Chocolate-Peanut Butter Smoothie

This chocolate-peanut butter smoothie doesn't have to be dessert; it can be a quick and energizing breakfast as well. I made it in no time flat tonight, and it was delicious! Despite sounding rich and fattening, it is more nutritious than not, especially if you follow the directions to use unsweetened cocoa powder and low-fat or nonfat yogurt. Our peanut butter does not have any added sugars, so that is an added bonus: protein and flavor with less sugar. Yogurt has active cultures that keep the intestinal tract healthy, and the calcium can help maintain a trim waistline. Despite what our skinny culture tells us, everyone needs fats, and these ingredients provide some healthy fats.

Ripe banana, 1

Milk, 1/2 cup

Creamy peanut butter, 1 1/2 TBS

Unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 1/2 TBS

Vanilla low-fat or nonfat yogurt, 1 cup

Peel and break banana into chunks.

In a blender, combine banana, milk, peanut butter, and cocoa. Process until mixture is smooth.

Add yogurt and process until mixture is thoroughly blended.

Pour smoothie into 2 tall glasses and serve at once.

Calories:260 Carbs:34 g

Protein:12 g Fat:10 g

Cholesterol:10 g Fiber:4 g

Sodium:160 g

From the book Eat Well

Baked Nectarines with Granola

The last time I published something on this blog was on my birthday, eight months ago! Part of the reason is that Kimball keeps me busy, and I definitely try out new things much less frequently since he's been born. I think I also just didn't want to be bothered with taking and posting pictures of the food, so I won't worry about that too much anymore. Just imagine breathtakingly beautiful dishes, and that will suffice.

Last night I made only a so-so dinner (out of a box...gasp!), so to make up for it, I decided to make dessert, which I rarely do. I thought we had two peaches in the fridge, but they turned out to be nectarines. In the end, I don't think it mattered. This dessert can be made with nectarines, peaches, and probably even plums or apples. Just something that is somewhat firm to begin with. It's really fast and simple. Jordan and I loved the results!

Baked Nectarines (or whatever you've got on hand) with Granola

Fruit, cut in half and pitted (but not peeled)
Butter
Brown sugar
Water
A sweet type of granola
Whipped cream

Half your nectarines and scoop out the pits, leaving a little basin in the middle of each half. Place the fruit halves in a baking dish, skin side down. Add a dab of butter to each little basin in the fruit, and sprinkle a little brown sugar over the fruit. Fill the bottom of the baking dish with just a few tablespoons of water.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for approximately 30 minutes (I suppose time will vary depending on the fruit you use. Just make sure the fruit is cooked and tender before you take it out.) Put a small amount of butter in a pan with the granola. Heat for just a few minutes, until the butter has melted and has coated the granola.

After you take out the fruit, sprinkle the granola over it. Top the hot fruit with some whipped cream, if you desire. Enjoy!

White Chocolate Creme Brulee Cheesecake

There are two major parts to this cheesecake. First the cheesecake and then the creme brulee. The problem is that they really need to bake at about the same time since their baking times overlap and the creme brulee needs to be applied to the top of the cheesecake before either of them are completely done.

For the crust I use:

1 cup slivered almonds
2 cups graham cracker crumbs (7 ounces)
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted.

Finely grind almonds and crumbs in a food processor and add butter, blending until combined. Press over bottom and 2/3 up side of a 10-inch springform pan.

I then preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

For the fillings I use:

1 1/2 cup of fine-quality white chocolate
4 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
4 whole large eggs
2 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon of almond extract

Melt chocolate in double boiler or a large metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring until smooth, and remove from heat.

Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer at medium speed until fluffy, then beat in sugar. Add whole eggs and yolks, 1 at a time, beating well at low speed and scraping down bowl after each addition.

Beat in flour and vanilla until just combined, then add melted chocolate in a slow stream, beating until filling is well-combined. Bake in the middle of the oven until cake is set 3 inches from edge but center is still wobbly when pan is gently shaken, 40 to 45 minutes. This needs to be baking at about the same time as the creme brulee.

For the creme brulee I use:
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
1 teaspoon of almond extract
1/2 cup of dark chocolate, chopped
4 egg yolks
1 tablespoon sugar
4 to 6 tablespoons cane sugar, for topping

Mix the cream and vanilla and almond extract together in a double boiler. Heat the mixture for 10 to 15 minutes and stir in the chocolate.

Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a mixing bowl. Slowly pour the chocolate cream into the egg mix, continuously whisking. Place the bowl over simmering water until the cream mix thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 6 to 8 minutes. Pour into 4 (4-ounce) custard dishes. Place in a large baking pan and add enough water to come up halfway up the sides of the cups. Bake along with the cheesecake for 40-45 minutes. Remove from the water and and then gently spoon the chocolate custard on to the top of the cheesecake. Smooth it out over the entire surface of the cheesecake. Then bake together for 10-15 minutes. Then let it stand and cool. After it as cooled down (about and hour or two) sprinkle the top of the custard with about 3/4 cup of refined sugar, or just until it has smoothed other the entire cake. Then broil until the sugar begins to boil and slightly brown. Remove from oven and let it cool for three-four hours.

When that is done take 1/2 cup of melted white chocolate (from the double boiler) and pour it over the creme brulee crust. Then take magic chocalate fudge shell and drizzle it over the white chocalate. Top with berries if you desire. Have fun and don't eat this too often...it would probably kill you.

Pumpkin Pecan Pie

One day Jordan decided that since he liked both pecan pie and pumpkin pie, he wanted to find a recipe that combined them! So we found one online. A yummy holiday (or anytime) dessert!

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs, divided
• 1 cup canned solid pack pumpkin
• 1 cup sugar, divided
• 1/2 ts ground cinnamon
• 1/4 ts ground ginger
• 1/8 ts ground cloves
• 2/3 cup karo light or dark syrup
• 2 tb butter, melted
• 1 ts vanilla
• 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
• 1 prepared deep dish pie crust*

Preheat oven to 350.

*If using a frozen pie crust, do not thaw; preheat a baking sheet in the oven and place the pie on the cookie sheet to bake.

In small bowl, combine one egg, pumpkin, 1/3 cup sugar, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Spread in pie crust.

In medium bowl, beat remaining two eggs, slightly. Stir in corn syrup and remaining 2/3 cup sugar, the butter and vanilla; stir until well blended. Stir in pecans. Carefully spoon over pumpkin mixture.

Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until filling is set around edge. Cool pie completely on wire rack.

Pumpkin Pie Crunch

This is a recipe from my mom that has become one of Jordan's favorite desserts. It tastes great in the fall, since it's like pumpkin pie. We like to use a spice cake mix instead of the yellow mix, and omit the pumpkin pie spice.

1 can (16 oz.) solid pack pumpkin

1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp. salt

1 pkg. yellow cake mix

1 cup coarsely chopped pecans

1 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom only of 9X13 pan. Combine first six ingredients in large bowl. (This will be very soupy.) Pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle dry cake mix evenly over pumpkin mixture. Top with pecans. Drizzle melted butter over all. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 55 minutes or until golden. Cool completely. Serve with whipped cream. Makes 16-20 servings.

Better than Anything Cake

There are a lot of different names for this cake, but it seems like a lot of people have this recipe or something similar. Not for those lacking a major sweet tooth! Jordan has a sweet tooth, and this is too sweet for even him, but I love it!

1 Devil's Food Cake mix
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 8 oz jar caramel ice cream topping (not the kind you have to heat up)
8 oz. cool whip
Heath Bar, crumbled

Cook the cake in a 9X13 inch pan. After it's done and while it's still hot, poke holes into the cake with the handle of a wooden spoon. Poke the holes all the way to the bottom of the cake, about an inch apart. Pour the sweetened condensed milk and caramel over the cake, making sure it gets down the holes. Put the cake in the fridge, uncovered, for about 3 hours. Spread cool wip over the cake and sprinkle with the crumbled Heath Bar.

(Mom's) Mrs. Fields' Cookies

I always wanted the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe, but never had one I loved until I married Jordan. This recipe is from his mom. The cookies are delicious, but this recipe makes a TON of cookies. So we usually only make 1/3 or 2/3 of the recipe (there are 3 eggs). Under the original recipe is the 1/3 version.

Mix and set aside:
6 cups of flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt

Beat until creamy:
2 cups of brown sugar
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 lb. (4 sticks) butter

Add 3 eggs to sugar mixture and beat. Add dry mixture a little at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure it's all mixed.

Add chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, chopped walnuts...any combination you want.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 8-10 minutes.

Here are the ingredients cut down to 1/3:
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

2/3 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/3 sticks butter

1 egg