss the sauce with the vegetable “noodles” and bean sprouts in a large bowl reserving about a tablespoon of sauce.
Plate the noodles in a bowl.
Slice the tempeh on a bias and plate it on top of the sauced noodles.
Spread the reserved sauce on top of the tempeh. Garnish with peanuts if desired.

Like I said, you can play around with the ingredients to suit what’s in your pantry. I could eat tempeh and peanut butter all day long so this is how I like it best.

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Protein-Packed Mock Thai

Written on July 7, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Entree

I didn’t learn to eat with chopsticks until 10th grade. I ate plenty of Asian food before then, but it was usually takeout eaten at home with forks and spoons. If I did use the chopsticks, it was to poke a dumpling from the side and cautiously try to dip it into duck sauce without it falling off.

But then, in 10th grade, a magical thing happened: A Panda Express opened up in the Comm. Ave cafeteria where I ate lunch. I could have Panda Express Every. Day. Let’s ignore how unhealthy that must have been for me—their orange chicken was sensational. It was great enough to motivate me to learn to use chopsticks.

This is one skill I hold dear to my heart. While I don’t always post it, I love working with Asian ingredients to make flavorful, often unphotogenic meals. You can’t go wrong if you keep adding soy sauce, vinegar, and honey with a little spice. My favorite dish is Pad Thai, but like orange chicken, the original is probably not something you should eat every day. But now you can.

This recipe uses vegetables in place of the noodles to cut down on refined grains and carbs and boost the vegetable servings. Trust me when I say you won’t miss them. The sauce has an extra protein punch from peanut flour, which is higher in protein and lower in fat than peanut butter, which also works well in this recipe in a pinch. I use eggs which are my favorite protein to make this a filling meal but you can swap in cubed tofu to make this a vegan dish. The result is filling and just as delicious as the original. If you don’t know how to use chopsticks yet, let this be a reason to learn.

Protein-Packed Mock Thai

Ingredients(Makes 2 small portions or 1 large):

1 zucchini, peeled into shreds
1 carrot, peeled into shreds
1/2 cup bean sprouts
3 eggs
1/4 cup partially defatted peanut flour*
2 Tablespoons tamarind paste**
1/2 Tablespoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons soy sauce(or wheat-free tamari)
1/2 Tablespoon rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
~2 Tablespoons water to thin

*If unavailable, swap for 2 tablespoons peanut butter and omit the water.

**This is the signature flavor of Pad Thai. The best substitute is brown sugar, though the flavor won’t be as complex.

Heat a pan to medium and add in the zucchini and carrot noodles and bean sprouts. Sauté for a few minutes until cooked and softened.

Crack in the eggs and toss the vegetables with them. Continue sautéing until the eggs have completely cooked.

Turn off the heat, pour in the sauce, and toss it together with the noodles until completely mixed. Scoop into bowls for serving.

Garnish with salted peanuts and Thai basil leaves.

Dig in.

What’s your favorite dish to order at a Chinese/Japanese/Thai restaurant?

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