Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream

I had a bit extra heavy cream, which meant I could try this recipe from Recipe Girl for Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream. It's definitely loaded with peanut butter flavor. It's not quite as creamy as some other ice cream recipes, but it's still delicious.

Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream

1 1/4 cups smooth peanut butter
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
1 1/4 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups chopped chocolate peanut butter cups

 In a medium mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to combine peanut butter and sugar until smooth. Add milk and mix on low until sugar is dissolved- a full two minutes. You don't want to be tasting crunches of sugar in your ice cream, so give it a chance to dissolve. Mix in heavy cream and vanilla, and beat until well combined and smooth. (Note: I misread the recipe and actually melted the peanut butter and sugar together on the stove, added the milk and heated until the sugar was incorporated and then removed from heat prior to adding the other ingredients. Oops. Turned out fine, though.)

Turn on your ice cream machine, pour the base in the freezer bowl, and let mix until thickened, about 25 to 30 minutes. (Note: Mine took less than 15 minutes to freeze.) A couple of minutes before you're ready stop the mixing, add in the chopped peanut butter cups. The ice cream will be a soft-serve consistency. You can eat it right away or freeze to eat later. If you freeze it for later, it will be more ice-cream-scoopable. Let it sit out for a few minutes before you try to scoop it.

Homemade Peanut Butter Snickers Bars

My husband loves Snickers bars. I'm historically more of a Milky Way girl, but my tastes have expanded into my adult years. (I've basically learned to eat a wider variety of foods because it allows me to consume more sweets.) The marketing geniuses at Snickers have learned that everything, including Snickers, is better with peanut butter.

Now, using this recipe from Brown Eyed Baker, you can make your own Snickers bars at home. The benefit is you can cut them into larger squares than the skimpy storebought ones. These bars taste quite similar to Snickers, although the nougat is softer in this version. Also, if left at room temperature too long, the caramel layer will ooze, which makes things a bit sticky.

These are a recipe I'd make again, especially because I'm intrigued by the idea of making the caramel and nougat layers first, freezing them and dipping cut bars into the chocolate for true Snickers bars. (That would keep the caramel from oozing, right?)

Homemade Peanut Butter Snickers Bars

Bottom Chocolate Layer:
1 1/4 cups milk chocolate chips
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
Nougat Layer:
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup evaporated milk
7 oz. marshmallow fluff
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 1/2 cups salted peanuts, roughly chopped
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Caramel Layer:
14 oz. caramels, unwrapped
1/4 cup heavy cream
Top Chocolate Layer:
1 1/4 cups milk chocolate chips
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan. Line with wax paper, and then grease the parchment paper. Set aside.

Make the Bottom Chocolate Layer first. Melt together the chocolate chips and peanut butter in the microwave on 50% power until completely smooth and melted, stirring every 30 seconds. Pour into the prepared baking dish and, using a spatula, smooth into an even layer. Refrigerate until completely cool and hard, about 30 minutes.

To make the Nougat Layer, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the sugar and evaporated milk, stirring until dissolved, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from heat, and add the marshmallow fluff, peanut butter, and vanilla extract, stirring until completely smooth. Fold in the peanuts, then pour over the bottom chocolate layer. Again, refrigerate until completely cool, about 30 minutes.

To make the Caramel Layer, combine the caramels and the heavy cream in a small saucepan over low heat. Melt, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Once completely melted, cook for an additional 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Pour the caramel over the nougat layer. Refrigerate until completely cool, about 30 minutes.

Prepare the Top Chocolate Layer using the same method as the Bottom Chocolate Layer. Refrigerate until completely cool and set, 30 to 60 minutes.

Using the wax paper liner, remove the bars from the pan and cut into 32 pieces. Store in the refrigerator, but remove one hour prior to serving.

Kalamata Olive Bread with Oregano

This Cooking Light bread is wonderfully fragrant and delicious the same day it is baked. Unfortunately, it loses some of that wonderfulness after sitting a day or two. My leftovers are being converted into croutons today, which I'm sure will be quite tasty.

So, go ahead and make this savory bread. Just make a single batch, and plan to eat it or share with friends the same day.

Kalamata Olive Bread with Oregano
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
2 large egg whites
1/4 cup chopped, pitted kalamata olives
1 tsp. dried oregano

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Heat olive oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, and saute until onion is tender. Set aside to cool slightly.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. In a separate bowl, combine buttermilk, butter and egg whites. Add to flour, and stir together until just moistened. Stir in olives and oregano.

Spread batter into an 8 x 4 pan sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in the pan on a wire rack, and then remove from pan to cool completely. Makes 12 servings.

Roasted Asparagus with Browned Butter

It's hard for me to deviate from the deliciousness and ease of simple roasted asparagus. However, this Cooking Light recipe had caught my eye. This is a nice twist for us with our asparagus, one worth repeating.

Roasted Asparagus with Browned Butter
1 lb. asparagus spears, trimmed
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. Meyer lemon juice (I used a bit of orange juice with regular lemon juice)
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. lemon zest

Preheat oven to 450ºF. Place asparagus in a roasting pan, and drizzle with olive oil. Toss to coat evenly, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake 8 minutes or until crisp-tender.

Melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat, cooking until lightly browned, shaking the pan occasionally. Remove from heat, and stir in juice.

Drizzle melted butter over asparagus, and toss well to coat. Sprinkle thyme and lemon zest over asparagus. Makes 4 servings.

Streusel Strawberry-Rhubarb Cupcakes

These cupcakes are the perfect spring treat. They're light and refreshing, sweet with just a hint of tartness from the rhubarb. This is my slightly adapted version of the original I found from the Betty Crocker The Big Book of Cupcakes.

Streusel Strawberry-Rhubarb Cupcakes
Streusel
1/2 cup flour
3 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
Cupcakes 
9 oz. strawberries
1/4 cup milk
2 3/4 cups flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
5 egg whites
2 1/2 tsp. vanilla
8 drops red food coloring
1 cup finely chopped rhubarb
Frosting
3/4 cup whipping cream
2 Tbsp. mashed strawberries

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line 24 cupcake tins.

In a small bowl, combine streusel ingredients together with a fork until crumbly. Set aside.

Blend together the strawberries and the milk. This should make 1 1/4 cups of strawberry puree. (Add additional strawberries if needed to make 1 1/4 cups of puree.)

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In large mixing bowl, beat shortening 30 seconds. Add sugar, about 1/3 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat 2 additional minutes on medium speed. Beat in egg whites, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Beat in vanilla extract and food coloring.

Beat in flour and milk, alternating with portions of each, starting and ending with flour. Stir in rhubarb.

Divide batter evenly among cupcake liners, filling to about 2/3 full.

Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until lightly golden. Cool in pans 5 minutes, and then cool completely on wire racks.

To prepare frosting, chill mixing bowl. Beat whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Stir in mashed strawberries.

Frost cupcakes either using a large piping tip or spreading whipped cream on top of each cupcake. Serve immediately or refrigerate until serving. Makes 24 cupcakes.