Author: Jo

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

Oh yes! The post you’ve all been waiting for!  Well, those of you who are my friends on facebook anyway.  Yesterday I posted an iPhone picture of the Peanut Butter Pie that I made for my husband’s birthday, and let me tell you, it was scrumptious!  I think I gained about 5 lbs just looking at it!  And from the noises our friends were making when they were eating it, I would say it was a hit.

I made this pie for the first time right after I read this post about another food blogger’s husband’s sudden passing.  It touched my heart, and that recipe looked too good not to make.  Plus, we were having some friends over that night, so I figured I would test the recipe on them.  Unfortunately I didn’t have all the ingredients I needed, such as semi-sweet chocolate chips (or so I thought….I later found a huge bag of them in my pantry), and I completely ruined the whipped cream by whipping it so much that it almost turned into butter, so I had to resort to whipped cream from a can.  Luckily, the second try turned out so much better, and here is the recipe and tutorial, so that you can also gain 5 lbs in one bite!

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • 8 oz chocolate cookies (I used Oreos®)
  • 4 tbsp butter, melted (1/2 a stick)
  • 4 oz finely chopped chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1/4 cup chopped peanuts (unsalted)
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 8 oz cream cheese
  • 1 cup creamy-style peanut butter
  • 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
  • 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp lemon juice

Start by putting your cookies into a food processor.  I have a rather small food processor, so I had to do this in about 3-4 batches.  The bag of Oreos I got was 16oz, so I just used half of them to equal 8oz.  Of course if you want your crust a little thicker, you can add more accordingly.

Pulse until finely chopped with no big chunks left.  Then pour the crumbs into a medium bowl.

Melt butter, and pour over crumbs.

Use a fork to combine the butter and crumbs so that it is thoroughly saturated.

Press into a 9 inch spring-form pan so that the bottom is completely covered and flat, and press up the sides about an inch.

Put chocolate chips into a heat proof bowl and microwave to melt.  You can also use the double boiler method, but microwaving was faster.

Spread melted chocolate onto the crust.  Mine came apart a little, but that’s ok.  It might help if you refrigerate your crust, or put it in the freezer while you’re melting your chocolate so it has some time to set.

Add peanuts to the food processor and pulse until finely chopped.

Sprinkle a generous amount over the chocolate, and reserve some for the topping.  Refrigerate crust while you prepare the rest of the pie.

Add cream cheese and peanut butter to a stand mixer.

Mix on medium speed until light and fluffy.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Add confectioner’s sugar and stir on low at first until it’s combined, then you can increase the speed.  If you start out too fast, you’ll end up with sugar all over your kitchen.  Of course that’s never happened to me!

Next, add the sweetened condensed milk.

Vanilla Extract.

And lemon juice, and stir on medium speed until well combined.  You can use fresh squeezed lemon juice, but this is what I had on hand.

Pour heavy cream into a medium bowl.

Beat it with a hand mixer until it looks like this.  Do NOT keep going thinking it could be a little stiffer.  I made that mistake, and let me tell you, it was not pretty.  It started to curdle and separate and before I knew it, chunks of butter were starting to form.  It should be light and fluffy and not at all liquidy or chunky.

Add about 1/3 of the whipped cream to the peanut butter mixture and stir on low.

Gently fold in remaining whipped cream with a rubber spatula.  Do not mix it in with the mixer.  You want to keep it as light and airy as possible.

Here’s what it should look like when it’s all combined.

Pour peanut butter  filling onto the cold crust.

Smooth it out so it’s nice and pretty.

Drizzle some melted chocolate onto the top.  If you need the chocolate to be a little more runny, add a tablespoon of vegetable shortening, and melt in with the chocolate.  You can also add chopped peanuts to the outer edge of the pie to give it that fresh from the bakery look.  Steve said that it looked like a pie from Marie Callendars! 🙂

Refrigerate pie for at least 3 hours, but preferably overnight for best results.

When ready to serve, lift the bottom out of the spring form pan.  Isn’t that gorgeous!?

Serve it up, and enjoy!!!!  You may want to eat this with a glass of milk nearby.  It’s super rich!

 

Beef Enchiladas

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know that I’m a big fan of The Pioneer Woman, and I love trying new recipes from her blog and cookbook.

Last night I decided to try my hand at making her enchiladas.  I was a little surprised when I realized that I had never made enchiladas before.  Of course, my mom made them a few times when I was growing up, and I’ve had them at restaurants before, but I had never made them myself.  This recipe looks complicated, but it’s really pretty easy.

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • 1 tbsp canola oil (plus more for frying)
  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1 can (28oz) of enchilada or Mexican red sauce
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • salt & pepper
  • 2 tbsp chopped cilantro, plus more for serving
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 medium onion
  • 2 cans (4 oz) diced green chilies
  • corn tortillas
  • 3 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1 can of re-fried beans (optional)

Start with a tablespoon of canola oil in a sauce pan, along with 2 tablespoons of flour over medium-high heat.  Don’t make the mistake I did and use a sauce pan that is too small.  You’re going to need one that is big enough to hold a 28 oz can of enchilada sauce, plus 2 cups of chicken broth, so plan accordingly.

Whisk oil and flour together and let bubble for one minute.

This was the enchilada sauce I used….because it was the only enchilada sauce I could find in my grocery store.  If you have another brand you like, go for it!

Pour sauce into flour and oil mixture and stir.  After I poured this in and looked over at the 2 cups of chicken stock waiting for me, I realized I needed a bigger pot.

So I transferred the sauce in to a much more appropriate pot, and proceeded to add the chicken stock (or broth if that’s what you have).

Season with salt and pepper and give it a stir.  Bring the sauce up to a boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer while you prepare the rest of the food.

Chop up some onion and add it, along with the ground beef, to a large skillet, and cook until browned.

When your meat is browned, drain the fat, then add the green chilies.  The recipe calls for 2 cans, but I only used one since I didn’t know how we would like it.  Give the chilies and meat a stir until it’s well combined.  Then, turn off the heat and set aside.

Here’s what the can looked like in case you’ve never bought green chilies before.  I hadn’t.

Here comes the fun part, frying the tortillas!  Coat the bottom of your pan with canola oil.  I fill it so that it’s about a centimeter high.  Enough so that your tortilla can be thoroughly submerged.

You’ll know your oil is hot enough for frying when you stick the end of a wooden spoon in the oil and little bubbles form around it.

Fry your tortillas just long enough so that they are soft and bendable.  You don’t want them to be crispy like you’re making tacos.

When you’re done frying a tortilla, lay it on a paper towel-lined plate, and put another paper towel in between each tortilla.

Pour some sauce in your baking dish, enough to cover the bottom.

Dunk each tortilla in the sauce, then lay on a cookie sheet.

Fill tortillas with meat and cheese.  You can also add re-fried beans (like I did), olives, or green onions.  Whatever floats your boat.  Just don’t fill them too much or you won’t be able to close them.

Fold the tortilla closed, leaving the ends open.

Place seam side down into your baking dish.  It’s ok if they fall apart a little.  It’s going to be covered in sauce and cheese so no one will know!  It’ll be our little secret.

Add some chopped cilantro to the sauce, and stir.

Pour the sauce over the enchiladas so that they are completely covered.

Sprinkle a generous helping of cheese on top of the enchiladas.  Look at that yummy goodness!

Bake at 350° for 20 minutes, or until nice and bubbly.

Sprinkle some cilantro over the top, and you’re ready to serve!

Don’t these look delicious!?  Add a little hot sauce and cheese to some re-fried beans and use as a side dish.

Go ahead, take a bite.  You know you want to!

 

Twin Blankets for Twin Girls

One of my best friends gave birth to twin baby girls last week, and I couldn’t be more thrilled!  Evelyn Marie and Brooke Renee were born on August 15th at 5:52 and 5:54pm, and both were 5 lbs, 10 oz.

As some of you know, Renee was supposed to be in my wedding this past July, and even after she told me she was pregnant, everything was still a go for her to come out here to Nashville.  However, a few weeks after she ordered her bridesmaid dress, she gave me a call with the wonderful and unexpected news.  She was having TWINS!!   Unfortunately, she would not be able to fly after her 2nd trimester (and my wedding would be in her 7th month of pregnancy), so she wasn’t able to attend the wedding.  But she was with us in spirit!  And what a marvelous reason for not being able to come!

Of course, I had to make 2 baby blankets for her.  One pink and one purple for two beautiful baby girls.

I gave Renee several patterns to choose from, and she chose this pattern for both blankets, and I think it was an excellent choice.

Renee and I have literally been friends since birth (we even have pictures of us as babies together in the nursery at school where both our mom’s taught).  I can’t believe one of my friends actually has a set of twins!

And twin GIRLS to top it off!  I have a feeling that there are going to be a lot of ruffles and bows in these two little girls’ future.  Renee always does such a great job dressing up her older daughter, Bella, and I know these girls will be no different.

I’m so happy for you, Renee and Ahmet, and I can’t wait to meet the new little ones.  I hope they know that whenever they cuddle up with their blankets, that’s me giving them a hug.