December 2011 Newsletter for the Chocolate Peanut Butter Lovers

Food For Thought:
Together As One
I want all our joys, dreams and laughter to be..
Together As One...
Whether we are experiencing pain or heartache,
Loving times or sad times...All of Them...
Together As One...
Fulfilling one another's dreams...
The music plays in the background...Tears On A Rose...
But together our tears can fall and blossom into joy...
Together As One...
Paula ...June 2002
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I made a chocolate cake, topped with peanut butter cream frosting, then with chopped peanut butter cups. The frosting is fabulous, got it from All Recipes.
1/2 cup softened butter
1 cup creamy peanut butter
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup cream
Cream butter and peanut butter. Add 2 cups sugar and blend. Add half the cream. Add remaining sugar and cream, mix until blended. Can add more sugar or cream to get the consistency you want.
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Peanut Butter Pie...not sure where I got this recipe from YEARS ago, but it is like the signature pie served at Little Joe's Restaurant in Oneonta, AL in the early 60's.

PEANUT BUTTER PIE
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup confectioner's sugar
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
3 cups milk
3 egg yolks
2 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
For meringue:
3 egg whites
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
6 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Crust:
1 (9 inch) deep-dish pastry shell(baked)
Combine peanut butter and confectioner's sugar until mealy. Sprinkle 1/2 of
mixture in bottom of baked pie crust.
Custard:
In heavy saucepan, combine sugar, flour, salt, and milk. bring to boil over
medium heat, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat,
blend 1/2 cup hot mixture into beaten egg yolks; return egg mixture to custard.
Return to heat and cook 2 more minutes. Remove from heat and add butter and
vanilla. Pour 1/2 custard in pastry shell. Top with remaining peanut butter
mixture and then remaining custard. Prepare meringue. Top pie and bake at 350
for 12-15 minutes until golden.
Meringue:
Beat egg whites with cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Beat in sugar, 1
Tbsp. at a time until stiff peaks form. Stir in vanilla and top pie.
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Chocolate Peanut-Butter Icebox Cake
Martha Stewart Living
Ingredients
Serves 8.
2 cups heavy cream, well chilled
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup smooth natural peanut butter (not unsalted)
1 box (9 ounces) chocolate wafer cookies
Directions
1.In a large bowl, whip 1 1/2 cups cream with sugar until soft peaks form. In a small bowl, whisk peanut butter until soft and smooth; whisk in 1/2 cup cream until light and fluffy. Fold peanut-butter mixture into whipped cream until incorporated.
2.Dab the bottom of 6 cookies with a very small amount of cream mixture and arrange in a circle on a serving plate; place 1 cookie in the middle of circle. Top with cup cream mixture, spreading outward to cover all but outer edges of cookies. Repeat process five more times (staggering the cookie layers), ending with cream. Cut 3 cookies in half; decorate top of cake with cookie halves.
3.Refrigerate cake at least 8 hours (or up to overnight). To serve, cut into wedges with a serrated knife.
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1-2-3-4 Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting

Cake:

1 cup butter
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. almond or maple extract
1 cup milk
2 cups sugar
3 cups flour
3 tsp. baking powder
4 large eggs

Cream butter, sugar, baking powder and salt until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.
Add flour and milk alternately. Beat at low speed after final addition until smooth. Beat in extracts. Pour batter into
greased & floured 9x13 baking pan. Bake in preheated 350 oven for 45-50 minutes until center
springs back when touched lightly.

Frosting:

1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup peanut butter
2 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Combine sugars and milk in heavy saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.
Cook to soft ball stage of 240 degrees. Remove from heat. Add peanut butter, butter and extract.
Beat with hand mixer until spreading consistency. Spread over warm cake.
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Double Peanut Butter Cookies
Source: Southern Living
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 tablespoon milk
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
Combine flour, baking soda, salt and sugar; cut in
shortening and 1/2 cup peanut butter with pastry
blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir
in corn syrup and milk. Shape dough into a 12-inch
roll; wrap in wax paper, and chill at least 2
hours.
Unwrap roll, and cut into 1/4-inch slices; place
half of slices on ungreased cookie sheets. Spread
each with 1/2 teaspoon peanut butter. Top with
remaining cookie slices, and seal edges with a
fork. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes.
Cool on wire racks.
Yield: about 2 dozen.
NOTE: Dough may be frozen up to 3 months. Slice
dough while frozen; let thaw slightly. Assemble
and bake as directed.