Peanut Butter-Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip Cookies

Peanut Butter + Oats + Chocolate = AMAZING.  Enjoy with a tall glass of milk! :)

Peanut Butter-Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from Brown-Eyed Baker's Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 stick butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup oats (not quick-cooking)
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
2. In a large mixing bowl, use a wooden spoon to cream together the butter, PB, and sugars.
3. Using an electric mixer, add vanilla and egg to the butter mixture.  Once combined, gradually add the flour mixture until all ingredients are incorporated.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
5. Using the wooden spoon, mix the oats and chocolate into the dough.
6. Using an ice-cream scooper, scoop mounds of dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  There should be 13-14 mounds.  Wet your hands and slightly flatten each mound.
7. Bake the dough for 14-15 minutes and allow to rest and cool on pan.

Cheesecake Swirl Brownies

Cheesecake Swirl Brownies
from Good Housekeeping The Great Bake Sale Cookbook 

Ingredients

• 1 stick butter
• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped (see below for substitute)
• 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 2 cups sugar
• 5 large eggs
• 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 1/2 packages cream cheese, chilled
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. In a small saucepan, melt butter on low heat.  Add unsweetened and semisweet chocolates, stirring frequently, until smooth.  Remove saucepan from heat and set aside to cool to room temperature.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth.  Then add 1/2 cup sugar and continue beating.  Beat in almond extract, 1 egg, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla until combined.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
5. Remove chocolates from sauce pan into a large mixing bowl.  Add 1 1/2 cups sugar and mix with a fork.  Add 1 1/2 cups sugar.  Next add 4 eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla; mix well.  Gradually add flour mixture until all ingredients are incorporated.
6. Spray a 13" x 9" baking pan with cooking spray.  Spread 1 3/4 chocolate batter in prepared pan.  Then, spoon cream cheese mixture in 6 large dollops on top of chocolate batter.  Next, spoon remaining chocolate batter in 6-7 dollops over and between cream cheese mixture.  With a tip of a butter knife, pull and swirl through mixtures to create a marbled effect.  
7. Bake until toothpick inserted in center of pan comes out almost clean, 35-40 minutes.  Cool completely in pan before cutting and serving.

Unsweetened Chocolate Substitute

1. In a small bowl, use the microwave to heat 1 tablespoon of butter until melted.
2. Add 3 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder to melted butter and stir until combined. 
3. For this recipe, 4 tablespoons of butter were used with 12 tablespoons of cocoa powder.

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Cinnamon Blondies

Cinnamon Blondies 
Recipe from Foodbuzz

Ingredients

• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 large egg plus one egg yolk, room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 
2. In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt butter; then, immediately add brown sugar.  Stir until combined and cook for 1 1/2 more minutes.  Set aside to cool for 10 minutes. 
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and cinnamon.  Set aside. 
4. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla to the brown sugar mixture and whisk. Pour sugar mixture over flour mixture.  Use a fork to combine ingredients.
5. Spray an 8" x 8" baking pan with baking spray.
6. Pour batter into the pan. Bake for 30 minutes until the edges are slightly golden brown 1-2 inches into the pan on all sides.  Try to not over bake!  Allow blondies to cool completely before serving.  I cut mine into 25 mini-sized bites. 

Buttermilk Pancakes

Recipe from Joy the Baker

Buttermilk Pancakes

Ingredients

• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 4 teaspoons dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. In a small pan, melt butter and set aside to cool.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, and vegetable oil. Add the cooled butter and stir.
4. Gradually add and mix egg mixture into flour mixture.
5. Heat a large skillet and spray with cooking spray. Ladle 1/3 cup of pancake mixture and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side. Repeat until the mixture is gone!

Peanut Butter Blond Bombshells

Peanut Butter Blond Bombshells
Adapted from Good Housekeeping's The Great Bake Sale Cookbook

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 stick butter
• 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 1/2 large eggs (or 2 small ones)
• 1 1/3 cup roughly chopped dark chocolate (about 4.4 oz)
• 4 tablespoons smooth peanut butter, separated (optional)

Directions

1. In a medium metal pot, melt butter over medium-low heat. Set aside to cool.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
4. Add sugar and vanilla to cooled butter. Whisk until combined; then, add eggs.
5. Slowly add flour until all ingredients are incorporated.
6. Using a rubber spatula, fold chocolate into mixture, reserving 1/3 cup for later.
7. Coat a 9" x 9" baking pan with baking spray, and use spatula to spread the mixture evenly in the pan. Add one tablespoon each of peanut butter to four corners of the pan (about 1-2 inches in from the sides). Use a knife to swirl the peanut butter into the mixture. Sprinkle the reserved chocolate on the top of the mixture.
8. Bake for 28-30 minutes. Allow blondies to set before cutting and serving.