Sometimes you need a recipe that you know will turn out well 10 times out of 10. Every so often I have a baking weekend where things just don't go as planned. I'm notoriously bad at talking while I'm baking.

How many eggs did I put in?

Did I just accidentally combine step 3 and 4?

Did I already add the baking powder to this bowl of flour?

Cooking and multitasking I can do. Baking... forget it. I've had to throw out quite a few ruined batches of baked goods in my life, and life goes on.

Such was the case when I decided to make a cake for my friend's birthday in February. She was out of town over the weekend, so I was dead set on making the Milkbar Cake (yes, this one) to surprise her.

Long story short -- I ditched that idea after forgetting to order the multitude of specialty supplies and ingredients. But, I decided I would make her a yellow cake and a red velvet ice cream cake instead (2 cakes > 1 cake). The ice cream cake went into the freezer beautiful, but behind the closed door it managed to collapse into something reminiscent of a science fair volcano post-lava flow. It wasn't even salvageable. I don't exactly remember what happened to the other cake, but I do know that it didn't work out either.

With enough hours and money down the drain, I accepted that baking wasn't in the cards that day. That's where these come in. It's a combination of all great things: Oreos, peanut butter, marshmallow and chocolate. These also have the added perk of keeping well, being easy to store/stackable, and being great for decorating. Wins all around!

They are perfectly crunchy, chocolaty, gooey, salty and sweet. I make them fairly frequently because they're such a hit, and they save me the risk of distress caused by failed baking projects. You can also make as many or as few as you'd like. Shoot, you could even have a craving hit and whip up a few for yourself on a whim.

I'm crossing my fingers Oreo to comes back out with their football shaped Oreos for football season because these would become my go-to tailgate baked good. In the meantime, they're perfect for every other time of year as well!

Chocolate Covered Fluffernutter Oreos
Recipe from Something Swanky

Ingredients *
Marshmallow Cream or Fluff
Oreos
Smooth Peanut Butter
Melting Chocolate

Directions

1. Split Oreos in half horizontally, making sure to keep the halves of each Oreo together so that final product ends up with exactly one Oreo's worth of cream filling. It doesn't matter if filling ends up on both sides of the split Oreo. 
2. Spread a teaspoon of marshmallow fluff on one side of the Oreo. 
3. Spread a teaspoon of peanut butter on the other.
4. Press sides together and place on a plate. Repeat until you have your desired quantity. Put plate of Oreos in the freezer for no more than 10 minutes.
5. Place a sheet of wax or parchment paper on a baking sheet.
6. Melt the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl until smooth and fully melted.
7. Remove Oreos from freezer, and press any filling that has come out around the edges back into the Oreo to ensure it is smooth on all sides.
8. One at a time, place Oreo on a fork or candy dipping tool and dip, making sure the Oreo is completely covered on all sides by flipping it into the chocolate or completely submerging it. Once fully coated, tap the edge of the dipping tool slightly on the edge of the bowl to remove air bubbles and excess chocolate. If you are making a large batch, you may need to remove about 10 Oreos at a time, and leave the rest in the fridge so that they stay cool.
9. Slide each Oreo onto the baking sheet, being sure to smoothly remove the fork or dipping tool from underneath (don't just clunk it down!). The melting chocolate will dry quickly, so complete this process with a little pep and move on to the next one.
10. If topping with sprinkles or chocolate chips, add these immediately after dipping each Oreo. Otherwise, after making all of the Oreos, add melted chocolate to a small ziplock bag, cut off a tiny section at the bottom corner of the bag, and drizzle Oreos with melted chocolate. 
11. Allow to cool for 10+ minutes. Cookies may be stored in airtight container for 2-3 weeks.

*Note: Because you can make as many or as few of these as you'd like at a time, I did not specify exact amounts for the ingredients. You only need a teaspoon of peanut butter and a teaspoon of fluff for each Oreo, so chances are you will run out of Oreos before running out of either of those during the recipe.

The cast of characters.

The terrible picture above shows what to do if the marshmallow runs over the edges after freezing. Press everything back in the round and place the sides back together. Voila!

Tap tap tap.

Did I mention that entire story is from February? That is how behind on my posts I am! Here are the decorated Oreos.

Allow me to introduce you to one of my favorite desserts: the pizookie. It'll be your favorite, too.

I've been making these since college, but I guess I've been holding out on sharing them. The concept is about as simple as it gets. You put cookie dough into a ramekin. Bake it until it's just starting to brown on the top. Pull it out of the oven, and put a big scoop of ice cream on top.

The next few minutes are pure bliss. The cold ice cream combines with the warm cookies. Everything is melting together. Your mind goes blank. You're not sure if you've ever had anything so good in your life, etc.

This is the easiest thing on my blog. You can use homemade cookie dough if you have time -- I have in the past -- but Tollhouse and Pillsbury are in every grocery store for a reason. They save you time and they've spent decades perfecting the recipes. These pictures are made with Tollhouse and Turkey Hill French Vanilla.

I gave my roommate and longtime #1 recipe taste-tester the extra pizookie after taking pictures. She's had them multiple times since I make these any time I'm tasked with dessert and don't feel like baking before dinner. After we finished them (mine was already half gone from taking pictures), she confessed that even though she knew these were easy, she thinks they're the best thing I make. I can't really take credit for store-bought cookie dough and ice cream, but seriously...they might be.

I have only tried pizookies with variations of chocolate chip cookie dough. I also prefer them with vanilla ice cream (probably the only time plain vanilla is my preference) or cookie dough if I'm really feeling the cookie vibe. There are an endless number of potential combinations. I'm sure they're all great.

You can make this in any ramekins you have around the house. You will need to adjust the amount of cookie dough you add and cooking time based on your choice. The amounts I've detailed below are guidelines based on the ramekin size I was using. You can adjust the recipe based on the number of servings and the ramekin size. I usually fill them a little over half full if I'm using smaller ramekins (4-6oz). The key is to cook them until each pot is just slightly starting to brown around the edges. The top will be set, but it's still soft in the middle.

Enjoy!

Pizookies
Serves: 4
Total Time: 15 Minutes (3 Active)

Ingredients
16oz Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
4 Scoops Vanilla Ice Cream

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fill each ramekin with approximately 4oz of cookie dough (cookie dough should be about 1-inch deep in the ramekin). Place on cookie sheet. Bake the cookie sheet of ramekins on the middle rack for 12-16 minutes*, or until cookie dough is just starting to brown around the edges and the top is set. Do not overbake! Cookies will be cooked through, but the inside should still be soft.

Remove from oven, let sit for two minutes, and top each ramekin with a cold scoop of ice cream, pressing down slightly in the center. The ice cream will start melting right away, so DIG IN! Make sure not to hold the ramekins without a napkin or something to prevent you from burning your hands (since this would really cut down on the enjoyment factor).

*Time range varies based on ramekins used, amount of dough added, and oven.

And since I was going to eat the pizookie anyways, I documented:

Immediately after dropping ice cream on the pizookie.

Eating and photographing. Photographing and eating.

And then all the bites start looking like chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, which is never a bad thing.

Perfection. (Put down the camera to focus on eating)

And this is what it looks like if you don't eat it right away.

You might think my vice would be chocolate based on this blog, my eating habits/daily chocolate consumption, or any number of things I say that allude to chocolate holding a very prominent place in my heart and stomach.

I do love me some chocolate, but cinnamon is the secret (or not so secret) ingredient in the more than half of my favorite desserts. I can't even make coffee cake or cinnamon rolls with any frequency anymore because I will help myself to five servings without thinking twice. All self-control goes out the window.

So, let's talk about Cinnamon Chex. I'm not sure where Cinnamon Chex has been all my life, but I am rapidly making up for lost time. These Browned Butter Churro Crispy Treats are my new favorite recipe (Chex=Crispy, Rice Krispies = Krispy?).

I've probably made them 10 times in the past month. They are incredibly easy, and the flavor is something no one is expecting since it's reminiscent of Rice Krispies, but made with Chex and BROWNED BUTTER. It is the perfect, no-bake dessert to fix when you need something in a pinch and don't feel like turning on your oven or breaking out the mixer.

The only remotely difficult part is browning the butter, and I promise once you get the hang of it, browning butter won't be a deterrent in the least. The key is that you have to watch the butter. Do not multitask when making browned butter. Like all serial multitaskers, I like to think that because I multitask all the time I've mastered the art of it. Nope. We can put this in the long list of things that should not be multitasked. I've provided a few pictures and examples below, but there are also great tutorials here and here.

The last thing I will say about this recipe is that it nails the crisp to marshmallow ratio that is essential to any krispy/crispy dessert. Your treat should not crack in half when you break it apart. If this happens, you might as well be eating a cereal bar. It should bend. That said, eating these for breakfast is perfectly acceptable since they are, after all, made with cereal.

Enjoy!


Browned Butter Churro Crispy Treats
Recipe from Well Plated by Erin

Ingredients

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon Imperial Sugar Dark Brown Sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
10 ounces miniature marshmallows
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
6 cups Cinnamon Chex

Directions

1. Butter or coat with non-stick spray an 8-inch square pan.
2. In a large pot, melt butter over medium-low heat. Continue to heat until butter melts, then foams, then turns clear golden, then starts to turn brown and smell nutty. Stir frequently, scraping up any bits from bottom as you do. Watch it carefully, especially in last minute, to ensure butter does not burn. As soon as butter turns light brown, turn off heat, then stir in brown sugar, cinnamon and vanilla.
3. Add marshmallows and stir to melt. The heat of melted butter should be enough to melt marshmallows, but if necessary, turn heat on low and stir until marshmallows are smooth and no white streaks remain.
4. Remove pot from stove and stir in the cereal and salt. As soon as cereal is coated, spread it quickly into prepared pan. To spread cereal to corners, lightly coat a sheet of wax paper with cooking, then evenly press it into pan corners. Let cool 15 minutes, cut into bars and serve.

Note: The steps below show examples from various points the process. They do not correspond directly with each stage, but your butter will look like all of these during the process. I removed my butter shortly after the second to bottom image. When it starts to look like this keep stirring and keep a very close eye on it. It's almost done, and it goes from brown to burnt faster than you'd expect!

Exhibit A & B: Bend, No Snap

I am fairly certain the day I first tried pudding cookies (and subsequently experienced the sheer bliss that comes from their consumption) falls under the category of a life-changing event for me. Most people save that category for major life milestones, but for me, discovering pudding cookies fits the bill.

Basically, I know I will be making variations of pudding cookies for the rest of my life. I've used the basic recipe a few times, and now these chocolate cookies took things to a whole new level. The cookie game has been changed forever.

Pros to pudding cookies:

• People unanimously rave about them.
• They are simple to throw together.
• They seem to stay good much longer than your average dessert.
• There are as many variations as there are types of pudding mix (and then countless more). 
• You will make friends if you bring them anywhere.
• Your confidence in your baking skills will immediately rise for having made such delicious cookies.
• Etc.

My boyfriend put these in the freezer (why, I do not know) and somehow they were still chewy without being thawed at all. It was kind of like how the cookies on the outside of an ice cream sandwich always stay soft. Amazing. The chocolate variation that Averie came up with is top notch. It's a chocoholic's dream--not one, but FOUR types of chocolate. If you don't like chocolate, I guess these wouldn't be up your alley, but for all the normal people out there you will love these. Averie has made a lot of other variations as well, so if your interest has been piqued, make sure to check out her blog for pudding cookies galore.

Enjoy!

Quadruple Chocolate Soft Fudgy Pudding Cookies
Recipe from Averie Cooks

Ingredients:

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened (1 1/2 sticks)
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 packet instant chocolate pudding mix, about 3.7 to 3.9 ounces (not sugar-free and not 'cook & serve')
1/4 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt, optional and to taste
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
5 ounces dark chocolate, chopped (I used Trader Joe's 72% Pound Plus Bar)

Directions:

1. To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large mixing bowl and electric mixer) combine the butter, sugars, egg, vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until creamed and well combined, about 4 minutes.
2. Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the pudding mix, cocoa, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 1 minute.
3. Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the flour, baking soda, optional salt, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 1 minute.
4. Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the chocolate chips, chopped chocolate, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds.
5. Using a large cookie scoop, 1/4-cup measure, or your hands, form approximately 17 equal-sized mounds of dough. Roll into balls, and flatten slightly.
6. Place mounds on a large plate or tray, cover with plasticwrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up to 5 days. Do not bake with unchilled dough because cookies will bake thinner, flatter, and be more prone to spreading.
7. Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet with a Silpat or spray with cooking spray. Place dough mounds on baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart (Averie bakes 8 cookies per sheet) and bake for about 10 minutes, or until edges have set and tops are just set, even if slightly undercooked and glossy in the center. Don't overbake which is easy to do with dark cookies. Cookies firm up as they cool. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for about 10 minutes before serving. I let them cool on the baking sheet and don't use a rack.
8. Cookies will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.

I tend to think of Sundays as my baking day. I also tend to think of Sundays as my lazy day. Aside from the Sunday Scaries (click here if you'd like a full explanation), Sundays are a great day for recovering, relaxing and enjoying that you have less obligations than you did on Saturday. The chaos of the Sunday grocery shopping experience completely interferes with my laziness and my overall relaxed state-of-mind. Next thing you know, I've put off grocery shopping and it's too late to bake and take pictures of things.

That's where a recipe like this comes into play. There are few things better when preparing to bake than finding a recipe and realizing you have all of the ingredients on hand. There are very few things better than realizing this, and then discovering the delicious recipe you want to make only takes five minutes to prepare. This is my second five-minute recipe post in a row. Obviously I'm all about time-savers this summer!

I've made this recipe three times in the past few weeks. It is incredibly easy, and the cookie cups are gooey, flavorful, and, if they last you this long, will still taste good even after a few days in. The other day I made them when I got home from work at 6pm, worked out and still made it to a dinner at 8pm (with freshly baked cookie cups, no less!). How many homemade desserts can you do that with?

Try them out. Fall in love with them. Embrace the laziness of Sundays by avoiding the grocery store and eating these on the couch. That's how you get your summer beach body, right?

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups
Recipe from Averie Cooks

Yield: 12 cookie cups
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: about 11 to 12 minutes
Total Time: about 30 minutes, for cooling

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (I recommend storebought and not homemade which is much runnier)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch teaspoon salt, optional and to taste
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F and spray a 12-count standard-sized muffin pan extremely well with floured cooking spray or grease and flour the pan (I prefer cosmetically to not use liners); set pan aside.
2. In a large, microwave-safe mixing bowl, melt the butter, about 1 minute on high-power.
3. Wait momentarily before adding the egg so you don't scramble it. Add the egg, brown sugar, peanut butter, granulated sugar, vanilla, and whisk until smooth.
4. Add the flour, baking soda, optional salt, and stir until just combined; don't overmix.
5. Stir in 1 1/4 cups chocolate chips; reserve remainder to place on cookie tops before baking.
6. Distribute dough equally among the 12 muffin pan cavities; each will approximately be filled to about three-quarters full. The cookies don't rise much (nothing like muffins) so it's okay if dough seems high in the cavities.
7. Evenly divide remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips by placing a few chips on each cookie top, which creates a nice visual appeal.
8. Bake for 11 to 12 minutes, or until tops have set and are pale golden. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter. Depending on your climate, muffin pan, brand of ingredients, taste preferences, etc. baking times will vary. Watch your cookies and not the clock; bake until done. Allow cookies to cool in pan for at least 15 minutes before removing them. If they have stuck to the pan, gently wedge the tip of a soft spatula into the muffin cavity to dislodge the cookies, rather than rimming with a knife so you don't scratch your pan. Cookies will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

I wasn't remotely looking for a new favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. I have a few favorites that I stick to every time. But the other night when a dessert craving hit I decided that I should look for a new recipe to make. After all, making repeat recipes makes it impossible to use my usual justification for baking: "I need to make and eat this because I have to post on the blog."  So, I stumbled on this cookie recipe and since I had everything on hand I made it.

...And then I made it again not even a full day later because they were just that good.

I had a good feeling about the pudding mix in the recipe because I've tried cookie recipes with cornstarch and liked the results. Averie points out that you can use cornstarch instead of the instant pudding mix for similar, though not identical/as good results. I would stick with the pudding mix. I know this isn't quite a typical thing to have in the pantry, but I always stock up on a few boxes when it's on sale for $1 a box at the grocery store. It's in more recipes than you'd think.

I like a soft, chewy cookie that almost seems like it's underbaked. It needs to have a slight crunch on the outside, but the inside should be gooey when it comes out of the oven. I realize there are a lot of people out there who like overdone cookies. My stepdad is one of those people and that's perfectly fine. If I had the choice of overdone cookie or no cookie at all I'd enjoy the overdone cookie in a heartbeat. But for people who would choose overdone over underdone, this is not the cookie recipe for you.

These cookies are perfect--big, buttery, soft, moist, slightly crisp on the outsides... I've eaten way too many in the past 24 hours so I'm going to stop with the adjectives before I have to get up to get another. I added M&Ms and chocolate chips like Averie, but you could use this base and throw in any number of add-ins. They also come together SO easily. You may have already sworn yourself to another cookie recipe, but cookie commitment is meant to be broken. These are fantastic.

Soft M&M Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe from Averie Cooks

Yield: 15 large cookies
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 11 minutes
Total Time: about 3+ hours, for dough chilling

Ingredients 

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened (1 1/2 sticks)
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup instant vanilla pudding mix (not sugar-free and not 'cook & serve'), OR use 2 teaspoons cornstarch in place of pudding mix
1 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt, optional and to taste
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup milk chocolate M&M's mixed into the dough + about 1/2 cup for placing on top of dough mounds

 Directions:

1. To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large mixing bowl and electric mixer) combine the butter, sugars, egg, vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until creamed and well combined, about 4 minutes.
2. Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the flour, pudding mix (or cornstarch), baking soda, optional salt, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 1 minute.
3. Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the chocolate chips, 3/4 cup M&Ms, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds.
4. Using a large cookie scoop, 1/4-cup measure, or your hands, form 15 equal-sized mounds of dough, roll into balls, and flatten slightly.
5. Add about 1 tablespoon M&Ms to the top of each dough mound.
6. Place mounds on a large plate or tray, cover with plasticwrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up to 5 days. Do not bake with unchilled dough because cookies will bake thinner, flatter, and be more prone to spreading.
7. Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet with a Silpat or spray with cooking spray. Place dough mounds on baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart (I bake 8 cookies per sheet) and bake for 11 minutes, or until edges have set and tops are just set, even if slightly undercooked, pale, and glossy in the center. Cookies firm up as they cool. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for about 10 minutes before serving. I let them cool on the baking sheet and don't use a rack.
8. Cookies will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all had a nice holiday season. I'm starting the year off with a bang by introducing you to these amazing Caramel Nougat Chocolate Bars. The name on its own sounds like any other standard dessert, but the amazing part is these taste exactly like Snickers. 

Actually, these taste better than Snickers. You can also cut them into any size you'd like.

Sorry, New Year's Resolutions.

I don't think I could have told you what actually makes the nougat layer of candy bars, so I never would have thought I'd be able to recreate it exactly. Something tells me I'm not alone. I have multiple memories of getting the nougat piece in a box of chocolates and wishing I had gotten caramel or milk chocolate instead of the one with the mystery filling. Now I know. I'm not saying I would pick the nougat piece, but when you combine chocolate, nougat, caramel and peanuts it's amazing. Obviously Mars already knows this since they have been making money on the combination for decades. 

I'm sure you've all seen the other copycat candy bar recipes. You take a bite and think, "Hmm, I guess it does somewhat taste like the real thing." Not this one. This is spot on. It also makes a giant serving. My main suggestion is to make sure you keep it cold. I also found that setting it out for 15 minutes or so and then cutting it with a warm knife helped. Enjoy!

Caramel Nougat Chocolate Bars (aka Snickers!)

Recipe from Deliciously Yum

First Chocolate Layer

1. 1 1/4 cups milk chocolate chips
2. 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

Nougat Layer

1. 1/4 cup unsalted butter
2. 1 cup granulated sugar
3. 1/4 cup evaporated milk
4. 1 1/2 cups marshmallow fluff
5. 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
6. 1 teaspoon vanilla
7. 1 1/2 cups salted peanuts

Caramel Layer

1. 1 12-ounce bag of caramels
2. 1/4 cup heavy cream

Final Chocolate Layer

1. 1 1/4 cups milk chocolate chips
2. 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
3. 1 9x13-inch aluminum baking pan, optional

Instructions

1. Thoroughly grease your aluminum baking pan.
2. For the first layer, melt 1 1/4 cups milk chocolate chips and 1/4 cup peanut butter and mix until thoroughly combined. Pour into the bottom of the aluminum pan and spread in an even layer. Let cool completely in the fridge for 30 minutes or until firm.
3. For the nougat layer, melt 1/4 cup unsalted butter and add 1 cup sugar plus 1/4 cup evaporated milk. Bring the mixture to a boil and continue to cook (over medium-high heat) while stirring until sugar is completely dissolved, about 5 minutes. Next, add 1 1/2 cups marshmallow fluff, 1/4 cup peanut butter, and vanilla. Stir until creamy and thoroughly combined. Mix in 1 1/2 cups salted peanuts and spread evenly over chocolate layer. Let cool completely on the counter or in the fridge until firm.
4. For the caramel layer, combine caramels and 1/4 cup heavy cream in a pot. Melt caramel mixture over medium-high heat, stirring constantly! Spread over nougat layer and let cool once again.
5. For the fourth and final chocolate layer, melt the remaining 1 1/4 cups milk chocolate chips and 1/4 cup peanut butter and mix until thoroughly combined and creamy. Spread evenly over the caramel layer and let cool completely. Refrigerate for two hours or until ready to serve. Bars will keep in refrigerator for one week.

I'm pretty sure in the south it's a sin to change your grandmother's pimento cheese recipe. This is especially true when your grandmother is like mine and incredibly particular about the way she makes pimento cheese. She uses Duke's Mayonnaise, Cracker Barrel Sharp Cheddar Cheese and diced pimentos. In her world, don't even think about subbing in Hellmann's or low-fat mayo. She also would never understand why someone would use another cheese when Cracker Barrel is so delicious.

So, it is with slight shame that I offer my sincerest apologies to my grandmother...I altered the family recipe. 

In an attempt to keep the most important elements of the recipe I still use the Cracker Barrel Sharp Cheddar, Duke's and pimentos. I see no reason to change that since I, too, seem to be very particular about my pimento cheese ingredients. I just enhanced the original recipe a bit by adding sharp white cheddar, cream cheese and a dash of cayenne pepper. Cream cheese adds a level of creaminess (shockingly) that makes it even more wonderful with crackers or grilled on sandwiches. You don't need too much since the mayo is also in there, but even a little bit makes a noticeable difference in flavor. I've used the plain and cracked pepper sharp white cheddar varieties. If you like pepper you will love the cracked pepper, but you can go ahead and omit the extra that is in the original recipe. The cayenne gives it an extra little kick to complement the creaminess of the cheeses. 

For those of you not from the south, you may think adding mayo to shredded cheese is disgusting. My brother and I don't like mayonnaise on its own, and my grandmother once compared that to not liking cheese (not at all comparable). I still don't like mayo by itself, but I do like mayo and cheese. How's that for compromise?

This is top notch pimento cheese. You will probably have to pry yourself away from it. I can't count the times that I've finished off a batch of pimento cheese with a few friends only to then have it sink in that there are two whole blocks of cheese in there. Whoops. I've also included this recipe in my Breakfast Sandwiches post, but I felt it deserved its own space here.

Enjoy!

Homemade Pimento Cheese

Makes a full serving, feel free to cut this amount in half

2 8-ounce blocks Cracker Barrel Cheese, one Sharp White Cheddar, one Sharp Cheddar, grated
2 heaping tablespoons diced pimentos (not sliced!)
1 to 2 ounces cream cheese, softened*
1/2 cup Duke's mayo
1 teaspoon cracked pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne (optional)

Grate the sharp white cheddar and sharp yellow cheddar cheeses together in a bowl. Do not buy pre-grated cheese, as these cheeses come with a waxy coating on the outside and will not melt as well (or taste as good). Throw remaining ingredients into bowl, and blend gently with a spatula, forks, spoons, or whatever you have on hand until completely incorporated. Store in the refrigerator, and remove at least 15 minutes before you are ready to serve. Pimento cheese is delicious on crackers, veggies, burgers, sandwiches, pretzels, etc. (yes, basically everything).

*Adjust amount of cream cheese and mayonnaise to suit your personal preference. If you prefer a creamier and tangier cheese use slighly less mayo and 2 ounces cream cheese.

I think everyone needs a few easy snack-sized desserts in their repertoire. This recipe is my new favorite, and I'm almost positive it'll be yours as well. 

Salty and sweet is the perfect combination. Two mini pretzels sandwiching a peanut butter/brown sugar/powdered sugar mixture and dipped in chocolate. It's the ideal manifestation of salty and sweet, and you literally have to pry yourself away from them. It doesn't help that they are bite sized. Seriously, they are too good.

I first made these a week and a half ago and I've made them three times since then. I just made another batch tonight and doubled it, so I guess that's four. I've been in England for the past week where apparently it's not so easy to find pretzels. I had to search three different grocery stores for them. Another interesting thing I've observed in England--none of the chocolate seems to be sold in bulk. I've had to either buy chocolate bars to melt down or 100g bags of chocolate chips (about a cup).  I usually work from a Costco sized bag of chocolate chips, so 100g bags seem a bit absurd, but then again, I guess a 72oz bag is even more absurd.

Another great thing about this recipe is that it is incredibly easy. The sandwiches require zero baking and zero baking skill. My apologies to your summer diets, but you're welcome for all the people who will love you for bringing these to cookouts, potlucks, etc. I have no idea who to give credit to for this amazing recipe because it's all over the internet, but whoever came up with this was a genius.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Pretzel Sandwiches

Makes 45-55

1 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter

2 Tablespoons Softened Butter (unsalted or salted) 

3/4 Cup Brown Sugar

3/4 Cup Powdered Sugar

1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1 1/2 Cups Semisweet Chocolate (dark, milk, or bittersweet work as well!)

One Bag Salted Pretzels 

1. Beat the peanut butter and butter until smooth and creamy.

2. Add the brown sugar, powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth.

3. Roll peanut butter mixture between your hands into tablespoon balls (approximately...or roughly the size of a cherry), and sandwich between two pretzels. Place all pb sandwiches on a plate in the freezer for roughly 20 minutes.

4. While pretzels are in the freezer, melt the chocolate chips in the microwave or a double boiler until smooth and melted.

5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

6. Remove pretzels from the freezer, and dip half of each sandwich into the melted chocolate. Place on parchment. If you want to decorate them with mini chocolate chips do it right after dipping so that the chocolate hasn't had a chance to harden. Chocolate drizzle also looks nice over the dipped side.  Store in refrigerator until ready to serve. If you want to speed up the hardening process put the pretzels in the freezer for 15-20 minutes.

This might be the best dessert I've ever made. I don't usually make statements like that, but I also don't remember the last time I had something that was this amazing. It's shockingly good. So good, in fact, that my roommate and I finished off the entire thing in just over 24 hours. We were ashamed. I also was working from home the day after I made it, which meant I was sitting at home with it in the fridge just calling my name. You'd be surprised how many times I can justify eating dessert in a day. As I was copying over the recipe I just noticed it says it yields 12-16 servings. Good lord. Let's move on, shall we?

Here's what always gets me: it's the easiest recipes that are the best. I'm not sure I can even call this homemade because it's just an array of pre-made ingredients layered on top of each other. You don't have to be even a slightly good cook to make this. It's also one of those recipes that is guaranteed to make you friends. Unfortunately, Brooke (roommate) and I only shared a small bit with one other friend, so we didn't test this theory out, but I'm pretty certain of it. Again, I admit that we were ashamed.

The concept is simple. It's a layer of Oreos and butter, a layer of a peanut butter, cream cheese and cool whip blend, a layer of chopped Reese's Cups, a layer of a chocolate pudding, confectioner's sugar, milk and cool whip blend, and more crushed Oreos. I don't know what my favorite part was about this giant parfait of sorts. The chocolate pudding/cool whip complements the Oreos and the Reese's Cups complement the peanut butter/cool whip. It's honestly just heavenly. I've forbidden myself from making it again until I have a crowd because obviously I have zero will-power. Make this dessert. Now.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Yum
Recipe from Taste of Home
(Originally seen on Through A Country Mother's Eyes)

Ingredients

20 Oreo cookies, divided
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter*
1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, divided
1 carton (16 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided
20 miniature peanut butter cups, chopped
1 cup cold milk
1 package (3.9 ounces) instant chocolate fudge pudding mix
 
Directions
 
Crush 16 cookies; toss with the butter. Press into an ungreased 9-in. square dish; set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, peanut butter and 1 cup confectioners' sugar until smooth. Fold in half of the whipped topping. Spread over crust. Sprinkle with peanut butter cups.
In another large bowl, beat the milk, pudding mix and remaining confectioners' sugar on low speed for 2 minutes Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Fold in remaining whipped topping.
Spread over peanut butter cups. Crush remaining cookies; sprinkle over the top. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours. Yield: 12-16 servings.


*Even though I love JIF, I prefer Peter Pan Creamy for this recipe because it's not as thick as JIF. This helps the Cool Whip layer be light and airy. Also, in case the ingredient list makes you feel like this recipe is diabetes just waiting to happen, I use reduced fat pb, 1/3 reduced fat cream cheese and reduced fat Cool Whip.