Monday, February 3, 2014

Peanut Butter Cookie Pie

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
heaping 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
pinch salt, optional and to taste
12 to 14 mini peanut butter cups
about 2/3 cup M&Ms (peanut or plain)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9-inch pie dish with floured cooking spray; set aside. 
In a large, microwave-safe bowl melt butter, about 1 minute.  Wait momentarily before adding the egg so you don't scramble it.  Add the egg, brown sugar, peanut butter, vanilla, and whisk until smooth.  Add flour, salt, and stir until just combined; don't overmix.  Pour the dough into prepared pie dish, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula.  Evenly insert the peanut butter cups into the dough, pushing them down so the top is almost flush with the surface of the dough.  Evenly insert the M&Ms into the dough, pushing them down.
Bake for about 28 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean.  If your pie has risen in the center, it will deflate as it cools.  Allow pie to cool in pan for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving; however, for optimal results, cool overnight because it gives the flavors a chance to marry and the pie to really set up fully..  Pie will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Best Lemonade Ever

1 3/4 cups white sugar
8 cups water
1 1/2 cups lemon juice

1.  In a small saucepan, combine sugar and 1 cup water.  Bring to boil and stir to dissolve sugar.  Allow to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until chilled. 

2.  Remove seeds from lemon juice, but leave pulp.  In pitcher, stir together chilled syrup, lemon juice and remaining 7 cups water.

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 egg
1 tsp. lemon zest
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 cups all- purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.  Mix in vanilla, egg, lemon zest and juice.  Stir in all dry ingredients slowly until just combined, excluding the powdered sugar.  Pour powdered sugar in a bowl.  Roll a heaping teaspoon of dough into a ball and roll in powdered sugar.  Place on baking sheet and bake 7-10 minutes or until bottoms begin to barely brown an cookies look matte rather than shiny.  Remove from oven and cool about 3 minutes on cookie sheet before transferring to cooling rack.

Recipe from Marlene Street Sweets