Peanut Butter Stuffed Brownie Cookie Bites

This recipe is ridiculous. Probably the most ridiculously over the top dessert I've made in awhile. It is not for dieters. It is not for sugar-phobes. It is for special occasions or really bad days. I normally stick to from scratch recipes, but in this case I didn't, yes, that's right... I used a box mix for brownies and refrigerated cookie dough. AND I'm not sorry, cause these were delicious. And easy. And everyone loved me for making them. So without further ado... I present Peanut Butter Brownie Bites. Take a delicious candy (I used PB cups and caramel filled hearts) stuff them into a brownie and surround the whole thing with peanut butter cup cookie dough. 'Nough said.

Peanut Butter Brownie Bites

From Betty Crocker

1 box (1 lb 1 oz) brownie mix

Water, vegetable oil and egg called for on brownie mix box

36 unwrapped mini chocolate-covered peanut butter cup candies (from 8-oz bag)

*Note, I used fun size PB cups and some caramel filled chocolate hearts. If you use fun size candy, the cookies will turn out really big.

2 rolls (16.5 oz each) refrigerated peanut butter cookie dough, at room temperature (I used a peanut butter cup studded dough that came in a square not a roll. Worked fine though).

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 9-inch square pan with cooking spray. In large bowl, stir brownie mix, water, oil and egg until well blended. Spread in pan. Bake 33 to 36 minutes or until toothpick inserted 1 inch from edge of pan comes out almost clean. Cool completely.

Cut into squares.

Flatten each square and place a PB cup or whatever candy you are using on top.

Work the edges up around the candy to completely cover it I smooshed and rolled between my palms. Line cookie sheet with cooking parchment paper. In large bowl, stir cookie dough and flour until blended. Divide dough into pieces.

Flatten each portion of dough and place 1 brownie ball in center; press dough around brownie, completely covering and reshaping to form a ball.

On cookie sheet, place balls 1 inch apart. Bake 13 to 15 minutes or until set.

Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack...

Let cool completely (ya, not possible)

Fanfreakingtastic

This is one of the caramel filled ones.

Have a sweet day!

Linking to Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays, The Weekend Wrap Up Party, and the Sunday Showcase

Perfect Drop Sugar Cookies

This is my go-to sugar cookie recipe. I don't enjoy rolling and such ,so I love that this recipe produces beautiful delicious sugar cookies with less work. Yes, I'm lazy, let us move on... The cookies come out of the oven with lovely cracked tops and you can easily make them holiday ready by rolling them in colored sugar or sprinkles before baking (as I did with these). I wanted to make the cookies with a valentines theme so I rolled them in red sugar and topped them with caramel filled chocolate heart candy. Chocolate and caramel and sugar cookie. Yes please.

Cracked Sugar Cookies

From allrecipes.com

1 1/4 cups white sugar

1 cup butter

3 egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

24 Caramel Filled Chocolate Heart Candies (I used Palmers)

1/3 cup red sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper .

Cream together sugar and butter. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla.

Add flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar.

Stir, use hands if necessary to get dough to hold together.

Form dough into walnut size balls, roll in colored sugar and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Don't flatten. Bake 10 to 11 minutes, until tops are cracked and just turning color.

Remove from oven and gently press a candy into each cookie.

These cookies make me happy!

Happy Weekending!

Butter Pecan Praline Bars or Why I'm a butter groupie...

Butter is just one of those things... that I love... which may be the reason I so often find myself perusing the Land O Lakes butter website. I think I may be a butter groupie, butters biggest fan, I just really really like it. Ok, so now that I sound like a complete crazy. Let's get to the recipe. Buttery, brown sugar shortbread base, covered by a layer of pecans, covered by a layer of homemade brown sugar caramel, covered by decadent swirls of creamy white chocolate. These bars are SWEET, cut em small folks. They will knock that sweet tooth right out of the park. That said, they are kinda fabulous.

Crumbly shortbread, buttery sticky caramel... the PECANS... oh man.. must. resist. eating. whole. batch...

Caramel Pecan Praline Bars

Adapted from here

Crust

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup Butter, softened

1 cup pecan halves

Caramel Layer

2/3 cup Butter

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup white chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350°F.

Combine all crust ingredients except pecans in large bowl. Beat at medium speed until mixture resembles fine crumbs.

Press onto bottom of ungreased 13x9-inch baking pan.

Place pecans evenly over unbaked crust.

Combine 2/3 cup butter and 1/2 cup brown sugar in 1-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until entire surface of mixture begins to boil. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Pour evenly over pecans and crust.

Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until entire caramel layer is bubbly. (DO NOT OVERBAKE.) Remove from oven.

Immediately sprinkle with chips; allow to melt slightly (2 to 3 minutes).

Swirl chips leaving some whole for a marbled effect.

Love.

Cool completely; cut into bars.

TIP: Store at room temperature in loosely covered container.

What are you all cooking up this week? Anything good??

Sky High Caramel Apple Pie

Whoever first came up with the idea of smearing something so unabashedly healthy as an apple with a sticky coat of caramel is a hero in my book. Don't get me wrong, apples on their own are fine and dandy, I had one today, in fact, but there are times that call for something a little more..... indulgent. Enter Caramel Apple Streusel PIE. I must admit, this is my first from scratch pie.. and it required a bit of time. But SO ABSOLUTELY WORTH IT. Let's start with the crust. A good pie is only as good as it's crust, no? There are countless recipes for pie crust out there, each one promising a flakier, lighter, butterier, perfecter crust than the last. I was, actually, a bit overwhelmed by the possibilities.. should I go with all butter, butter and shortening, oil, all shortening, lard... add in water, rum, milk, or even vodka? The opinions vary WIDELY so in the end I decided to turn to my favorite cooking phenomenon, the Pioneer Woman. Her crust calls for the addition of vinegar and promises to be the perfect pie crust. I figured, she's the Pioneer Woman, she would know a good crust, and boy does she! I highly HIGHLY recommend it...

Her recipe actually produces three pie crusts which is great cause you can freeze the two you don't use (or make pie crust treats with em). Once you have the crust all ready, it's filling time!

It took a while to slice and peel all the apples (not in that order), but it was no problemo cause I just plopped myself in front of the TV and peeled away. After you have all the apples ready you toss them with cinnamon, sugar and vanilla and layer them on top of rich, creamy caramel. Top the mountain of apples off with a crumbly, buttery, sugar streusel, add a bit more butter, and voila, The BEST pie you will ever eat.

Pull it from the oven, drizzle with more caramel sauce and allow the smell, taste, fantasticness to overwhelm you and a few loved ones...

Caramel Apple Pie

Adapted from Taste of Home

Ingredients

8 cups sliced peeled tart apples

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

3/4 cup chopped pecans

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

3 tablespoons sugar

4-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping, room temperature

1 unbaked pastry shell (9 inches) (I used this recipe)

3 tablespoons butter, melted

For Streusel

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

5 tablespoons cold butter, cubed

To Top

1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping, room temperature

Directions

In a large bowl, toss apples with lemon juice and vanilla.

Combine the sugars, cinnamon and cornstarch; add to apple mixture and toss to coat.

Pour caramel topping over bottom of pastry shell; top with apple mixture.

Shell will be REAL full. Drizzle with butter.

Streusel Time!

In a small bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, and sugar. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle and pat over filling.

This part was a little messy so just plop the pie pan on top of a cookie sheet so all the little crumbs are contained.

Bake at 350° for 55-65 minutes or until filling is bubbly and topping is browned.

Immediately drizzle with caramel topping. Cool on a wire rack.

Yield: 8 servings.

*Bonus Recipe: Pie Crust Treats*

Using extra pie crust, roll out crust. Drizzle with butter, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Cut into strips or shapes or whatever. Put on a cookie sheet and cook at 350 for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Have a fabulous weekend!