Peanut Butter Chocolate Eclair Cake

As a teenager, I always loved to cook and make new things for my family.  One of my signature items was a Chocolate Eclair Cake.  I have no idea where I got the recipe, but I made it so man times that I had the ingredients and directions memorized!  I remember that in my cooking class in high school, I chose to make it for my live demonstration presentation because I was so proud that I didn't need to look at the recipe (I was just like a Food Network star!).  Somehow over the years, I had sort of forgotten about this recipe, even though it is so easy, so delicious and perfect for summertime in Arizona!  So when I saw this version with a peanut butter filling pop up on Plain Chicken, I knew that I needed to try it immediately!  Other than the twist with the peanut butter filling, the other change from my original recipe was using just a jar of chocolate frosting as the the topping.  While I was impressed at how easy that made putting this together, it was just too sweet for my tastes.  I think I prefer making the topping from scratch like in my original recipe using bittersweet chocolate and powdered sugar.  Either way, a cool, creamy chocolate peanut butter dessert is always a win in my book!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Eclair Cake

adapted from Plain Chicken

1 box chocolate graham crackers (there will be a few graham crackers left over)

2 (3 1/4-ounce) boxes vanilla instant pudding

1 c. peanut butter
3 1/2 c. milk
1 (8-ounce) container Cool Whip, thawed
1 can chocolate frosting


Spray the bottom of a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Line the bottom of the pan with whole graham crackers. In bowl of an electric mixer, mix pudding with milk and peanut butter; beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Fold in whipped topping. Pour half the pudding mixture over graham crackers. Place another layer of whole graham crackers on top of pudding layer. Pour over remaining half of pudding mixture and cover with another layer of graham crackers.


Heat the container of prepared frosting, uncovered in the microwave for 1 minute. Pour over the top of the cake. Refrigerate for at least 12 hours before serving.

Chocolate Kahlua Bundt Cake

My stadium bundt cake pan had been neglected since the Superbowl last year, and since this was ASU's "bowl" game this year, I felt that it needed to make an appearance.  I haven't been a huge fan of any of the past bundt cakes that I have made, they have all seemed pretty boring to me; good, but boring.  So I went in search of something new to try and when I came across this cake I figured chocolate and liquor...how can it be bad?  The answer is it can't!  This cake was moist, full of chocolate with the subtle hints of Kahlua. We ate it with hot chocolate that also had a touch of Kahlua, another yummy winter treat! I dusted it with powdered sugar, so it makes it a bit difficult to tell in the picture, but it is indeed in the shape of a football stadium!  I took the leftovers to my office and it was gone before lunch....so I would indeed call this a crowd pleaser and a bundt cake that I will likely make again! 

I served it on a football field platter and used goal post toothpicks that my sister gave me for a more authentic look!

Chocolate Kahlua Bundt Cake

1 (18 1/4 oz.) pkg. Devil's Food cake mix
16 oz. sour cream
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 eggs
1/3 c. Kahlua
1 (3 oz.) pkg. instant vanilla pudding mix
Powdered sugar, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients except for the powdered sugar just until mixed.  Spread into a greased bundt pan.  (Hint: tap the pan lightly on the counter to get out all the air bubbles and distribute the batter evenly.)

Bake for 40 - 50 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool for about 20 - 30 minutes and then carefully remove from bundt pan.  Let the cake continue to cool, then dust with powdered sugar before serving.

S'Mores Cookies

These cookies tasted so good....that I never got a picture of them!  That's right, I made these a couple of months ago and they got eaten up before I remembered to get a picture, I debated on whether or not to post since I don't have a picture, but decided they are too good not to share, so you will have to click on this link to the original poster's blog and then you can start drooling!

I loved the idea of these, especially how you added graham cracker crumbs into the batter, it really did take these up a notch!  The next time I make them, I think I am going to leave the little piece of Hershey bar off of the top, and use jumbo marshmallows cut in half instead of a few little ones.  As much as I love chocolate, the Hershey bar mad them too chocolaty since there are already chocolate chips in the batter, it somewhat overwhelmed the flavor.  Also, the little marshmallows are a bit of a pain to try and put on the cookies halfway through the baking process, it would be much quicker to just plop one big one on top!  But other than that these are a fun cookie to make and to eat!

S'Mores Cookies

adapted from Macaroni and Cheesecake

1 1/2 c. all purpose flour

1 c. graham cracker crumbs

1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 c. (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 c. miniature chocolate chips
1 1/2 c. mini marshmallows
2 Hershey bars, broken into rectangles

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl combine the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking soda, and salt.

In a second larger bowl beat together the butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Slowly beat in the flour mixture until smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8 minutes, and remove from the oven. Push 3 to 4 marshmallows and a few pieces of Hershey bar into each cookies.

Return to the oven and bake an additional 3-4 minutes until fully cooked. Cool cookies on a wire rack.

Strawberry Volcanoes

The month of August has been really busy for me, between going out of town for 9 days, being swamped at work and many other things, I just haven't had a chance to sit down and post on my blog.  The fall is always a really busy time of year for me as well, with football season, a couple of trips (football related of course) and all the holidays; but it is also a good opportunity to do some cooking for the aforementioned football season and holidays, so I hope to bring you all some more foodie fun soon!

These were the last item that I made for my sister's housewarming party back in July (and I still need to post about her birthday dinner in June....yikes!), and I have saved the best for last.  My sister loves chocolate covered strawberries, so once I stumbled across this picture and description somewhere in my Internet travels, I knew they would be perfect for her party!  They do take a bit more work than just a dipped strawberry, but they are so cute and delicious that it is worth it! 

Strawberry Volcanoes

1 lb. strawberries, cleaned, with tops cut off to make flat

1 c. chocolate chips, melted

Whipped cream, in a can or homemade

After slicing the tops off of the strawberries, make a cross cut across the tips of each strawberry.  Drain the strawberries on paper towels.  Carefully dip flat bottoms of strawberries in melted chocolate; place on wax paper and cool. Carefully pipe whipped cream into the split opening on the top of each strawberry.  Chill until serving and enjoy!

Chocolate Mint Brownies

I wanted to bring in a treat to my office for St. Patrick's Day, I am not Irish, but I love any good excuse for treats!  I had seen a version of these brownies in an issue of Cooking Light over a year ago, and I had been thinking about making them ever since, and I finally had the perfect opportunity!  The original recipe has you actually make the brownie part from scratch; but since I had hit at sale at Fry's a few months ago and got brownie mix for $1.00 per box, I thought it just made more sense to use what I already had (plus, it was the dark chocolate kind...my favorite)!  So I whipped up the brownie base on the Sunday night before the big day, and then made the toppings the night before.  The layers were really easy to make, I had just a little bit of trouble with gettting the chocolate layer to cover the entire pan, but other than that, these were a cinch to make! When I went to the store, I picked up mint extract instead of peppermint extract, and I think I am going to have to buy the peppermint for next time because the pure mint is just a hint too strong...a bit like toothpaste...and well, chocolate and toothpaste just don't mix!  No one else that tried these seemed to notice or mind, everyone at my office loved these, and what is not to love?  Dark, rich chocolate with a splash of cool minty filling equals deliciousness! 

Chocolate Mint Brownies

adapted from Cooking Light

Brownie Layer:
1 box (Family size for a 13 x 9 dish) brownie mix of your choice
Extra ingredients required on brownie box

Mint layer:
2 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. butter, melted
2 Tbsp. milk
1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
2 drops green food coloring

Glaze:
3/4 c. semisweet chocolate chips
3 Tbsp. butter

Preheat oven according to brownie box directions.  Prepare and bake brownies as directed by the box.  Cool completely.

To prepare mint layer, combine powdered sugar, 1/4 cup melted butter, and next 3 ingredients (through food coloring) in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer until smooth. Spread mint mixture over cooled cake.

To prepare the glaze, combine the chocolate chips and 3 tablespoons butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH 1 minute or until melted, stirring after 30 seconds. Let stand 2 minutes. Spread chocolate mixture evenly over top. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Cut into 20 pieces.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bundt Cake

My friend had invited me over to watch the Superbowl, I was looking forward to it, but have to say it felt a little odd not to be hosting the party myself.  I love to plan parties and menus and have people over, but I was a teeny bit relieved to have the day off.  But when I got a frantic text from my friend asking if anyone could bring a dessert, I switched back into party mode and decided to bake a cake!  I got this really cool bundt cake pan last year for Christmas, it is in the shape of a football stadium!!  What better day to bust it out again than for the Superbowl?  It looks even snazzier when I put it on my football field platter and stick little end zone toothpicks in it....I know the powdered sugar makes it a bit difficult to see in the picture...but trust me....the people at the party just couldn't stop talking about how cute it was!  Well, they did eventually stop talking about how cute it was when they started talking about how good it was!  This is a classic combination of chocolate and peanut butter, nothing fancy, but always a crowd pleaser. 

My pan is being forced into retirement for the next 6 months until the football season starts again in August.....it sure is going to be a long 6 months!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bundt Cake

1 (18.25 oz.) package devil’s food cake mix
1 (3.8 oz.) package chocolate instant pudding mix

1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1/2 c. water
4 large eggs
1 (8 oz.) container sour cream
1 (10 oz.) pkg. peanut butter chips
Garnish: confectioners’ (powdered) sugar

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 10-cup fluted pan.

In a large bowl, combine cake mix, pudding mix, and sugar. Add oil, water, and eggs; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Stir in sour cream and chocolate/peanut butter chips. Spoon into prepared pan.

Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan, and cool completely on a wire rack.

Sift confectioners’ sugar over top of cake.

Mint Chocolate Chippers

I didn't get a chance to do any baking around the holidays, but the other night I got to thinking about some special edition Dark Chocolate & Mint chocolate chips that I had bought in anticipation of Christmas season, and how the poor bag was still just sitting in my cupboard.  Not wanting for it to go to waste, I logged on to my Google Reader and found a recipe for "Intimint Chocolate Chip Cookies" that was posted on Picky Palate that used these special chips....perfect!

I whipped these up in no time and boy were they good!  A soft, chewy cookie loaded with dark chocolate, white chocolate and mint chips; a fun twist on a classic.  I was also excited to try out my new non-stick baking mats when making these, they worked just great, and then cleaned up in a snap!  This recipe made about 4 dozen cookies, and knowing that I definitely didn't need that many around my house, I brought over half of them into work with me the next day.  I have a small office, and they didn't last past lunch; everyone loved them!  Unfortunately, it seems that I will have to wait until next year to make these again, as they don't seem to be in the stores anymore, but fingers crossed that they bring them back next holiday season!

Mint Chocolate Chippers

adapted from Picky Palate

1 c. butter, softened

1 c. packed light brown sugar

1/2 c. granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 Tbsp. real vanilla extract
2 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 bag Nestles Limited Edition Dark Chocolate and Mint Morsels
1 c. white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a stand or electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla until well combined. In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking soda and salt. Add to wet ingredients along with the chips. Mix until just combined. With a medium cookie scoop, scoop dough onto a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until slightly golden on outside edges. Let cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet then transfer to cooling rack to finish cooling.

Lil' Devils

Even though I have been dealing with a terrible cold the past few days (my second cold of the summer..grr) I have been craving chocolate. Each night, as I sat on the couch with my box of tissues I tried to figure out something quick and easy that I could make with ingredients that I had on hand. Unfortunately, every recipe that I wanted to try, I was missing one of the vital ingredients! So Monday and Tuesday both passed without my chocolate craving being addressed. Today, I had to go and drop off some clothes at Goodwill (I did a little late summer cleaning, and donated 75 items!), and since there is a Fry's in the same parking lot, I decided to run in and grab a few things. I was also on a mission to get one of the missing ingredients so that I could finally get my chocolate fix!

I came across this recipe when I was Googling and trying to find something to do with Devil's Food cake mix, and since it combined both chocolate AND peanut butter, I knew that it couldn't be bad! One of the things that drew me to it was that it only had 4 ingredients, so it was really quick to prepare. The filling was a bit tricky because of all the marshmallow cream, so I ended up just patting it down with my hands. I let these cool for awhile before I sampled them, and the were quite yummy, and went perfect with a cold glass of milk. The main problem is that they came out a bit crumbly, making them difficult to eat, so I just dug in with a fork! Hopefully they will set up more the longer that they cool. This also could have been due to operator error and me not combining the crust ingredients well enough, but it didn't make them any less tasty!

Lil' Devils

1 box Devil's Food cake mix
1/2 c. butter, melted
1/2 c. peanut butter
1 (7 oz.) jar marshmallow cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix cake mix with melted butter. Set aside 1 cup of the mixture and pat the rest into an ungreased 9 x 13 inch pan to form a crust. Combine the peanut butter and marshmallow cream. Spread over the crust. Crumble the remaining cake mixture over the top; gently press down into the peanut butter layer.

Bake for 20 minutes. Before cutting, let cool for at least 30 minutes to let the marshmallows re-set.

Peanut Butter Cookie Cups

Okay, so I just couldn't do it. Once I got myself up and started baking, the baking bug took over! The Chocolate Chip Cookie Pretzel Bars had to bake for 30 minutes, so I figured I would just go ahead and bite the bullet and get these ready to put in the oven when they were ready. Otherwise, I had planned to get up early and make them before work, but for those of you that know me well, you know that I am NOT a morning person!

I have made peanut butter blossoms before, peanut butter cookies topped with a Hershey's kiss, but this were taking things to a whole new level with a mini Reese's peanut butter cup! I found these on Coleen's Recipes, and she referred to them as the "Ultimate" filled peanut butter cookie, they sure did live up to their name! Everyone loved them so much, that they were gone before some of our guests even arrived (sorry, Karen, Kyle, Drew & Liz)! I couldn't believe how incredibly easy these were to make, they look rather tedious, but really the hardest part is just unwrapping all the little Reese's cups!

Peanut Butter Cookie Cups

adapted from Coleen's Recipes

24 mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, frozen
1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. butter flavored Crisco (I didn't have butter, so I used regular, it seemed to work fine)
1/2 c. peanut butter
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the Crisco, peanut butter, sugars, egg and vanilla until it is smooth and creamy. Next, add the dry ingredients and beat just until smooth. Roll the dough into 24 1-inch balls and place in ungreased mini-muffin pan.

Bake for 10 minutes until they puff up and are slightly browned. They will look like this below.


After removing them from the oven, immediately press a FROZEN mini Reese's cup into the center of each cookie, pressing down until the top of the candy is at the same level as the top of the cookie.

Let them cool in the pan for about 2 minutes before you try to remove them. To remove, insert just the tip of a thin knife between the cookie and the pan. Place on a cooling rack to cool completely. The chocolate will melt from the heat, so allow them to fully re-set (you can even pop them in the fridge to speed up the process) before serving.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Pretzel Bars

The night before I left for California I had a lot of things that I needed to get done to prepare, but after having battled a head cold for the last few days, all I wanted to do was lay on the couch. I had planned to make a few sweets to bring along on the trip, but the longer I lay there, the more I began to reconsider my plan. I finally compromised with myself and decided that I would make one of the planned desserts, but not both.

I had found this recipe about a month ago on the Two Peas and Their Pod blog and instantly knew that I had to try them. I don't know about you, but the combination of salty and sweet is one of major weaknesses, once I start I just can't stop! My mom is like this with Kettle Korn, she has a serious addiction, I have even seen her eat if for breakfast to just get it out of the house! I have always loved chocolate covered pretzels, and who doesn't like chocolate chip cookies? Put them together and you have yourself a chewy, salty, crunchy, chocolaty treat that cannot be beat. These were so simple to put together, and since they are in bar form and not cookie form, the prep time is reduced even more. Everyone really enjoyed these...especially Meghan...who ate them for her breakfast one morning!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Pretzel Bars
adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod

2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
12 oz. bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 c. mini pretzels, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Using a mixer, beat the butter with both sugars at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract. On low, beat in the dry ingredients, just until incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chips and pretzel pieces.

Spread the batter evenly in the pan. Press the batter down with a spatula. Bake for 30 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and let cool completely.

Use a knife to go around the side of the pan to loosen the bars. Cut into squares and serve.

Black Bottom Banana Cheesecake Pie

The moment that I saw this recipe in the Simple & Delicious magazine, I knew I just had to try it. The perfect opportunity presented itself when I decided to have a few friends over, so I went out and bought the ingredients and began to put it together. But when I opened the bag that held the contents of the crust, I noticed an odd odor, I just figured it was from the bag, so I plugged along and finished putting it together. Well, when we tried it, it became apparent that there was something very wrong, the crust had gone bad! Who knew that graham cracker crumbs would could go bad and taste like dirt! I went back and looked at the box, and saw that the "Use By" date was October 2008!!! I immediately started to curse Fry's Grocery Store for not keeping better track of the expired products on their shelves!

After the first disastrous attempt, I still really wanted to make this again, and add my own little twist! Since Whitney, Billy and Laura were coming over to watch SYTYCD, I decided to give it a try once again....and the results.....amazing!! My freshman year of college I had my first taste of Black Bottom Banana Cream Pie, and ever since then I have been obsessed, so I decided that I needed to add a black bottom to this pie! The pie now encompasses my two of my favorites; cheesecake and black bottom banana cream pie.....what could be more divine?

This is very simple to put together and you don't even have to turn on the oven...perfect during these hot Arizona summers!

Black Bottom Banana Cream Pie
adapted from Taste of Home's Simple & Delicious Jan/Feb 2009

1 pkg. (11.1 oz) No-Bake Home-Style Cheesecake Mix
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/3 c. + 3 Tbsp. butter, divided
1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 c. + 1 1/2 c. milk, divided
1 pkg. (3.4 oz) instant banana cream pudding mix
2 medium bananas, cut into 1/4 in. slices
1 c. whipped topping (Cool Whip)
Chocolate syrup, optional

In a large bowl, combine contents of the crust mix, sugar and 1/3 c. melted butter. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 9-in. deep-dish pie plate; set aside. In a small microwaveable bowl, put 3 Tbsp. butter and the chocolate chips. Microwave in 20 second intervals, stirring between, until smooth. Spread evenly over the graham cracker crust. Place in the refrigerator for 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, beat 1 cup milk and contents of filling mix on low speed until blended. Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes or until smooth, filling should be thick. Spoon evenly over the chocolate layer. Chill for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk remaining milk and pudding mix for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Arrange banana slices over the cheesecake filling. Spread with pudding, then whipped topping. Swirl chocolate syrup on top of whipped topping if desired. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

Chocolate-Marshmallow Pillows

When I got home from work yesterday, I was fiddling around on-line looking at blogs and such. I happened to go to to the Betty Crocker website, and these yummy looking cookies popped up as the recipe of the day. I looked at the ingredient list, racked my memory banks, and realized I had all the ingredients on hand to make these...jackpot!!! Whitney was coming over for dinner and to watch the Grey's Anatomy finale, so I figured we needed something sweet to keep us going during the two hour show.

These were very quick to whip up, and were very, very chocolaty.....just the way I like my desserts!! I brought the rest of them into my office this morning....and they didn't last long....so this recipe is definitely a keeper!

Chocolate-Marshmallow Pillows

adapted from bettycrocker.com

Cookies
1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker double chocolate chunk cookie mix
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons water
1 egg
1 cup mini-marshmallows

Frosting
1cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup half and half
1teaspoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Heat oven to 350°F.

In large bowl, stir cookie mix, oil, water, and egg until soft dough forms. On ungreased cookie sheets, drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart.

Bake 7 minutes. Remove from oven; immediately press about 4 marshmallows, on top of cookie. Bake 1 to 2 minutes longer or just until marshmallows begin to soften. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in 1-quart nonstick saucepan, melt chocolate chips over low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat. Add half and half, butter and vanilla; blend well. Stir in powdered sugar until smooth. Spread frosting over each cooled cookie, covering marshmallow. Let stand until frosting is set.