Healthier- Reeses Peanut Butter Cups

Oh yes you read right and oh yes you need to try this!!  It is perfect and worth it and relatively good for you.  At least a great substitute for the real thing.  Believe me because I polished off a bag of miniature dark chocolate peanut butter cups just before finding this recipe and I won't be buying those again!  This will cure any hankering for a peanut butter chocolate combo.  Treat yourself and enjoy!  Oh and the kids love it, of course.

Healthier- Reeses Peanut Butter Cups

3/4 cup natural peanut butter
2 T. honey
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
4 ounces of semisweet chocolate
1 T of agave

In a small bowl combine the peanut butter, honey, vanilla and coconut oil.  Mix until well combined.  Drop into mini muffin tin. (I used my small pampered chef scoop but would maybe even make the peanut butter layer a little thinner.)  Place in freezer.

I did the chocolate part different then the original recipe.

I melted the chocolate and some agave- since I was using semisweet I didn't add much sweetener- in a saucepan over the stove until melted.

Remove the muffin tin from the freezer and top the peanut butter with the chocolate.  Return to the freezer and eat as you want.  We have to keep ours in the freezer or else it just starts melting pretty fast but it has been around100 degrees here so that may have something to do with it.

Lemon Bars

I have spent the past few days working hard as a mom and being pampered as a mom.  I am completely refreshed and ready for a new week.

This past weekend we had a yard sale.  My girls have been wanting to have a lemonade stand for a long time.  I decided a yard sale would be a great time since it would be attracting so many people down our street.  But instead of Lemonade I suggested Lemon bars.  Lets be a little different- and really, who could resist?  Well, not many people. 

Lemon Bars

Crust:
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
2/3 cup of confectioners' sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened

Filling:
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups of white sugar
3 T. all-purpose flour
1/4 cup lemon juice

confectioners' sugar to decorate

Preheat oven to 375
Butter a 9x13in. baking pan

Combine the ingredients for the crust and press down into the buttered baking pan.  It will be crumbly so work with it a little bit in the pan to reach the thickness and texture you want.  I barely go up the sides but do as you please.  Bake for 20 minutes in preheated oven.  Sometimes I prefer a softer crust and will check on it until it just begins to brown and remove. 

While the crust bakes combine the ingredients for the filling and mix until frothy.  Pour this mixture over the hot crust, once it is done.

Return to the preheated oven for an additional 20-25 minutes or until lightly golden brown.  Cool on a wire and decorate with sifted confectioners' sugar.


My love for lemon bars comes from gatherings at my grandmother's.  She always had events catered and these were on the top of the list.  Mine are a thinner version but if you like it thick just double the filling.  My five year old helped me make these and we put in a bit more of lemon juice until she thought it was "lemony enough."

Brownies

I love brownies!  Seriously-- love them.  A hot brownie with vanilla ice cream- oh so yummy.  I, unfortunately, can eat a whole pan if it is left out.  I have to admit it is one of the things that I think just tastes better coming from a box.  Lately I have been on the search for a great-homemade-brownie recipe.  I think I have come across some that work for different kind of brownie lovers.

First: is my favorite- fudgey and rich.  I found this recipe at foodnetwork.com- I can't seem to find the actual link.

Rich and Fudgey Brownie -- no picture it was gone that fast!

1/2 cup of butter
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350

Melt the butter and chocolate together in a medium pan over very low heat.  Stir together and remove from the heat.  Add sugar, eggs, and vanilla.  Mix well.  Stir in the flour and salt.  Spread the mixture into a buttered 8 in. square pan.  Bake until set- the original recipe says 40 minutes but mine only took 20.  Cool before cutting.

Second: is the same recipe as the first but if you like a milky chocolate taste use semi-sweet baking chocolate instead of the unsweetened.  That's all I had the first time I made them and they turned out good just not as rich as I like.

Third: is a recipe I found from Pioneer Women.  I have to say I haven't really looked at this site except from following links from one of my favorite foody bloggers and searching for a brownie recipe.  These brownies came out with a great texture.  Not cakey not fudgey just in the middle.  My husband preferred these and that's why I am including it.

 Fudge Brownies

12 T. cocoa powder
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350

In large pot melt cocoa powder and butter stirring constantly.  Stir in sugar.  Remove from heat and mix in eggs and vanilla.  Stir in flour.  Spread in greased 9x13 pan.  Bake for 35 minutes (do not overbake).

I have come to the conclusion that if you like cakier- us cocoa powder- for fudgey use the baking chocolate.  Over the stove melting works best- trust me I tried a recipe before that totally bombed- yuck! 

Next I will try substituting the flour with whole white wheat flour-- I don't want to give up the sugar part yet.

Texas Sheet Cake

I have never heard of a Texas sheet cake before- is that weird?  I am not even sure why it is called that except for maybe the fact you make it in a large cake pan.  I got this recipe from one of my favorite food blogs.  I don't follow too many consistently but Your Homebased Mom is one that I check daily.

She gave a challenge to compare her recipe with another food blogs recipe.  I had planned on doing this until  I had another chocolate recipe fail earlier in the week and I needed a for sure thing so I just went with hers and was not disappointed.

This was a yummy moist cake and makes enough for a big crowd- or to pass out to neighbors.

 Texas Sheet Cake by: Leigh Anne at Your Homebased Mom

Mix together in a bowl and set aside:

2 C flour

2 C sugar

1 tsp salt

Mix together in your mixer:

2 cubes/sticks butter

1/4 C  cocoa

2 eggs

1/2 C buttermilk

1 C hot water

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

1 Tbsp vinegar

Mix together.  Add dry ingredients and mix well.  Pour into a greased 15×10x1 pan.  Bake at 350 for 25 minutes

Frosting:

1 cube/stick butter, softened

6 Tbsp milk

1/4 C cocoa

3 3/4 C powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Mix butter, milk and cocoa together.  Add powdered sugar and vanilla.  Beat well and spread on hot cake as it comes from oven.