Reese’s Peanut Butter Bars. That’s what the experts said I should call these two-bite “Change Your Life” treats.  Said in my best Steel Magnolias accent, which I happen to be watching tonight. We’ll come back to that.

I have this friend who is a huge Reese’s fan. So one year for her birthday I made her these Peanut Butter Brownie Bites…Of Love! They are as ooey gooey yummy as they look friends. Here’s that RECIPE.

Then there was the year I discovered how easy it was to make Homemade Peanut Butter Cups. Let’s just say this about those….WOW!!!

Check out the recipe here —>>> RECIPE

The following year I decided to try out a White Chocolate version of above mentioned Homemade Peanut Butter Cups.  They were equally as tasty and quite festive if I do say so myself. RECIPE

Then somewhere, likely on Pinterest, I saw this fudge. This oh so sweet and creamy White Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge. We were in heaven. Sweet tooth heaven. Here’s Another RECIPE for you to try.

Since we’re on a peanut butter cup love fest together, there were these delightful treats that I made one year for my other bff chocolate/peanut butter loving friend.

Surround yourself with like-minded people and you’re sure to find someone with a stash of chocolate. And peanut butter if you’re lucky! Here’s how we put these Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Cup Stuffed Oreos together —>> RECIPE

So before I get to the recipe for Reese’s Peanut Butter Bars I must share that as I sat here at my kitchen table typing up this post, Steel Magnolias was fired up on the tv. I know you’ve seen this movie.

After all, I named my kid after the lead character, whether we had a boy or a girl, the name would be Shelby. A little Steel Magnolias text thread exchange with my Shelby.

I promise I’ll get to the recipe for two-bite “change your life” peanut butter bars. I just have to share one more text exchange. Hee.

Recipe slightly adapted from Culinary Hill.

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Reese’s Peanut Butter Bars

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 24

Ingredients

• 10 Tbl. butter divided
• 1 1/2 cups peanut butter
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1 3/4 cups confectioners sugar
• 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

• Line a 9×9-inch pan with aluminum foil.
• Melt 5 Tbl. butter in a large microwave-safe bowl. Stir in peanut butter, brown sugar and confectioners sugar. Press into prepared pan and chill.
• Melt remaining 5 Tbl. butter and chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl in microwave for 1 minute. Stir, heat in 30-second increments until smooth. Pour over peanut butter base.
• Chill until firm, at least two hours or overnight. Cut into bars, about 1 1/2-inch square. Store in refrigerator.

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I had a blast playing Secret Santa at the office this year!! I always do. This yearly tradition has become a great way to welcome in the holidays, with a bit of mischief and good fun.

The week of Thanksgiving we fill out our Santa wish list, then blind draw who we will secretly spoil the week of our annual company Christmas Party.  Last week, that all happened in epic proportion.  I drew Nick.  Nick, who’s favorite candy is Junior Mints.

Snap! I can do that. A quick Google search revealed just how easy it is to make Junior Mints from scratch with only four ingredients.  They’re that easy.

All my favorite Santas & Elves, gathered for the big revealing.  Love my work family.

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Homemade Junior Mints

Ingredients

• 3 ounces cream cheese softened
• 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
• 3 cups confectioners sugar
• 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

• In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese and extract until creamy. Add 1/2 cup of confectioners at a time until fully incorporated. The mixture may be crumbly. It will come together when rolled into balls.
• Scoop 1 tsp. of mixture at a time and roll into balls. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and press slightly into disc shapes. Chill for 15 minutes.
• Melt chocolate chips in microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between; until smooth. Dip minty discs in chocolate and return to parchment paper. Once dipped; chill and store in refrigerator.

Nick’s wish list revealed that his favorite food is chicken parmesan and pasta.  So on day#3, which is “A Clue About You” aka a hint at who might be their Secret Santa, I made him these Chicken Parmesan Meatballs.  Apparently a dead give-away.

I can’t share this post without giving a shout-out to my Secret Santa and his elf. Day #1 received an awesome chalk board, with a hand chalked message, and the most awe-mazing bundle of 48 colored chalks. This girl, who loves to draw, paint, and color was feeling the love. They took it up a notch and added some of my favorite trail pictures.

And Santa knew me so well.

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I’ve been looking forward to receiving my 2015 cooking magazine subscriptions (I’m changing it up a bit this year).  The first to arrive in the mailbox was BON APPETIT with a big banner across the top that read GET HEALTHY IN 2015.  Right on!!

So I promptly made cookies.  Pistachio Oatmeal Cookies.

It had rained for 3 days straight.  I hadn’t ‘cooked’ anything in forever.

In my defense these Pistachio Oatmeal Sandies fell under their round-up of Sweet-ISH Dessert recipes.  The fact that they aren’t overly sweet is exactly what makes them so delicious in a pecan sandie meets oatmeal cookie kind of way.

The dough begins in the food processor or Vitamix in our case.  The pistachios and oats are pulsed into small pieces with the flour, baking soda and salt.  Don’t worry about uniformly sized pieces.  Seeing pieces of delicious pistachio peeking through adds character.  The nut mixture is then combined with a minimal amount of sugar and a generous amount of butter.

This lover of ‘cookie dough’ was delighted to discover…No Eggs.  I instantly began to fantasize about recipe variations.  Pistachio Oatmeal Cookie Dough Ice Cream.  Or maybe Double Chocolate Brownies with swirls of cookie dough.  I was talking like a mad women who had been cooped up in the house without a sugar splurge for too long.  I quickly rolled the dough in parchment paper logs and stashed them in the back of my fridge.  Get it together woman.

Monday morning I packed up my parchment logs of heavenly dough and off to the office we went.  We have a brand new break room and bigger kitchen that begs to have cookies baking just before 3 o’clock break.  These Pistachio-Oatmeal Sandies, served slightly warm, were a great success.  Thankfully I saved a few to picture the next day and share with you.  They were just as delicious.

If a cookie with two sticks of butter can be light, these are that.  And nutty.  In the very best way.

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Pistachio Oatmeal Sandies

Prep Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 25 minutes minutes

Servings 36

Author Bon Appetit, January 2015

Ingredients

• 1 cup shelled pistachios
• 1 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 cup 2 sticks butter, room temperature
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup confectioners sugar

Instructions

• Place pistachios, oats, flour, salt and soda in your food processor or Vitamix. Pulse several times until pistachios are broken down but still visible.
• In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy; about 5 minutes. Slowly add in nut mixture and mix on low speed until just incorporated. Turn dough out onto parchment paper and finish mixing by hand.
• Divide dough into two equal pieces. Shape into 2 logs about 1 1/2-inches in diameter. Wrap each in parchment paper and chill until firm, at least 1 hour or up to 5 days in advance.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Slice dough logs into 1/4-inch thick slices; spaced about 1/2-inch apart. Bake 9-10 minutes until barely golden. Allow to cool 10 minutes before serving.

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This Strawberry Pecan Cake is a family recipe.  One that has been passed down from generation to generation.  Granny Cile, aka The Cake Lady, shared her cake craft with our community for many years.  Whether it was baking for a church event or delivering her signature cakes to the parish hall for a family in need, Granny baked. 

As Granny broke into her 80s, she modified her recipes as a way to simplify.  Completely from scratch was all she knew back in the 50s, 60s and 70s.  Her cakes were sought after.  Her family and church family felt the love she shared in each one she delivered.

As Granny ‘matured’ she modified some of her recipes to include boxed cake mixes.  While she still had large canisters of flour, sugar and all the other ingredients required to make her luscious cakes, she shifted her recipes.  I am here to tell you that this glorious Strawberry Pecan Cake recipe is just as amazing in 2014 as it was when I first enjoyed it back in 1999.  Granny Cile is not my Granny, but she is still family.  I share often that my work family completes me.  Tammy’s Granny, who shared her cakes at our annual Thanksgiving Luncheons each year, was definitely considered family.

Granny began to show signs of Alzheimer’s Disease, yet remained such a strong woman.  How do you question or challenge the matriarch of the family when they struggle or perhaps…adjust to the restrictions of the disease?  Granny continued to quilt and bake and worship.  I’m not knowledgeable enough to speak to the challenges this dear family faced, or how others living with parents of dementia did.  What I do know is that our baby-boomer generation will benefit from education on this topic.  What I have witnessed, through multiple work-family members, is that this disease can stop you in your tracks.  Loved ones and caregivers are left bewildered.  Emotionally and physically drained.  Your unconditional love carries you through.

Granny Cile made the most amazing cakes, in her day and beyond. Let’s give praise and remember just how beautiful family recipes can be.  Even if they are someone else’s family recipe.

This Strawberry Pecan Cake is deliciously moist with hints of coconut.  I slightly adapted the icing recipe because I made this a four layer cake.  The addition of cream cheese made the icing a bit sturdier, but just as sweet and creamy.

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Strawberry Pecan Cake

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Author Voncile Smith, Cumming, Georgia

Ingredients

Strawberry Pecan Cake…

• 1 box white cake mix
• 1 3- oz. package strawberry Jello
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup coconut oil warmed until liquid
• 4 eggs
• ½ cup milk
• 1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries drained
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 cup coconut

Strawberry Pecan Icing…

• 1 stick butter softened
• 1 8- ounce block cream cheese softened
• 6 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup strawberries drained & mashed
• 1 cup coconut plus 1/4 cup for decorating
• 1 cup chopped pecans plus 25 halves for decorating

Instructions

Strawberry Pecan Cake..

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 3 9-inch or 4 7-inch cake pans.
• Mix ingredients in order given. Pour batter evenly into prepared pans. Bake for 25 minutes.
• Cool completely before removing from pans.

Strawberry Pecan Icing…

• Cream sugar, butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and mix until smooth.
• Spread between layers and on top and sides of cake. Decorate with pecan halves and coconut.

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I really wanted to do something nice for my work family.  It has been beyond busy and really hot and down right trying for us.  Yet, we continue to rally together to get it done.  I decided on an afternoon sweet treat of Peanut Butter Truffles and Nutella Swirled Chocolate Chip Blondies.

Forgive me for the raw photos below, but I wanted to illustrate just how easy it is to make 4 Ingredient Peanut Butter Truffles.  You really have no excuse not to Share the Love with your team.  Just sayin’.

After today, we’ve declared that these Peanut Butter Truffles will be included in our Holiday Cookie shipments to customers.  Because that’s what sets us apart from our competition.  Homemade cookies.  Well that and kick butt customer service!!

I, and my entire team give credit to Pint-Sized Treasures for this awesome recipe!

The post Peanut Butter Truffles {4-Ingredients} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Spending Friday afternoon in the warehouse, checking and packing orders, was a wonderful reminder of how teamwork can propel a small company.  Laying wide awake in bed early Saturday morning…told me where my heart was.

When Chocolate & Peanut Butter Pretzel Squares appeared on my Pinterest feed, I knew they needed to be delivered to all my awesome workmates.

5 Simple Ingredients (from left to right ): chocolate chips, confectioners sugar, peanut butter, pretzels, and butter.

3 Easy “No-Bake” Steps.

Step #1 ~ Combine crushed pretzels, peanut butter, confectioners sugar, and melted butter; then press into the bottom of a parchment lined 9×13 baking pan.

Step #2 ~ Melt chocolate chips with peanut butter in microwave.  Spread over pretzel crust and chill for one hour.

Step #3 ~ Cut into squares and Share the Love.

I shared these Chocolate & Peanut Butter Pretzel Squares chilled at 3 o’clock pm on a work day.  They were a hit!

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Chocolate & Peanut Butter Pretzel Squares {no-bake}

Servings 24

Author Food Network

Ingredients

For pretzel crust…

• 1 1/2 sticks butter melted
• 2 1/2 cups crushed pretzels
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
• 1 cup peanut butter

For chocolate layer…

• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup peanut butter

Instructions

• Lay a piece of parchment paper across a 9×13 baking pan. In a medium bowl combine pretzel crust ingredients; press evenly into prepared pan.
• In microwave safe bowl, microwave chocolate chips with 1/4 cup peanut butter in 30 second intervals; stirring after each. Spread melted chocolate mixture over pretzel crust. Chill for at least one hour.
• Cut into squares and share the love.

The post Chocolate & Peanut Butter Pretzel Squares {no-bake} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

There are some things I routinely make from scratch that I take for granted.  Homemade Whipped Cream is one of them.  Consider this post being less about a recipe and more about encouragement to make from scratch whenever possible.  It’s really nice to know the ingredients in your dishes.  In this case…just two.

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Homemade Whipped Cream

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 Tbl. confectioners sugar

Instructions

• If you have time to pop your bowl and beaters in the freezer for a few minutes before beginning it will speed up the process.
• Combine ingredients in a small bowl. Beat on low for 10 seconds then increase to high until mixture becomes thick. Continue another 15-30 seconds, until you have stiff peaks.

The post Homemade Whipped Cream appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Today was my Thanksgiving luncheon with my work family.  I am so blessed to work with 40 of the greatest people and proud to call them family.  When we get together for a holiday or an event of any kind, you can bet there is going to be food glorious food.  Our Thanksgiving spreads are a sight to behold.

We have several new teammates this year, which means new dishes are added to the lineup.  Like ‘Tom the Turkey’ that Jennifer made.  How adorable is Tom?!! All in all we seem to be traditionalists.  We’ve come to know that Mel will bring her kick butt hash brown casserole, Jan will bring her wonderful dressing, Wendy will bring the most delicious veggie casserole, Sabina will roast turkeys and the glorious smell will fill the warehouse, Cindy will bring the creamiest cheesiest mac ‘n cheese on the planet, Libby will bring traditional summer squash casserole, Teresa will wrap Lil’ Smokies in bacon sprinkled with brown sugar then bake them into lil’ bites of love, Trever’s mom will send in peanut butter cake straight from heaven, I could go on and on.  There is never a shortage of food that’s for sure.

Well….that was before we decided to invite some very special guests.  You see we’re adding on to our existing offices and warehouse (today was also our ribbon cutting ceremony for our fabulous new Keying Room).  Our work family now also includes the greatest construction crew anyone could ever hope to work with.  Our group of 40 turned into a group of 50 in a hurry…so I decided to add an extra dessert.  Why do we always worry that there won’t be enough food.  We will literally be eating leftovers for lunch for the next two days!!

I found this easy recipe for a Pumpkin Torte that sounded festive and tasty (and so easy I feel a bit like I’ve cheated).

This was my first time bisecting cakes.  This was not intended to be a topsy turvy cake, but I think that gives it a little personality.  As does the caramel sauce oozing down the sides.  Toasted pecans and Heath toffee bits finish off the top.  This cake was a hit and I kid you not, it took 30 minutes to bake, then I layered it when I got to the office this morning in less than 10 minutes.  If you want to make all of the components from scratch I’m sure it would be even tastier.  But if you’re looking for a quick & easy holiday dessert have I got a recipe for you.

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Pumpkin Torte

Course Dessert

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 10 -12

Author Taste of Home

Ingredients

• 1 package yellow cake mix
• 1 can 14-ounce pumpkin puree not pie filling, divided
• 1/2 cup milk
• 4 eggs
• 1/3 cup canola
• 1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice divided
• 1 package 8-ounce cream cheese softened
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 tub 8-ounces frozen whipped topping thawed
• 1/3 cup caramel ice cream topping
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans toasted
• 1/4 cup toffee bits

Instructions

• In a large bowl combine cake mix, 1 cup pumpkin, milk, eggs, oil, and 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice. Beat on low for 30 seconds. Beat on medium for 2 minutes. Pour into 2 9-inch or 3 7-inch greased and floured cake pans.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
• In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add the confectioners’ sugar and remaining pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice; beat until smooth. Fold in whipped topping.
• Cut each cake into two layers. Place bottom layer on cake plate, spread with about 1/2-inch thick layer of the filling. Repeat for remaining layers. Drizzle caramel topping around edges, allowing to overflow every so often. Sprinkle with pecans and toffee bits. Store in refrigerator.

The post Pumpkin Torte {and a very special Thanksgiving Luncheon} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

It was time for another Adventure in Chocolate.  I started something kind of fun.  Every other week or so I will choose one of my work-mates to select a recipe, that I then recreate, picture, post about, and deliver to them to Share the Love.  This time up I chose Allan and he chose Chocolate Rum Balls.

I chose Allan, because a couple of weeks ago when I started this new ritual and was in need of recipe inspiration, I turned to the only person I know that might have a greater chocolate addiction than I do.  I said, “Wendy, I need you to deliver me a recipe for something decadent and chocolate.  I’ll make it, pictured it, post about it, then deliver it to you to devour.”  You may remember our fabulous Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake with Chocolate Ganache.  We have Wendy to thank for that lovely recipe.

Well it seems in all of her excitement, while Wendy did share the love with some in the office….she never made it around to Allan before whisking off with the remaining half a cheesecake and heading for home.  It was only fair to offer him a means of retaliation, in the nicest way of course.

His choice of Chocolate Rum Balls was outstanding.  And this super simple recipe from Food Network was a bonus.

Chopped semisweet and bittersweet chocolate are melted over simmering water.

Cubed butter is then stirred in until nice and creamy.

Next, the confectioners sugar and rum are stirred into the chocolate mixture until a dough is formed.

Notice the texture in the picture above.  The chocolate dough is pliable, easy to roll into 1-inch balls for dipping in chocolate sprinkles.  DO NOT REFRIGERATE MIXTURE.  If you don’t have time to roll the balls now or if you were to say run out of chocolate sprinkles (hmm mmm) before finishing the rolling and coating step, just simply seal the chocolate mixture in an airtight container until ready to roll.

One small container of chocolate sprinkles will coat approximately 15 1-inch balls.  I will buy the big tub next time :) since the recipe will easily make 50 delicious Chocolate Rum Balls.  Thank Allan for a stellar choice.

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Chocolate Rum Balls {Share the Love}

Author Food Network

Ingredients

• 4 oz. semisweet chocolate cut into small pieces
• 4 oz. bittersweet chocolate cut into small pieces
• 1 stick butter cut into small pieces
• 4 cups powdered confectioners sugar
• 3 Tbl. dark rum I used Bacardi Gold
• Chocolate sprinkles for rolling (Lg. tub)

Instructions

• In a medium metal bowl, combine both types of chocolate and melt over a pot of simmering water. Whisk in the butter pieces. Whisk in the sugar and rum.
• Put sprinkles in a shallow bowl. Roll the chocolate mixture into small balls, about 1-inch in diameter. Roll them in sprinkles until they are fully coated. Store them in an airtight container.

If you loved these Chocolate Rum Balls you might also enjoy Vanilla Rum Balls.

Vanilla Rum Balls

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As I’ve said before, I’m not sure who comes up with these ‘National Days’ but National Peanut Butter Day was just too good to let slip away.  Since our most popular posts involve Chocolate (Bacon & Bread Bowls being a close second)…Homemade Peanut Butter Cups seemed the obvious choice.

We started making homemade peanut butter sometime in the past year and that’s become our standard now.  Peanuts (about 2 cups), canola oil (about 2 Tablespoons), and honey or agave nectar (1-2 Tablespoons to taste) in the blender until smooth and creamy.

These Homemade Peanut Butter Cups are a cinch to make.  Line muffin tin with 12 – 2″ muffin papers.  Melt 1 bag (9.5 oz) of Dove Milk Chocolates in microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between.  Spoon melted chocolate into each paper cup and tap pan on counter to level.  Pop in the freezer for 10 minutes while you prepare the peanut butter filling.

Combine 1/2 cup of peanut butter with 1/3 cup sifted confectioners sugar and 1 Tbl. softened butter.  Top frozen chocolate with a spoonful of peanut butter mixture and tap pan on counter to level.  Back to the freezer for another 10 minutes.

Melt second bag of chocolate in the microwave, then spoon melted chocolate over frozen peanut butter layer, tap pan, and return to freezer for 10 minutes.

Once Peanut Butter Cups are set, you can remove from freezer and eat :) or store them at room temperature.  I found that at room temperature they most resembled a good ol’ Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.  However, these might be like our Almond Joy Candy Bars and give the store bought variety a run for it’s money.  My favorite taste testers (work family) gave these Homemade Peanut Butter Cups a big finger-licking thumbs up!

Flash forward a few months.  If you can make them with milk chocolate, why not make them with white chocolate.

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Homemade Peanut Butter Cups {National Peanut Butter Day}

Course Dessert

Servings 6

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme, inspired by Taste of Home

Ingredients

• 2 9.5 oz bags Dove Milk Chocolates
• 2 Tbl. heavy cream
• 12 – 2 ” muffin papers
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/3 cup confectioners sugar sifted
• 1 Tbl. butter softened

Instructions

• Line muffin tin with 12 – 2″ muffin papers.
• Melt 1 bag (9.5 oz) of Dove Milk Chocolates and 1 Tbl. cream in microwave in microwave safe bowl at 30 second intervals, stirring in between. Spoon melted chocolate into each and tap pan on counter to level. Pop in the freezer for 10 minutes while you prepare the peanut butter filling.
• Combine 1/2 cup of peanut butter with 1/4 cup sifted confectioners sugar and 1 Tbl. softened butter. Top frozen chocolate with a spoonful of peanut butter mixture and tap pan on counter to level. Return to freezer for 10 mintues.
• Melt second bag of chocolate and 1 Tbl. cream in the microwave, then spoon melted chocolate over frozen peanut butter layer, tap pan, and return to freezer for 10 minutes.
• Once Peanut Butter Cups are set, you can remove from freezer and eat or store them at room temperature.

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