Flourless chocolate peanut butter cookies are dotted with peanuts, filled with peanut butter caramel, and drizzled with chocolate to resemble turtles!

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Today the Buckeyes take on the Fighting Illini, a rivalry that may not be as strong today as OSU v That State Up North (first met in 1897) but from 1919 to 1933 the Illinois v Ohio State game was the regular-season finale for both teams. The winner of the game claims the Illibuck trophy which is a carved wooden turtle.

Originally it was in fact a live turtle when the trophy tradition first began in 1925, chosen for its expected long life as a symbol of the anticipated long life of the rivalry, but the turtle actually died a year later and 10 wooden replicas have been carved since. It is the second oldest trophy in the Big Ten Conference, second to the Little Brown Jug (That State Up North v Minnesota 1892).

These days, Ohio State plays That State Up North as the regular-season finale since 1935. And normally the season finale would be this very weekend but due to a late start from COVID we won’t be playing them for 2 more weeks. So today the Fighting Illini and these cute turtle thumbprints to pair with the game!

I added cocoa to my favorite flourless peanut butter cookies and filled them with homemade peanut butter-caramel sauce (alternatively, you could use caramel peanut butter). Add a few peanuts and you have the making for some adorable turtle looking cookies. To the victor goes the spoils! Except if Illinois does win I don’t have any Illinois fan-friends to give these to, so I guess the spoils are mine regardless… especially since after I published this post the game was cancelled due to too many positive COVID test resutls, ugh!

Eight years ago: Onion Ring Topped BBQ Bacon Burger

Nine years ago: Red Velvet Crème Brulee Cupcakes

FLOURLESS BUCKEYE TURTLE THUMBPRINT COOKIES

Print

Yield: 2 dozen Cooking Time: 15 Minutes 15 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

PEANUT BUTTER-CARAMEL

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• Pinch of sea salt
• 3 Tbsp creamy peanut butter

COOKIES

• 1 cup chunky natural peanut butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• Roasted peanuts
• 2 oz. chocolate, melted for garnish

Directions

1. First make the peanut butter-caramel. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add all of the ingredients, except for the peanut butter. Cook while constantly whisking for about 3 minutes. Stir in peanut butter and cook while constantly whisking for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment or silicone baking mat. Set aside.
3. In large bowl, blend peanut butter with sugar, cocoa powder, egg, and vanilla until combined. Scoop onto prepared baking sheet using a small cookie scoop (I used my medium cookie scoop but then split the dough ball in half). Insert 5 peanuts into the sides of each cookie to emulate the head and limbs of a turtle.
4. Bake 10 minutes, or until cookies have slightly flattened and are not shiny.
5. Remove from oven and immediately press an indentation into the center of each cookie. Spoon in 1/2 teaspoon of the  peanut butter-caramel into the hole and drizzle with melted chocolate.
6. Allow to cool 5 more minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Did you make this recipe? I want to see!
Tag @THESPIFFYCOOKIE on Instagram and hashtag it #THESPIFFYCOOKIE

Love the Ben & Jerry’s ice cream Chubby Hubby? I turned it into a no-bake haystack cookie!

This is the last official #PBchocSat of 2019! If the Buckeyes beat Clemson tonight we will have one more game in the College Football Playoffs but it’s on a Monday. So keep your fingers crossed for a #PBchocMon! I have a few ideas up my sleeve ;-). But lets focus on the present and these no-bake haystack cookies.

These chubby hubby haystack cookies have all the same components as the Ben & Jerry’s ice cream: pretzels, chocolate, and peanut butter. My mom used to always make haystack cookies with butterscotch and usually chow mein noodles, when she could find them. If not she used pretzel sticks so I went with those from the start.

I know Christmas is behind us, but there’s still plenty of cookie-eating days in your future before many of us start the typical New Years resolutions to be healthier. Since they are similar, add my Buddy the Elf Spaghetti Cookies to the list while you’re at it.

Four years ago: Oreo Cupcakes

Five years ago: Pomegranate Mimosa

Seven years ago: Chicken with Mustard Cream Sauce

Eight years ago: Cranberry and Orange Granola

Nine years ago: Chicken Scallopine with Sage and Fontina Cheese

PEANUT BUTTER & CHOCOLATE HAYSTACK COOKIES

Makes approximately 2 dozen

Ingredients:

1 (12 oz.) bag peanut butter chips

1 Tbsp creamy peanut butter

1 cup peanuts, chopped

1-1/2 cups stick pretzels, broken in half

1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Line a cookie sheet with wax paper and set aside.
2. In a double boiler, melt peanut butter chips and peanut butter, stirring frequently. Once completely melted, remove from heat, add nuts and pretzels, mix until fully coated. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheet.
3. In a small microwave-safe bowl, microwave chocolate chips in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until smooth. Drizzle over haystacks and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until set.

Source: My mom’s Butterscotch Haystack Cookies.

At what point does a breakfast pastry become a dessert? I think claiming things like doughnuts, cinnamon rolls, muffins, coffee cakes, etc as breakfast food is already a stretch (not that I am complaining but let’s be honest with ourselves). But now I put a load of peanut butter and chocolate into this coffee cake and I’m fairly certain this is more dessert than breakfast. But who says I won’t still eat a slice for breakfast anyway? I am an adult and I do what I want…within reason because I cannot afford to buy a new wardrobe to fit that lifestyle.

My peach-basil coffee cake was such a huge hit that when it came to conjuring up ideas for #Choctoberfest it quickly came to mind as one to adapt for the occasion. I added peanut butter and obviously chocolate chips to the base, removed oats from the topping and added cocoa powder and peanuts but also divided said topping in half to make a nice swirl in the middle, and then added peanut butter to the icing to drizzle on top.

I realize for the chocoholics out there you may have preferred the reverse scenario, with a chocolate base and a peanut butter swirl. I actually originally thought to do that because today I am also celebrating #PBchocSat a day early because Ohio State plays tonight at Northwestern and a chocolate cake with a peanut butter middle would have resembled the appearance of a buckeye. But since my taste preferences lean towards more peanut butter in a ratio with chocolate this is what you have to settle for. As if this coffee cake is anything close to settling.

And since I felt like this coffee cake was worthy of dessert status I went ahead and served my slice with a dollop of whipped cream on top. Because I had some leftover from making white hot chocolate. Heck this would be great paired with said hot chocolate, don’t you think?

Tomorrow is your last change to enter the #Choctoberfest giveaway! Which means after you scroll through the list of recipes shared today at the bottom of this post you need to go enter if you haven’t already.

Five years ago: Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Six years ago: Horror Show Pistachio Zombie Cupcakes

Seven years ago: Review: Baking for Friends

Eight years ago: Homemade Potato Knishes by Overtime Cook

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER COFFEE CAKE

Makes 1 cake

Ingredients:

FILLING/TOPPING

6 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup Imperial Sugar light brown sugar

1/4 cup Imperial Sugar granulated pure cane sugar

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Pinch of salt

1/4 cup chopped peanuts

COFFEE CAKE

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature”

1/2 cup Imperial Sugar light brown sugar

1/2 cup Imperial Sugar granulated pure cane sugar

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

2 eggs, room temperature

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

GLAZE

Heaping 1/4 cup Imperial Sugar powdered sugar

1 Tbsp milk

1 Tbsp peanut butter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9-inch spring-form pan with non-stick spray, set aside.
2. In a small bowl add all the filling/topping ingredients except the peanuts and cut in sugar until it resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
4. In a small bowl mix the buttermilk and vanilla. Set aside.
5. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Blend in peanut butter. Add the eggs and beat until just incorporated. Alternate adding in the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture, mixing just until combined. Gently fold in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
6. Pour half the batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. Top with half of the filling/topping and pour remaining batter evenly on top. Add peanuts to remaining topping and sprinkle on top, pressing lightly to make it stick.
7. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with just a few crumbs. Let cool 10 minutes before removing from pan to cool completely on a wire rack.
8. In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and peanut butter until smooth. Drizzle over cooled cake. Allow glaze to harden and serve.

Source: Adapted from my Peach-Basil Coffee Cake.

Trail mix is delicious but have you tried an exclusively peanut butter and chocolate version? My Ohio pride is showing in this buckeye trail mix.

It’s the start of my favorite time of the year (at least for my blog) – #PBchocSat! Where I post a new peanut butter and chocolate recipe to cheer on my alma mater Buckeyes. To really start with a bang I enlisted some blogger friends to join me in sharing their own peanut butter and chocolate creations, which are listed right before the recipe so make sure you check them out too.

My recipe is not so much of a recipe as all you do is add a bunch of dry ingredients into a bowl and you’re done. But it’s also #NationalTrailMixDay and you know I love a good food holiday mashup so I made a Buckeye themed version complete with miniature buckeyes. I almost made them myself, but I found premade minis at a local candy store right down the street from my house and I couldn’t resist the convenience (and supporting local!). The other ingredients are peanuts, scarlet and gray M&Ms (also from the local candy store), peanut butter stuffed pretzels, and chocolate covered raisins (I had to get something slightly nutritious in there).

Normally I would be posting up on the couch (or attending the game in person but alas as I am no longer an OSU employee I lost the perk of easily buying season tickets) to watch all the college football today, but instead I have been magically whisked away to Delaware (the state, not the town in Ohio which I actually visited last weekend). Long story short, originally my mom, stepdad, aunt, and uncle were going to visit this weekend but my mom had 4 mini strokes and they also took her off her main bipolar medication so we are going there instead for obvious reasons.

Happy #PBchocSat! Satisfy your peanut butter and chocolate cravings by checking out all the recipes we made:

• Buckeye Trail Mix by The Spiffy Cookie
• A #PBChocSat Twofer: Dangerous Cupcakes and Homemade Snickers by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Buckeye Crunch Popcorn by Palatable Pastime
• Vegan Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Cupcakes by The Baking Fairy
• Muddy Buddy Rice Krispie Treats by Kate’s Recipe Box
• Peanut Butter and Chocolate Strudel by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Peanut Butter and Chocolate Shortbread Bars by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Bundt Cake by The Redhead Baker
• Peanut Butter and Chocolate Nice Cream by Cooking With Carlee
• Keto Peanut Butter Cups by Our Good Life
• Classic Peanut Butter Chocolate-Filled Cookies by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice

One year ago: Tropical Granola Chocolate Bark

Two years ago: Bacon Buckeyes

Three years ago: Bourbon, Bacon, and Maple Mini Cheesecakes

Four years ago: No-Bake Chocolate Hazelnut Pie

Six years ago: Marble Malt Cake with Peanut Butter Malt Frosting

Eight years ago: Stone Fruit Hand Pies

BUCKEYE TRAIL MIX

Makes 7 cups, serves 14

Ingredients:

2 cups roasted peanuts

1 cup miniature buckeye candies (homemade or store bought)

1 cup gray candy coated chocolate (such as M&Ms)

1 cup red candy coated chocolate (such as M&Ms)

1 cup peanut butter stuffed pretzels

1 cup chocolate covered raisins

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together until distributes.
2. Store in an airtight container until ready to serve or separate into baggies for individual 1/2 cup portions.

Source: The Spiffy Cookie original

Boards should not be limited to just savory appetizers. Serve up this sweet peanut butter & chocolate charcuterie board compiled with all your favorite items.

For today’s #PBchocSat I am posting a non-recipe for a peanut butter and chocolate themed board because boards seem to be the cool thing right now and I’m all for throwing a bunch of my favorite things on a plate. I used to gather up fruit, cheese, and crackers and call it dinner in college and grad school whenever I was too tired or stressed to even order food for delivery, let alone cook anything.

You could really use any of your favorite peanut butter and chocolate items to make this board. I considered all kinds of things such as brownie brittle, chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter cookies, peanut butter stuffed pretzels, chocolate rice cakes, peanut butter dip, Nutella dip, fresh and dried fruit to go with the dips, peanut butter mousse, Reese’s pieces, chocolate bars, and the list goes on. I almost did it all but decided to reign it in a bit.

So what did I use? As a frequent baker I have a lot of peanut butter and chocolate flavored things on hand. I did grab a couple things from the store but most I had stocked already. For dipping and spreading I laid out some chocolate peanut butter hummus, white chocolate peanut butter, and chocolate honey. All of which could then be used on chocolate graham crackers, pretzel crisps, mini Nutter Butter cookies, mini Oreo thins, peanut butter and chocolate flavored puffs, buckeyes of course, and some peanuts for good measure/to fill in the cracks. Oh and in case you couldn’t tell, I set it up on an Ohio shaped cutting board.

Here’s hoping my favorite buckeyes, in football form, can pull off a win against Michigan State on the road today to help fuel us through the remainder of the season for another away game against Maryland and then to the last game at home against Michigan – which we will be attending!

Check out my other creations including a fall charcuterie board and a BBQ pork version!

Four years ago: Friendsgiving & CorningWare

Five years ago: Mini Cranberry Pistachio Cheese Ball

Six years ago: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream

Seven years ago: Gluten-Free Bacon-Swiss Penne

PEANUT BUTTER & CHOCOLATE DESSERT BOARD

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

1/4 cup PB&Co white chocolate wonderful peanut butter

1/4 cup Winterpark chocolate honey

1/4 cup chocolate peanut butter hummus

1 package chocolate graham crackers, broken into strips

1/2 cup pretzel crisps

1/2 cup mini Nutter Butter cookies

1/2 cup mini Oreo thin cookies

1/2 cup Popchips nutter puffs

About 6 buckeye candies (I made regular and inside-out)

1/4 cup lightly salted peanuts

Directions:

1. Place peanut butter, honey, and hummus into small prep bowls or ramekins and place on a serving board with space in between.
2. Distribute the graham crackers, pretzels, cookies, puffs, and buckeyes on the board, filling empty space with peanuts.

Source: The Spiffy Cookie original

Turn a classic banana split sundae into a delicious chocolate chip cookie. Feel free to sandwich two cookies around a scoop of ice cream while you’re at it!

Did you celebrate National Ice Cream Day yesterday!? If not, don’t worry the entire month of July is actually National Ice Cream Month. Seems kind of silly to pick out a single day in July when the whole month is a celebration of ice cream, but who am I to put a damper on the celebration? The show must go on!

To continue with the ice cream theme, I turned a classic banana split sundae into a chocolate chip cookie by using freeze-dried banana, strawberry, and pineapple. There was some debate on whether banana splits included pineapple or not but after some Googling it would seem to be included along with peanuts so I threw those into the mix as well. The end result really does taste just like a banana split in cookie form! Especially when you sandwich two around a scoop of ice cream ;-).

Don’t forget to enter my Graeter’s ice cream giveaway, click HERE!

Three years ago: Greek Pizza with Greek Yogurt Pizza Dough

Five years ago: Peanut Butter and Oat Granola Bites

BANANA SPLIT CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Makes approximately 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1-1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

1 egg + 1 yolk, room temperature

1-1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1.2 oz. freeze dried strawberry banana mixture (I used Crunchies)

1.2 oz. freeze dried pineapple (I used Crunchies)

1/2 cup chopped roasted peanuts

Rainbow sprinkles, optional

Directions:

1. In a medium bow, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended (1-2 minutes). Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients in three batches until just blended. Fold in the chocolate chips, fruit, and peanuts by hand.
3. Roll 2 tablespoons of dough into a ball that is slightly taller than wide and place on a plate or tray. Cover tightly and chill for at least 2 hours, but overnight for best results (I’ve refrigerated for up to a week).
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line cookie sheets with silicone baking mats (or parchment paper); set aside.
5. Is using, place sprinkles in a shallow bowl and roll cookie dough in sprinkles before placing onto the prepared cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart.
6. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges are barely golden (will look underbaked). Cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

Source: Adapted slightly from My Favorite Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Disclosure: This is not a sponsored post. I did receive some samples of Crunchies free of charge but decided on my own to create a recipe utilizing them. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Today is THE GAME. No matter how the rest of the season transpired, Ohio State versus Michigan always matters. I actually entered enemy territory for Thanksgiving this year and while I could not afford tickets to the game we will most definitely be tailgating for the event, proudly wearing all my scarlet and gray attire, and of course with a peanut butter and chocolate treat in hand for hopefully not the last #PBChocSat!

If Ohio State beats Michigan and Penn State beats Michigan State then we will be playing Iowa in the B1G championship game next weekend. It might be a long shot, but if we can find the energy that we had at the end of the season last year I don’t think it would be a problem at all. Unfortunately we have not been playing with the same heart and passion as we did last year the entire season but for a game like today it might just come out in full force. At least I hope it does.

I’m sure what you are really interested in however is this cake and I cannot say I blame you. It had been years since I last made a sheet cake and thought that today would be a good day to bring it back to life. A moist peanut butter cake is topped with a chocolate peanut icing. You might need a glass of milk with this one but at the same time you might abandon your fork and go at it with your hands.

One year ago: Sweet Potato Casserole Pancakes with Cranberry Sauce Syrup

Three years ago: White Cheddar and Arugula Pesto Mac & Cheese

Four years ago: Bean and Cheese Taquitos

PEANUT BUTTER SHEET CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE ICING

Serves 24

Ingredients:

CAKE

1 cup water

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

2 eggs, room temperature

1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

ICING

1/4 cup unsalted butter

6 Tbsp buttermilk

4 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

4 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup chopped peanuts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease an 11×15-inch jelly roll pan (or cookie pan with edges).
2. In a medium pot add the water, butter, and peanut butter and bring to a boil. Remove from heat.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, brown sugar, flour, salt, and baking soda. Add the peanut butter mixture. and mix until incorporated. Add the eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla to the bowl and mix well.
4. Pour into prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 20 minutes or until set and toothpick comes out clean.
5. In the last few minutes of bake time, prepare the frosting. In a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the butter, buttermilk, and cocoa powder to a boil. Remove from the heat and whisk in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract, mixing until smooth. Stir in the chopped peanuts.
6. When you remove the cake from the oven, immediately pour the hot icing over the cake, gently spreading it into an even layer over the cake. Let the icing set for about 30 minutes. The cake can be served warm or at room temperature.

Source: Cake from The Girl Who Ate Everything and icing from Brown Eyed Baker.

Even though I know I posted something last Saturday for #PBChocSat, I feel like it’s been a long time since I’ve posted a peanut butter and chocolate recipe. Between one of my best friends getting married and my blog’s 5th anniversary, it’s just been a jam packed week. But it’s Saturday again and I’m gearing up for another Buckeye football game! This week it’s against Illinois.

In case you still have some Halloween candy lying about, these bars are for you! Or maybe you are like me and pretty much always have a random assortment of things in your pantry. Either way these bars are the perfect way to make a dent in the stash. This peanut butter base is stuffed with chopped Oreos, Reese’s sticks, milk chocolate and peanuts but it would be good with just about any chocolate based candy.

One year ago: Spatchcocked Turkey with Champagne-Thyme Gravy

Two years ago: Overnight, Slow Cooker Ice Cream Oatmeal

Three years ago: Cashew Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Four years ago: Chicken Alfredo Biscuit Casserole

PEANUT BUTTER & CHOCOLATE KITCHEN SINK COOKIE BARS

Serves 16

Ingredients:

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1 egg, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup chopped Oreos (about 8)

3/4 cup chopped Reese’s sticks (about 12)

1/4 cup chopped milk chocolate

1/4 cup chopped peanuts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and place parchment paper in the bottom of a 9-inch square pan, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar together until creamy, about 3-4 minutes. Mix in peanut butter, egg and vanilla extract. Add flour mixture until combined. Stir in chopped mix-ins. Dough will be thick and sticky.
4. Spread the dough out evenly into the pan. Bake for 18-20 minutes.
5. Remove from oven and let cool for about 15 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely before cutting into squares.

Source: Adapted slightly from my Reese’s Peanut Butter Cookie Cake.

Make your own homemade peanut brittle, the kind that brings back memories. This version also comes with a layer of milk chocolate on top!

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Happy Halloween! What sort of festivities do you have planned today? My nephew Luke called me yesterday to ask me what I was going to be for Halloween and unfortunately I did not have a good answer for him as I am going to a masquerade wedding tonight and will just be in a dress wearing a cool mask. Someone come up with a cool name for that outfit so I can tell him later what I was haha.

But anywho, today is Saturday which would normally mean I have a serious case of buckeye fever but we have a bye this week. However, that does not mean I am going to deprive you of your Saturday infusion of peanut butter and chocolate. Since people are gearing up for the rest of the upcoming holidays I decided to make peanut brittle. My god mother always has some in a jar around the holidays and when I saw the recipe for it in the fabulous Sally’s Candy Addiction cook book I knew I had to try it out. But of course I had to add a little twist with the addition of a layer of chocolate!

Make sure you check out Sally’s cookbook (of Sally’s Baking Addiction) for scads of other candy recipes. You will be surprised by how easy it is to make your own homemade candy. I’ve already bookmarked several recipes to try next such as saltwater taffy, chocolate chip cookie bark, pumpkin spice toffee, and even a salted cashew brittle.

One year ago: Caramel Apple Oreo Truffles

Four years ago: Root Beer Sloppy Joes

CHOCOLATE COVERED PEANUT BRITTLE

Print

Yield: 2 pounds Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cooking Time: 30 Minutes 30 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup water, room temperature
• 2 cups raw unsalted peanuts*
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, quartered and at room temperature
• 1-1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 6 oz. milk chocolate, chopped

Directions

1. Line a 12x17-inch jelly roll pan with a silicone baking mat (or lightly butter or use nonstick spray). Set aside,
2. In a 3 quart heavy saucepan over medium heat, add sugar, salt, corn syrup and water. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the sugar is dissolved, then brush down the sides with a moist pastry brush. Add a candy thermometer to the pan, making sure it doesn't touch the bottom.
3. Bring to a boil while stirring constantly, then stop stirring. Once it reaches 265 degrees F (hard ball), stir in the peanuts and cook until it reaches 300 degrees F (hard crack).
4. Working quickly and carefully, remove from heat and stir in butter, baking soda, and vanilla (will foam). Immediately pour onto prepared baking sheet and, using 2 forks, pull the candy into a large rectangle in a single even layer. Allow to cool completely at room temperature, about 30 minutes.
5. Once the peanut brittle had hardened, melt the chocolate over a double boiler (or in 30 second internals in the microwave). Pour over the peanut brittle and spread evenly covering the top. Allow to cool completely or place in fridge to speed up the process.
6. Once the chocolate has hardened, snap brittle into pieces and serve. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

 

Notes

*If you can't find raw peanuts, you can use toasted peanuts but add them with the butter at the end to prevent them from tasting burnt.

Source: Adapted slightly from Sally’s Candy Addiction.

Did you make this recipe? I want to see! Tag @THESPIFFYCOOKIE on Instagram and hashtag it #THESPIFFYCOOKIE

Disclosure: Sally’s publicist at Quarto Publishing Group USA provided me with a complementary copy of her cookbook. I was not otherwise compensated. All thoughts and opinions are my own and my opinions is that you need to follow Sally’s blog and buy both her cookbooks!

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With the holiday season nearly upon us there are certain things you cannot escape: pumpkin everything, Christmas decorations and music at the store, and scads of new cookbooks! At least if you are a food blogger for the latter. It’s extra exciting when your foodie friends are some of the author’s of the season’s latest haul. One of the first of many that I will be diving into over the next few weeks is Something Sweet by Miriam Pascal (Overtime Cook).

While flipping through her cookbook for the first time I caught myself admiring her photos and after closer inspection saw that her recipes have tips for planning ahead, variations, and added notes with other handy info which I found incredibly thoughtful and helpful. My eyes were salivating over recipes such as pumpkin crumb cake, rice krispie treat truffles and almost had my heart set on the hot gooey caramel pie until I turned the page and saw the recipe for this pie.

Are you really surprised that I was drawn to a recipe involving peanut butter and chocolate? Miriam herself proclaims that this pie is “genius” so how could I not choose it as the first recipe I made from her beautiful cookbook! The steps were so simple and the ingredient list was not extensive meaning this pie could easily be in my belly asap. Thankfully she noted that while it may be tempting to serve this pie warm (with ice cream on top is where my mind went), she strongly suggests serving it at room temperature for optimal texture and flavor. After following her orders I can say without a doubt that she was absolutely correct. This pie was still a bit gooey inside but not to the point that it lost it’s shape. But good grief did it ever taste like raw cookie dough melting in your mouth.

And yes I was supposed to post this yesterday for #PBChocSat (and #Choctoberfest which BTW don’t forget to enter the giveaway!). If my Ohio State Buckeyes had lost to Maryland yesterday I would have never forgiven myself. Thankfully we managed to pull out a W for one more week. But you better believe I will be on top of things next week for the game against Penn State! I cannot show any weakness especially when I live with a Penn State alum/fan.

One year ago: Homemade Peanut Butter Goo Goo Clusters

Two years ago: Crispy Gnocchi

Four years ago: Butternut Squash Soup

CHOCOLATE CHIP PEANUT PIE

Serves 12

Ingredients:

3/4 cup dark corn syrup

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

3/4 cup Imperial Sugar granulated sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup roasted salted peanuts, coarsely chopped

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 prepared chocolate graham cracker crust

Chopped peanuts, chocolate sauce, and whipped cream, for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the corn syrup, peanut butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.
3. Add peanuts and chocolate chips and stir until evenly distributed.
4. Pour mixture into the pie crust.
5. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature on a wire rack. (The center may be soft but it will firm upon cooling.)
6. Serve at room temperature, garnished with peanuts, chocolate sauce, and whipped cream, if using.

Source: Something Sweet: Desserts, Baked Goods, and Treats for Every Occasion cookbook by Miriam Pascal

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