Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

I've been dying to make some peanut butter cookies ever since my cousin (the caterer) turned me onto these mini peanut butter cups that they have at Trader Joes (they are by the slabs of chocolate on top of the freezer section)...and then I found this recipe...BINGO...and I'm at a loss for words...O..M..G! These are so freakin good! And Nicole was right, they made EXACTLY 2 dozen cookies!!! It was the perfect taster sample!! I was a little worried about making them with no flour (what? a baker not using flour?? GAAAA!) but I dredged ahead and finished making the recipe as is! I didn't have any crunchy peanut butter so I just used creamy peanut butter and then chopped up some peanuts I had and tossed them in there...T-D-F!!!! Can't...stop...eating...them...take...them...away...FAST!!!!!!!

Flourless Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
Adapted from Baking Bites

1 cup crunchy peanut butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tbsp water
1/2- 3/4 cup chocolate and/or peanut butter chips

Preheat oven to 350*F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, whisk together cocoa powder and water until smooth. In a large bowl, stir together all ingredients, including cocoa powder and water mixture. Add chocolate chips at the end of mixing. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet and flatten slightly with a moistened finger.Bake for about 10-13 minutes until golden brown at the edges. Cool on pan before removing to wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 2 dozen.

Mango Bread

I love mangos. I mean really L-O-V-E mangos. I grew up on mangos, papayas and guavas instead of oranges, strawberries and apples so mangos are my total go-to-fruit!!! So of course I bought some presliced mangos from Costco (don't ask me why I bought so much for just me!) and of course even my love for mangos can't eat them fast enough before they go rancid on me so I had to hurry and come up with some ways to incorporate them into some baked goods. I was thinking mango crisp but I couldn't find a good recipe so I settled for this bread recipe. I made it quickly and took the loaf to work and all I have left is this one slice that I had to hide in my office before it was all gone. It is sooo moist! Co-workers gave it rave reviews so its a keeper!! I did have to cook it a little longer than 1hr (about 1 1/2hrs) but other than that I didn't change anything in the recipe. Ooh I did make it with pecans instead of macademia nuts because my macademia nut supply is running low (my Hawaiian supplier--aka my aunt--didn't replenish my supply when she came to the mainland last month...course I guess she's not a mind reader because I forgot to remind her to bring any with her!!!! Gaaaaa!).

This is also my entry for Cinco de Mango! Chris over at Mele Cotte had a cute idea to celebrate Cinco de Mayo with a mango theme along with the National Mango Board.

Mango Bread

Adapted from RecipeZaar

2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
3 egg, lightly beaten
2 cups mango, peeled and diced (2-3 ripe mangos)
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 350*F.

In a large bowl, mix vegetable oil, sugar, vanilla and eggs. In a smaller bowl sift the dry ingredients. Slowly blend the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Fold in mango, raisins and nuts. Pour into a greased and floured 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan and shake until well distributed.

Bake for 1hr or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Blackberry Galette

Would you serve this to your boss? Man I had high hopes for this galette. And when my boss' assistant told me to make 'something with fruit in it' for our boss' birthday on MOnday, I just knew what I was going to make...the blueberry galette that I had seen on one of my frequented blogs. Oooh I was soo ready!! So headed off to Costco because I had seen blueberries at my Costco, but I was running errands yesterday and went to a different Costco and they didn't have them but they did have blackberries...ok...fine...same thing no worries. So I headed home. I woke up early this morning and made the dough (to chill all day) and then I go and make the freakin galette and it just oozes all over the silpat. So before the dough hardens, I scoop it up with a spoon and try to make a 'border' and then this is what you get. I must admit it tastes divine but just the presentation is horrible. I'll make another one and this time I think I'll leave out the dollop butter at the end...I think that was what was making the borders/ends run away from the fruit. Either that or I should have stuck with my original fruit...the blueberry!!! Gaaaaaaaa!!!

Blackberry Galette

Adapted from I Shot The Chef

1 1/4 c all purpose flour
1/4 c stone-ground fine yellow cornmeal
2 tsp granulated sugar
1/4 tsp salt
4 oz (8 tbsp) butter, softenend
1 Tbsp heavy cream
2 to 3 tbsp ice water

3 c fresh blueberries (or other berry) rinsed and dried
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 oz (2 tbsp) butter, chilled
1 Tbsp heavy cream
2 tsp granulated sugar

1. In the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade, combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar and salt. Pulse briefly to blend. Cut the butter into small pieces and add to the flour mixture. Pulse until the butter is cut into very tiny pieces, about 30 seconds. The texture should be sandy with very tiny lumps throughout.

2. With the food processor running, pour the cream and 2 Tbsp of the ice water through the feed tube. Process until the dough begins to hold together. Turn off the food processor, remove the top, and feel the dough. If it holds together, it is done. If it is still crumbly, add the remaining tablespoon of ice water and process briefly, then check again.

3. Turn the pastry dough onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Shape into a flat disk and wrap tightly in a double layer of plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator until firm before using, about 2 hours. When ready to bake, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let sit for 11-15 minutes to become pliable.

4. Place the berries and 2 tbsp granulated sugar in a mixing bowl and toss together to distribute evenly. Taste the fruit to see if it needs any more sugar.

5. Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. On a smooth flat surface, roll out the pastry dough between sheets of lightly floured waxed or parchment paper to a large circle, 11 to 12 inches in diameter. Carefully peel the paper off the top of the dough. Brush excess flour off the dough, then loosely roll the pastry dough around the rolling pin without the bottom piece of paper. Place a parchment lined baking sheet directly beneath the rolling pin and carefully unroll the pastry dough onto the baking sheet.

6. Mound the sliced berries in the center of the dough circle, leaving a 2 1/2 to 3 inch border all around. Cut the remaining butter into small pieces and distribute evenly over the berries.

7. Fold the border up so that it partially covers the berries. It will naturally form pleats as it is folded. Brush the dough with the cream, being careful that it doens’t run down the sides and under the galette. If it does, wipe it up because it can cause the bottom of the galette to burn. Gently lift up the folds of the dough and brush under those areas with cream, then replace the folds. Evenly sprinkle the sugar over the dough border.

8. Bake the galette for 30 to 35 minutes, until light golden. Remove the pan from the oven and transfer to a rack to cool. Cut the galette into pie shaped wedges to serve.

UPDATE! So I remade the recipe and here is the galette that I took to the office --- WAAAAY better that my first attempt!! I actually made sure that the dough laid over the fruit much more than the first time and I lessened the butter and OMG and its a keeper!! It was really good! Crust was light and fruit was not overwhelmed with sugar, very natural tasting. Boss was sooo impressed, he went home and told the wife and now she wants the recipe!! SCORE!!! Does that mean I get finally cash in a comp day? LOL

Coconut Toffee Almond Crunch Cookies

Boy that's a mouthful (the cookie name)!! I saw these while doing my weekly surfing of frequented blogs and made them. Verdict? Very good, a combination of sweet, salty & crunchy all in one bite. Coconut Toffee Almond Crunch Cookies
Adapted from Foodaphilia

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 - 10oz bag toffee candy bits
1 cup oats, old fashioned
1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
1 1/3 cups sliced almonds

In a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and eggs and mix until creamy. In a separate bowl, mix flour, salt, and baking soda. Add these dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture. Mix in the toffee bits, oats, coconut and almonds together into the cookie dough. Add the toffee, oats, coconut, almond mixture to the dough and mix by hand. The dough is very stiff, but you want to mix it well so the cookies stay together.

Drop about 2 (heaping) tablespoons of dough about 2 inches apart on a parchment lined cookie sheets. Because of the sticky toffee involved in this cookie, you won't want to skip lining your cookies sheets with silicon mats or parchment paper. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool on wire racks.

iPod Touch Giveaway

CALM DOWN!! *I'm* not giving ANYTHING away people (except some recipes...LOL)!!! No, Cooking..by the seat of my Pants! is giving away an iPod Touch. No strings attached. Yep you read that right!!! FREE IPOD TOUCH!! Seriously! Just spread the word about his giveaway and then just leave him a comment and tell him that you posted about his giveaway/site on your blog and you're in-like-flynn!!!

Click here for the giveaway details…

Pasta Shell Stuffing

I have made these a couple times, and each time I wonder why I don't make them more often. Its like a big ravioli meal in a shell....YUM-O! I used a combination of the back of the pasta shell box and Paula Deen's recipe to make the below recipe which turned out FABU!

Pasta Shell Stuffing
Adpated from Paula Deen

1 package frozen, chopped spinach
1 lb ground turkey
4-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 large onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 jumbo egg
1 (1-pound) package jumbo pasta shells
1 jar (26-32oz) spaghetti sauce

Preheat oven to 350*F.

Cook pasta shells in boiling, salted water according to package directions. Drain and cool to the touch.

While pasta is cooking, place frozen spinach in a strainer and run under hot water until thawed. Squeeze all of the water out and place in a large bowl. In a large saute pan, cook the ground turkey until browned. Drain meat and place in the same bowl with the spinach. Stir in the cream cheese until blended with the meat and spinach. Saute the chopped onions in the 1 Tbsp of olive oil until transparent. Transfer onions to the bowl with the other ingredients and stir to combine. Add grated cheese, nutmeg, salt, and pepper, to taste, and combine. Let mixture cool and then add the eggs. The filling can be made up to 1 day in advance and refrigerated until ready to use.

Stuff the shells with the meat mixture. Pour 1 cup of sauce into 13x9 inch baking dish. Place shells in baking pan and cover with tomato sauce. Cover with foil and bake for approximately 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Strawberry Shortcake

I didn't have enough self control to wait to take a picture of the 'final product' so I recreated it for you! Aren't I just the nicest person ever? :)


Strawberry shortcake consists of sliced strawberries that have been smothered with whipped cream served over a white cake or biscuit. I'm from the school that insists that strawberry shortcake is made with a cake, not a biscuit.

Building A Strawberry Shortcake

1 Pound Cake Recipe
Strawberry Sauce (see below)
Whipped Cream (I cheated and used Cool Whip!)

To serve, break up one muffin per person into big pieces into a bowl. Ladle strawberries over the cake. Add a dollop of whipped cream.

Cake:
Bake cake according to recipe. Let cool.

Strawberry Sauce:
4 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 Tbsp cornstarch

In a small pot over medium heat, combine the strawberries, sugar, water, lemon zest, lemon juice and cornstarch. Bring to a simmer and whisk gently until mixture thickens slightly.