Today is National Peanut Butter Day

Today is National Peanut Butter Day!

Did you know it takes about 540 peanuts to make a 12-ounce jar of peanut butter?

My family loves peanut butter as much as chocolate. When the two are paired together I know it will be a treat they will love. Americans were first introduced to the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup in 1928 and is the favorite candy bar in this house.

Their favorite home-made treat is Chocolate Peanut Butter Fingers.






They are quick, easy to make and don't last long around here.

What is your favorite peanut butter recipe?

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

Normally my family and I don't like oatmeal bars. Every recipe I have tried has turned out really dry. This recipe turned out better than any I've tried, being fairly moist.

The recipe does say to bake 20-30 minutes. I had to bake mine 40 minutes to get the middle done.

2 c flour
2 c quick oats
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 c butter
1 c sugar
1 c brown sugar
2 eggs
2/3 c peanut butter
1/2 c milk
1 tsp vanilla
6 oz chocolate chips

Stir together flour, salt and baking soda in a small bowl.

In large bowl cream butter and both sugars. Add peanut butter & mix well. Add eggs, milk and vanilla & mix well.

Slowly add in flour mix then oatmeal.

Stir in chocolate chips.

Spread in a greased 9x13 cake pan.

Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes.

Tomorrow I  will be baking some more.  I think I'll do banana bread and some muffins.  Have you been baking anything special?

More Easy Bake Oven Recipes

Easy Bake ovens will be going on sale in the coming weeks.
Don't let the high price of replacement cake mixes scare you from buying that Easy Bake Oven this year.

To use a regular cake mix:
3 tablespoons cake mix, any flavor
1 tablespoon milk

Mix in a bowl until smooth. Place in greased toy cake pan.
Bake for 10 minutes in preheated oven. Makes 1 serving

To Make Icing:

Mix 1 teaspoon water and a couple drops vanilla. Add powdered sugar, mixing until smooth and desired consistency.


Peanut Butter Cookies

1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 tablespoons peanut butter
1 tablespoon butter
2 teaspoons sugar

In a bowl, mix together all ingredients to make a dough. Roll into 1/2 inch balls. Place 4 balls into the Easy Bake Oven pan and press down slightly with the tines of a fork. Bake for 6 minutes. Cool. Bake remaining balls 4 at a time.

The Original EBO Peanut Butter Fudge
1/2 cup powder sugar
1 tablespoon peanut butter
2 teaspoons cocoa
2 1/2 teaspoons milk
1/2 teaspoon soft butter or margarine
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

In a bowl, mix all ingredients together until smooth. Spread mixture into greased pan. Bake 5 minutes. Cool completely.
NOTE: Be sure to preheat oven 15 minutes!

For more Easy Bake Oven Recipes, be sure to check out my previous post: Save Money- Make Your Own Easy Bake Oven Mixes


Linking to:
Foodie Friday
Frugal Friday

Julie's Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Cookies

When making dinner tonight I found an unopened sour cream in my fridge. It is outdated. The date is 11/18/08. When I looked at it, it had separated some. Do you think it would be ok to use for this recipe?

Julie's Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 (8-ounce) container sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (18-ounce) package semisweet chocolate chips Beat sugar, eggs and shortening in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in sour cream and vanilla until smooth. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Drop dough by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto baking sheets.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. Let stand for 2 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool.
Makes 36 cookies.

Saturday Cake Mix Special- Candy Cookies

This is a great way to use up all the Halloween candy you may have left, or that your children have brought home. Butterfingers, Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, Hersheys, Milkey Ways and Snickers make these cookies ahhhh sooooo yummmy!

1 yellow or chocolate cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 large or 4-6 small candy bars

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together cake mix, eggs, and oil until completely dissolved and a dough.

Chop candy into tiny pieces and mix into dough. Drop dough in smalls balls onto greased cookie sheet.

Bake 10-12 minutes until lightly brown. Do not overbake. Remove from pan and cool.

I found another cake recipe that sounds great and wanted to make sure you all knew about. It's Depression Cake and the recipe can be found over at The Grocery Cart Challenge, one of my favorite places to go and visit. Gayle has so many great recipes and ideas. Thanks Gayle! Be sure to let her know I sent you over there!

Saturday Cake Mix Special-Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

This is the time of year to get your candy for your recipes very cheap! Grab some Bite Size Peanut Butter Cups, Caramels, or Bite Size Candy Bars. Any of these can be used in this recipe, but Peanut Butter Cups is my favorite.

1 chocolate cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 c. vegetable oil
1 bag of the bite size Peanut Butter Cups (Reese's are the bomb!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together cake mix, eggs, and oil in a bowl until all the cake powder is absorbed. Using a spoon, roll into 1 1/2" balls. Place a peanut butter cup in the center of each ball. Make sure the cup is completely covered with dough.

Bake cookies 8-10 min, or until done. Remove from pan to cool.

Saturday Cake Mix Special-Chewy Lemon Cookies

These cookies can be made with several different variations that I will list after the basic recipe.

1 lemon cake mix
2 cups whipped topping
2 eggs
powdered sugar

Mix together cake mix, whipped topping and eggs. Be sure to not over mix. Refrigerate 2 hours or longer. Can be refrigerated a day ahead of baking.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Lightly grease a cookie sheet. Roll cookie dough into small balls, dip tops of balls into powdered sugar and space evenly on cookie sheet, sugared top up.

Bake 6-8 minutes. Do not overbake. You want the edge barely brown. Remove from pan and cool.

Variations:
add 1 tsp lemon extract
add 1 package lemonade flavored kool-aid
add 1 tblsp lemon juice
add 2 tsp lemon zest

Saturday Cake Mix Special-Chunky Peanut Chocolate Bars

There are so many things you can do with a cake mix. Every Saturday for several weeks I will be posting a new recipe using a cake mix. These are quick and simple but your family will enjoy the "homemade from scratch" desserts. If you missed any of the previous posts check them out, there is cakes, cookies, bars, and muffins.

Be sure to clip those coupons and get those great deals on cake mix sales!

1 yellow or chocolate chip cake mix
2 large eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix together cake mix, eggs, and oil for 2 minutes. Mix in peanut butter. Stir in chocolate chips. Pat mixture into a 9 x 13 pan.

Bake 14-17 minutes until golden brown. Do not overbake!

Saturday Cake Mix Special-Quick Snicker Doodles

These are so quick and yummmy!

1 yellow cake mix
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix sugar and cinnamon and set aside.

Mix cake mix, vanilla, oil and eggs until a dough consistency. Shape into 1 inch balls. Roll balls in sugar cinnamon mixture.

Bake 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan to cool.

If you missed last Saturday's Cake Mix Special, check it out. Next week will be Sooo Sinful Chocolate Cake!

Saturday Cake Mix Special-Cream Cheese Bars

There are so many things you can do with a cake mix. Every Saturday for several weeks I will be posting a new recipe using a cake mix. These are quick and simple but your family will enjoy the "homemade from scratch" desserts.

Be sure to clip those coupons and get those great deals on cake mix sales!

Cream Cheese Bars

Bar:
1 yellow cake mix
1 large egg
1/3 cup vegetable oil

Filling:
8 oz cream cheese
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 egg

Topping:
Chocolate Syrup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together cake mix, egg and oil until crumbly. Measure out 1 cup of mixture and reserve for later. Pat remaining mix lightlyl into a greased 9 x 13 pan.

Bake 15 minutes.

In a bowl, beat together cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice and egg until smooth. Spread evenly over baked layer. Sprinkle with reserved crumble mix.

Bake another 15 minutes. Let cool. Cut into bars. After plating, drizzle chocolate syrup over bar right before serving.

CHOCO PEANUT BUTTER BARS

I always have Oats, Peanut Butter and all the staples to make these on hand. I usually have chocolate chips stashed in the freezer, but found none yesterday. I think I was robbed! Had to pay $3 for a pack of chips today!

I love cookie bar recipes. If you have a special bar recipe, please share it with me!

















1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 cups QUAKER Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1 cup (6 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate pieces

Heat oven to 350°F.

Beat brown sugar, margarine and peanut butter until creamy. Add egg and vanilla; beat well.

Add flour and baking soda; mix well. Stir in oats and chocolate pieces.

Spread into ungreased 13x9-inch baking pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and edges pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely. Cut into bars.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Fingers

A high school friend's mother gave me this recipe. It's an oldie but goodie that my entire family loves. It's simple and quick to make. I've even made it with crunchy peanut butter.

2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup butter, melted
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 3/4 cups powedered sugar


In a medium bowl, stir together graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar, peanut butter and melted butter. Press firmly into the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan.

Melt chocolate chips in the microwave, stirring occasionally. Spread melted chocolate over the crumb crust. Chill until chocolate is semi-set, then cut into bars before the chocolate is completely set, chill until ready to serve.

Edited: Ok Annie, here ya go. Here's a pic of mine. See, I really do cook! lol


AND if your family likes coconut then go check out Annie's recipe.

edited: Ok, ok. So melting butter and chocolate chips in the microwave isnt really cooking! BUT they are easy, and they dont heat the house up to make in the summer since you dont bake them!

Graham Cracker Cookies

I was looking in the pantry and noticed I have two opened boxes of graham crackers. I needed a quick and easy recipe to use some of them. I collect fund raiser cookbooks and they always have interesting recipes in them.

Here's a quick, minimal ingredient recipe for those grahams that I found in one of my cookbooks. Looks easy. I'll report back how they taste.

1 pkg. graham cracker
1 c. brown sugar
2 sticks butter
1 sm. (6 oz.) pkg. chocolate chips
1 c. pecans

Line graham crackers all along cookie sheet pan. Melt butter and sugar, bring to hard boil. Boil 2 min. Pour butter and sugar mixture over graham crackers. Sprinkle with pecans and chips. Put in 350 oven 3-5 minutes or until you see it bubbling good. Remove from oven. Immediately remove from pan and cool on foil.

And here's a rolled cookie recipe that also uses peanut butter that I have several FREE jars of that I've tried before. We like dipping these in chocolate that has been melted in the fondu pot.

2 cups graham cracker crumbs
3/4 cup peanut butter
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup margarine, melted

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.
Roll into one inch balls and chill before serving. Dip in melted chocolate chips if desired.

Do you have a EASY graham cracker "cookie" recipe to share?