Penguins - Feeding the Flock 23

 

I made these at Christmas time but never got around to posting.  They were so much fun.

1 box of chocolate cake

1 container of chocolate frosting

1 container of white frosting

1 sleeve of Ritz crackers

Peanut butter, creamy or chunky

Mix cake according to box instructions.  

Make peanut butter crackers (placing peanut butter between two Ritz crackers)

Using half of the cake batter, divide amongst cupcake tins.  Place one peanut butter cracker in the center of each cup cake.  Cover with remaining batter.  Bake according to box instructions.  Let cool.  

Frost with white frosting, saving some for feet and beak.  Using the chocolate, frost around the outside of each cake, creating a forehead for the penguin.  Then using food coloring, create orange for beak and feet and using the picture, create little penguins.  

These were so tasty with the peanut butter cracker inside the cup cake.

Enjoy.

Check out Paper Cuts.

Funny Bone Cupcakes

FUNNY BONE CUPCAKES

Drake’s Funny Bones inspired this recipe because they are not available where I live.  They are my favorite sweet treat.  These cup cakes are close, but nothing quite like the real thing.

FILLING

1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened

¼ cup creamy peanut butter

2 tbsp. sugar

1 tbsp. milk

CUPCAKES (feel free to cheat and use a pre-packaged chocolate cake)

2 cups sugar

1¾ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup baking cocoa

1½ tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

¼ tsp. baking soda

2 eggs

1 cup water

1 cup milk

½ cup canola oil

2 tsp. vanilla extract

FROSTING

1/3 cup butter, softened

2 cups confectioner’s sugar

6 tbsp. baking cocoa

3 to 4 tbsp. milk

In a small bowl, beat cream cheese, peanut butter, sugar and milk until smooth; set aside. In a large bowl, combine sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt and baking soda. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, water, milk, oil and vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened (batter will be thin).

Fill paper-lined jumbo muffin cups half full with batter. Drop a scant tbsp. of peanut butter mixture into center of each; cover with remaining batter.

Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.

In a large bowl, combine frosting ingredients until smooth; drizzle over cupcakes.

Store in the refrigerator.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: 

Fun Facts about Sweets

• The U.S. produce more chocolate than any other country in the world but the Swiss consume the most, followed closely by the United Kingdom.
• The melting point of cocoa butter is just below the body temperature, which is why chocolate melts when you put it in your mouth.
• Chocolate can be lethal to dogs. Chocolate's toxicity is caused by Theo bromine, an ingredient that stimulates the cardiac muscle and the central nervous system. For a 10-lb puppy about two ounces of milk chocolate can be poisonous.
• More than $7 billion a year are spent on chocolate.
• Sixty million chocolate Easter bunnies are produced each year.
• Americans eat 25 pounds of candy, per person, per year. The people of Denmark eat more 36 pounds of candy per person, per year.

Welcome to the 2018 A-Z Blogging challenge.  This will be my fourth year. Every year I take on the challenge with hopes of disciplining myself to keep writing throughout the year as much, if not more than just through the monthly challenge. (It certainly is a challenge.)  Some years are better than others.  Some I just lose track of time.  This year I have decided to put my favorite hobbies together. A recipe that is tried and true as well as some thoughtful insight.  Please note some of these recipes have been shared before, however they have gone through years of testing and this is the perfected recipe.  I really hope one of my recipes or “Food for Thought” inspires you to do something great.  Enjoy the read and the photos, try the recipe, share your thoughts or comments, and most of all, have FUN with the challenge this month!  

Cheers,

COOKIES-Chocolate Filled Peanut Butter Cookies

CHOCOLATE FILLED PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

½ cup butter  
½ cup crunchy peanut butter
½ cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1¼ cups all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 375º

Beat the peanut butter and butter together on high speed for 30 seconds or long enough to combine. Add sugar, brown sugar, baking soda and baking powder and mix until combined, being sure to scrape the sides of the bowl. Add egg and vanilla and mix well. Add flour.

Drop by tbsp. or a small ice cream scoop (my favorite cookie tool), onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake at 375º for 7-9 minutes. Remove from pan immediately and cool completely on wire racks.

CHOCOLATE FROSTING

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 1/3 cup confectioner’s sugar
½ cup margarine
½ cup cream cheese
1-2 tbsp. heavy whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla

Combine cocoa and confectioner’s sugar together and mix well. In large bowl beat margarine and cream cheese and vanilla together until well combined. Gradually add cocoa sugar mixture until frosting consistency, adding heavy cream as needed to make smooth.

Fill cookies with frosting and store any leftovers that the COOKIE MONSTER doesn’t eat in refrigerator.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

Fun Facts about Cookies

·         The first commercial cookie in the U.S. was the Animal Cracker, introduced in 1902.

·         The Oreo, the best-selling cookie of the 20th century, was developed and introduced by the American company Nabisco, in 1912.

·         July 9th is National Sugar Cookie Day.

·         December 4th is National Cookie Day.

·         The U.S. leads the world as the biggest cookie bakers and eaters, spending more than $550 million annually on Oreos alone.

·         The Girl Scouts first began selling cookies in the 1920s.

·         The official state cookie of both Massachusetts and Pennsylvania is the chocolate chip cookie.

·         Early American tinsmiths began making cookie cutters by hand back in the 1700s.

·         Christmas cookies date back to Medieval Europe.

·         American cookie jars evolved from British biscuit jars and first appeared on the scene during the Depression in the 1930s when housewives began making more cookies at home, rather than buying them at the bakery, and needed containers for them.

Welcome to the 2018 A-Z Blogging challenge.  This will be my fourth year. Every year I take on the challenge with hopes of disciplining myself to keep writing throughout the year as much, if not more than just through the monthly challenge. (It certainly is a challenge.)  Some years are better than others.  Some I just lose track of time.  This year I have decided to put my favorite hobbies together. A recipe that is tried and true as well as some thoughtful insight.  Please note some of these recipes have been shared before, however they have gone through years of testing and this is the perfected recipe.  I really hope one of my recipes or “Food for Thought” inspires you to do something great.  Enjoy the read and the photos, try the recipe, share your thoughts or comments, and most of all, have FUN with the challenge this month!

Cheers,

Peanut Butter Crunch Buns

Peanut Butter Yeast Buns

(Bread machine)

Yeast Bun Dough

1 egg

¾ cup water (70°-80°)

¼ cup butter flavored Crisco

¼ cup dry milk powder

¾ tsp salt

1½ cup all purpose flour

1½ cup whole wheat flour

¼ cup sugar

2¼ tsp yeast

Combine all ingredients (starting with wet items first and ending with yeast last) in bread machine.  Make a small well in the top of the dry ingredients for the yeast.  Select the dough setting (this typically takes an hour and 20 minutes so plan accordingly). 

Turn out dough on lightly floured surface.  Divide dough in half.  (I freeze one for later).  Roll each into 10x15 inch rectangles.  Let rest and make filling.  (Each half will make 12 buns).

Peanut Butter Filling

¾ cup brown sugar

¼ cup flour

¾ cup crunchy peanut butter

3 Tbsp margarine

Combine in bowl and mix well.  Divide in half and spread over each rectangle.  Roll up the long side of the dough and pinch along the sides to seal.  Slice into twelve rolls.

Place on lightly greased cookie sheet and cover with dish towel to let rise 30-45 minutes or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 375°.  Bake 20 minutes.  Remove from cookie sheet and place on wire racks to cool slightly.  Drizzle with orange glace if desired.

Orange Glaze

1 cup confectioner’s sugar

2-3 Tbsp orange juice

Combine in bowl and mix to desired spreading consistency.  Drizzle over each bun and serve immediately.  Store leftovers in air tight container.

© Crackerberries 2012

Granola Cookies

I really didn’t mean for these to come out the way they did, but they taste just like a granola bar made into a cookie.  I even crumbled one up and ate it in yogurt for breakfast the other day.

½ cup butter flavored Crisco

½ cup peanut butter (next time I will use a little more peanut butter)

1 cup brown sugar

½ granulated sugar

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp maple extract

1 tsp baking soda

2 eggs

¾ cup all purpose flour

¾ cup whole wheat flour

3 cups dry oats

½ cup dried banana chips

½ dried figs

Preheat oven 375º.  Cream the Crisco and peanut butter together for 30 second; add sugars together in large mixing bowl and beat until fluffy.  Add maple flavored extract and eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. 

Combine flour, pumpkin pie spice and baking soda together, slowly add to mixture and stir until well blended.  Add oats, banana chips and dried figs and mix well. 

Drop by scoops on ungreased cookie sheet two inches apart.  Bake 375º 10-12 minutes.  Remove from cookie sheet immediately and cool on wire racks. 

© Crackerberries 2011



Mickey Leavitt's Peanut Butter Pie

My very good friends Berta and Rach from Fryeburg, Maine sent me their church cookbook, “A Taste of Heaven” a collection of favorite recipes of the Center Conway United Methodist Church in New Hampshire.   This recipe came from that cookbook and after corresponding with Rach I found out that Mickey Leavitt is an 80 year old woman that brings this pie to every church supper.  I can see why there is never any left.  It is heavenly and wickedly good.

1/3 cup peanut butter

8 oz cream cheese

1 cup confectioner’s sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups cool whip

1 graham cracker crust

Mix the first four ingredients together with an electric mixer.  Fold in the cool whip.  Pour into crust and refrigerate for at least 8 hours before serving.

My variation to the recipe is I used a cooked pastry crust (prick the pastry and cook in 350º for 12-15 minutes).  I used chunky peanut butter and I made my own whip cream with barley any sugar.  Either way you slice it, it is an unbelievably tasty dessert!  Enjoy.

© Crackerberries 2011

If You Dare Marshmallow Peanutbutter Cookies

I remember one summer when I was 13, we stayed at a camp on Ripley Pond up in Maine until my mom and dad could afford to find us a house to rent where we could go to school. (Mind you this camp was just that -- no running water what-so-ever). Every payday my dad would drive the mile and a half dirt road into camp holding two Heavenly Hash ice creams on sugar cones for my sister and me. The ice cream would be melting down his hand and arm as he handed the summer treats to us. Those were the best ice cream cones EV-AAAR! For some reason this cookie experience that I had in our kitchen made me think of those ice cream cones and what my dad did for me and my sister that summer. :)

I learned a valuable lesson. If you have never heard of something in a recipe, the chances are pretty good that there is a reason for that. No one really likes to share their failures. Not that they really failed, but they definitely wouldn't win any prize for presentation. Some of them were okay, but most of them had to be formed back into a round shape after they were pried off the cookie sheet. A big clump of cookie crumb. One of those "don't judge a book by it's cover" recipes. But, like those Heavenly Hash ice cream cones, on a hot summer day, they were yummy. Here it is, if you dare:


½ cup butter flavored Crisco (add 3 tsp water to this) or margarine
½ cup crunchy peanut butter
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup brown sugar (packed)
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
1 egg
1 tbsp vanilla (if you use real extract, only use 1 tsp)
1 cup all purpose flour
¾ cup old fashioned rolled oats
¾ cup swirled chocolate & white morsels
1 ½ cup mini marshmallows

Beat butter and peanut butter on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add the two sugars, baking powder and baking soda and cream together, scraping sides of bowl until combined. Add egg and vanilla and blend well. Beat in flour and oats. Add marshmallows and morsels and mix in with a wooden spoon. Preheat oven to 375º. Drop by tablespoons on ungreased cookie sheet and bake 7-9 minutes. Remove (pry... ha ha ha) from cookie sheet immediately and cool on wire racks.

© Crackerberries 2009