The Best Peanut Butter Bars - No Bake & Super Easy To Make!!

I don't remember where I stumbled across this recipe, but I jotted it down on a scrap piece of paper and filed it away some time ago.  Last week it feel out of the file I had it in and I decided to whip up a batch.  Plain and simply, these are delicious.

5 ingredients, no baking required and ready in about 2 hours {they must sit and firm up}makes these the perfect summertime snack bar.  They taste similar to a Reese's Peanut Butter cup only better.  You read that right - better.  Since they taste so similar I had the bright idea to take half of the peanut butter mixture and make Peanut Butter cups with it.  Delightful and easy!

The Best Peanut Butter Bars

makes 1 - 9"x13" pan; or 1 - 9"x9" pan and 48 peanut butter cups

1 sleeve of 9 graham crackers, broken roughly
3 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
1 cup salted butter, melted {if you only have unsalted, add 1/4 teaspoon salt to the butter}
1 bag {12 oz} bittersweet, semi-sweet or milk chocolate chocolate chips - whatever is your preference

In a food processor, process the graham crackers until they are finely crushed.  {If you don't have a food processor, put them in a ziploc bag, seal it, then crush them with a rolling pin}.

Add the powdered sugar, peanut butter, and melted butter.  Process until well blended.  {if you are not using a food processor, mix all ingredients in a large bowl until well mixed}.

Pour the mixture into a lightly greased {butter or spray} 9"x13" pan, pressing down.

Put the pan in the freezer for 20-30 minutes to set.

Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl at 30 second intervals, stirring after each, until fully melted.


Remove the pan from the freezer and pour the melted chocolate over the pan, spreading to each edge with a rubber spatula.

Let set at room temperature 2-3 hours, until the chocolate is completely set.  Cut into bars.

Store at room temperature in a sealed container or freeze for up to 2 months.

-Alternatively- if you would like to make half the recipe into peanut butter cups, while the peanut butter mixture is in the freezer, take 48 mini paper cups and paint them with a thin layer of the melted chocolate {I just use a spoon}.  

Put them on a baking sheet as you paint them then put the baking sheet in the freezer for 15 minutes or until the chocolate is set.  Remove the chocolate shells from the freezer and when the peanut butter mixture is ready, use half of it to roll into 48 balls {or scoop with a melon scooper}.  Place a peanut butter ball into each of the chocolate shells and lightly press down.  Spoon melted chocolate over each peanut butter cup, making sure the chocolate reaches the edges.  Pour the remaining melted chocolate over the half pan of peanut butter mixture, smoothing to the edges.  Follow above for the bars and let cups sit at room temperature about 2 hours until completely set.  Can be stored at room temperature in a sealed container or in the freezer up to 2 months.

Super Moist Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

If you're looking for a simple sheet pan cake perfect for a gathering this is your cake.  I'm not sure where I got the recipe but I've been making it for about 20 years.  This carrot cake is always moist, filled with goodies, and just plain delicious.  My husband is not a fan of frosting but he agrees that a thin layer of cream cheese frosting does this cake right.

Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting
Makes 1- 13x9" cake

Cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
8 oz. crushed canned pineapple, drained
2 cups grated carrots
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts, optional
1 cup chocolate chips, optional

Frosting:
1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Prepare a 13x9" baking pan by spraying it with non-stick baking spray.

For the cake:
In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.  Whisk together to blend.  In a separate medium-size bowl whisk together the eggs, oil, buttermilk and vanilla.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir with a spoon until blended.  Stir in the pineapple, carrots, coconut, nuts {if using} and chocolate chips {if using}.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with flaky crumbs.  Place pan on a cooling rack and allow to cool to room temperature before frosting.

For the frosting:
In a large bowl mix together the butter and cream cheese with electric beaters until well blended, 1-2 minutes.  Add the vanilla and powdered sugar and beat another 2 minutes.

Frost the cake once it's cooled to room temperature.  Store at room temperature up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Chicken Riggi

When I first moved to New York State I read on menus at Italian Restaurants "Chicken Riggi" or "Chicken Riggies".  I didn't understand what in the world this dish was until it was explained to me that it's simply chicken and sausage in a cream tomato sauce with rigatoni pasta.  Ahh..... it all made sense after that.

I am told this was first named this way in Utica, NY although I have no way of knowing for sure.  Regardless, it's a tasty dish that always gets rave reviews. Enjoy!

Chicken Riggi
Serves 4

2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided

4 oz hot Italian sausage, crumbled
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, roughly chopped or cubed

1 medium onion, diced
1 red or green pepper, cored, seeded and diced

1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper, optional
2 cloves garlic, minced

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup white wine

1 (28-oz) can whole, peeled tomatoes

1 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup heavy cream

8-10 raw shrimp, frozen or fresh, optional

1 pound rigatoni, ziti, or other large pasta noodle

1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano cheese

Heat 1 Tablespoon of the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add the chicken pieces, stirring to prevent burning, until cooked through.  Remove to a medium bowl.  Add the sausage, stirring to prevent burning, until cooked through and remove to the same bowl as the chicken.

Add the other Tablespoon of oil to the saucepan as well as the diced onion and red/green pepper.  Cook until fragrant and pepper is starting to soften.  Add the mushrooms, italian seasoning, crushed red pepper, garlic and salt and pepper to taste.  Continue stirring and cooking for 2 minutes.

Pour the wine into the hot saucepan and, with a wooden spoon, loosen any flavorful bits from the bottom of the pan.  Cook until most of the wine has evaporated, about 2 minutes.  Add the tomatoes and chicken broth.  Break the tomatoes up with the wooden spoon and bring to a simmer.  Turn heat down to keep at slow simmer, and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.

If you have an immersion blender, blend the sauce in the pan until lightly chunky.  If you don't, carefully ladle 1 cup of the sauce into a food processor and blend.  Stir the blended sauce back into the pan.  Add the cream, reserved chicken and sausage, and shrimp {if using} to the pan and continue to simmer for 10 minutes or until the shrimp turn pink.  Remove from the heat.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Following the package directions on the rigatoni, cook the pasta.  When the pasta is cooked ladle 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water into the sauce.  Drain the pasta.

Add the drained pasta and the parmesan cheese to the sauce.  Stir it together and let sit 5 minutes so the pasta has time to absorb some of the sauce.

Serve.

Cole Slaw Salad

I'll admit - I'm not a fan of coleslaw.  Let me re-phrase that.....I'm not a fan of traditional coleslaw.  Here's the thing.  Cabbage dripping in mayo is not something I crave and this is most often how I see coleslaw.  I have, however, tried to make a few variations of coleslaw that I like since the thought of a nice cold coleslaw salad in summer does sound appetizing.  This variation is one of my successes.  A little sweet, a tad bit sour and a whole lot of crunch.  I hope you enjoy it too!

Cole Slaw Salad
serves 8-10

1 small white/yellow onion, chopped
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1 medium green cabbage, cored and shredded

In a small bowl, combine the chopped onion and sugar.  Stir together and let stand 30 minutes.

In a separate bowl or glass measuring cup, stir together the oil, vinegar, mayonnaise, salt and celery seed.  Pour both the onion mixture and oil mixture together into a jar with a lid and shake until completely blended and there's no sugar left on the bottom of the jar.

Place the cabbage in a large bowl and add the well shaken dressing.  Toss well.

For extra flavor, let it sit 30 minutes to an hour in the refrigerator before serving.

Lemon-Poppy Seed Muffins

A few weeks ago, on a Sunday evening, I headed for the kitchen to make Blueberry Muffin batter for that week's breakfast.  My husband inquired "where you going?"  I gave him my game-plan to which he responded "you know what sounds good?"  This question always stops me in my tracks since I never know if I should welcome the answer or not.  It may mean I'm in the kitchen for hours constructing whatever sounded "good".  I threw caution to the wind and responded "what?"  "Muffins with poppy seeds in them" he responded, proud as could be that he just came up with the worlds most unique muffin.  "Are you kidding?"  He looked puzzled and responded "no, why?"  "I just made those a couple of weeks ago".  He didn't remember them.  Hmmmm.......how to make a poppyseed muffin memorable?  Why add lemon zest of course!  He loved them.

If you want to go with a little extra sweet lemon pop mix enough fresh lemon juice with 1/2 cup of powdered sugar to drizzle over the warm muffins.

Lemon-Poppyseed Muffins

Makes 12 Large muffins

Source: America's Test Kitchen

3 cups all-purpose or a combination of all-purpose and whole wheat flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons poppy seeds
1 1/2 cup whole or low-fat plain yogurt
2 large eggs
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon zest
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted and cooled

Adjust the oven rack to the middle and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin.

In a large bowl whisk the 3 cups flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and poppy seeds  together. In a small bowl (or a 2-cup glass measuring cup) whisk the yogurt, eggs, and lemon zest together until smooth. Gently fold the yogurt mixture into the flour mixture with a rubber spatula until just combined. Fold in the melted butter.

Grease a 1/3-cup measuring cup or ice cream scoop and use it to portion out the batter into each muffin cup. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs on it, 24-28 minutes. Let the muffins cool in the tin for 5 minutes and then flip them out onto a wire rack.

Let them cool for 10 minutes before serving.

**To make ahead - the muffin batter can be refrigerated in a covered container for up to 24 hours; portion and bake as directed. The muffin batter can also be proportioned into the tin and frozen. When the unbaked muffins are frozen solid, transfer them to a large freezer-safe bag. To bake, return the frozen muffins to the muffin tin and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes while heating the oven. Bake 30-35 minutes.**

Strawberry Cheesecake Bars

I have to admit that I'm not typically a cheesecake fan.  I'm sorry but it's true.  My husband, on the other hand, is definitely a cheesecake fan.  Actually, he's just a cream cheese fan so however it's served, he'll take some please.  On bagels he gets double the cream cheese.  Makes me shiver just typing it.  I like cream cheese but must have something else with it and I don't like it in excess.

What I like about these bars is that there's a nice amount of strawberry on top giving a perfect balance to the cream cheese.  The berries coupled with the nice, thick, crunchy graham cracker crust make these a winner in my book.



Strawberry Cheesecake Bars
Source:  America's Test Kitchen 

Crust:
7 whole graham crackers, broken into 1-inch pieces
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 Tablespoons light brown sugar
2 Tablespoons flour
1/8 teaspoon salt

Filling:
2 (8-oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Strawberry Topping:
1 1/4 cups coarsely chopped strawberries {fresh, not frozen}
2 Tablespoons warmed strawberry jam
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar
pinch of salt

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees.  Line an 8-inch square baking dish with a foil sling and lightly spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.

For the crust-process the graham cracker pieces in a food processor to fine, even crumbs (or use a rolling pin over a sealed bag).  Sprinkle the butter, brown sugar, flour, and salt over the crumbs and pulse to incorporate.  Sprinkle the mixture into the prepared pan and press into an even layer with the bottom of a measuring cup.  Bake the crust until fragrant and beginning to brown, 12 to 15 minutes.

For the filling- While the crust is baking, beat the cream cheese until smooth in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed, 1 to 3 minutes.  Scrape down the bowl and beaters regularly to make sure the filling achieves a smooth silky texture.  Gradually beat the sugar until incorporated, about 1 minute, scraping down as necessary.  Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until combined, about 30 seconds.  Beat in the sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla until incorporated, about 30 seconds.  Scrape down sides of bowl and beaters and beat for another 30 seconds.

Pour the filling over the crust.  Bake the bars until the edges are set but the center still jiggles slightly, 35-40 minutes.  Rotate the pan halfway through baking.

For the strawberry topping - toss all topping ingredients together in a medium bowl.

Let the bars cool completely in the set, set on a wire rack, about 2 hours, then spoon the strawberry mixture over the top of them.  Cover with foil and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 5 hours, but preferably 24 hours.  Remove the bars from the pan using the foil sling; cut into squares and serve.  

Lemon-Blueberry Muffins

We love muffins during the workweek for breakfast.  I always have these in the freezer for a quick and easy meal.  They are moist and delicious with just the right blend of blueberries and lemon.  Although the recipe makes a dozen muffins, they are a dozen very large muffins.  You can portion them smaller and bake them for a few minutes less.

They are also delicious with a sprinkle of coarse sugar on top!

Lemon-Blueberry Muffins

Makes 12 Large muffins

Source:  America's Test Kitchen

3 cups all-purpose or a combination of all-purpose and whole wheat flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup whole or low-fat plain yogurt or sour cream
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted and cooled
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (do not thaw if frozen)

Adjust the oven rack to the middle and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin. 

In a large bowl whisk the 3 cups flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. In a small bowl (or a 2-cup glass measuring cup) whisk the yogurt or sour cream, eggs, and lemon zest together until smooth. Gently fold the yogurt mixture into the flour mixture with a rubber spatula until just combined. Fold in the melted butter. 

**If the blueberries are frozen, toss them in a small bowl with 2 teaspoons flour to prevent them from sinking when baked.**  Fold the blueberries into the muffin mixture.

Grease a 1/3-cup measuring cup or ice cream scoop and use it to portion out the batter into each muffin cup. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs on it, 24-28 minutes. Let the muffins cool in the tin for 5 minutes and then flip them out onto a wire rack. 

Let them cool for 10 minutes before serving.

**To make ahead - the muffin batter can be refrigerated in a covered container for up to 24 hours; portion and bake as directed.  The muffin batter can also be proportioned into the tin and frozen.  When the unbaked muffins are frozen solid, transfer them to a large freezer-safe bag.  To bake, return the frozen muffins to the muffin tin and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes while heating the oven.  Bake 30-35 minutes.

How To Improve A Boxed Cake Mix

Yes, it's true.  I, from time-to-time, bake with a boxed cake mix.  I feel as though this is a confession......hello, my name is Staci and I bake with boxed cake mixes.

Even my mother was surprised by this news.  There are times, however, when life gets hectic and the hubbie wants a dessert and, well, this is what I turn to.  I have found that with a few simple switches/additions you can definitely improve the flavor and texture of a mix.

To any boxed cake mix you can add/substitute:

• add an extra egg
• substitute the water called for in the recipe with milk {same amount as is called for}
• substitute the oil called for in the recipe with melted butter {same amount as is called for}
• add a small box of instant pudding {added with the cake mix}
• add extract {1 teaspoon of your favorite extract}

Follow the instructions on the box.
These alternatives add a little more of a rich taste and improves the texture.
You can try some substitutions/additions or all - give it a try and see what you think!

Banana Pudding In A Jar + Homemade Vanilla Pudding

I'm always trying to find snack options to pack in lunches and this is by far a favorite.  I will try to make the homemade pudding on a Sunday night, pack it into the jars, store it in the refrigerator, and then add the banana slices, whipped cream and cookies the morning it will be placed in the lunch box.

While you can certainly use store-bought pudding, whipped cream and cookies, I've given you the homemade recipes as well for the days you would like it to be extra special.  If you would prefer the cookies to remain crisp, don't add them to the pudding, instead, package them in a small bag and they can be crushed and added when it's time to enjoy the pudding.

Banana Pudding In A Jar

When I make homemade Nilla Wafers I use this recipe my friend Meg posted a while back on her blog, Little Homestead.

Homemade Vanilla Pudding
Makes 4 cups

3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 T cornstarch
pinch of salt
3 1/2 cups half-and-half
3 large egg yolks
1 T butter, unsalted
1 T vanilla extractCombine the sugar, cornstarch and salt in a medium saucepan. Slowly whisk in the half-and-half, then add in the egg yolks.

Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat, continuing to whisk gently but constantly. Keep the mixture from burning by scraping the sides/bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat and cook the pudding until thick, 1-2 minutes.

Strain the pudding through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl (to remove any possibly cooked egg yolk). Mix in the butter and vanilla extract until well mixed. 

Place into the refrigerator until set, about 3 hours. Cover the pudding with plastic wrap and make sure it is touching the surface to prevent a skin from forming.

Homemade Whipped Cream
1 cup of heavy cream + 1 teaspoon vanilla extract + 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar, whipped until stiff peaks form.

To Assemble
Per Serving, you will Need:
1/3 cup of pudding
1/2 a ripe banana, peeled
4-5 Nilla Wafer Cookies
1-2 Tablespoons whipped cream

In a pint jar, layer the vanilla pudding, then sliced banana, then crushed Nilla Wafers, and then top it all with a Tablespoon of whipped cream.

Enjoy!