Peanut Butter Cupcakes:

Ingredients:

• Cake

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 stick butter (room tempurature) + 1/4 cup oil

• 2 cups sugar

• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

• 4 eggs

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 cup plain non-fat yogurt
  
  

• Chocolate Dip:

• 4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate - chopped

• 1/2 cup heavy cream

• Peanut Butter Frosting:

• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream - chilled

• 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pan with liners.

2. Make the cake. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.

3. With electric mixer, beat butter, oil and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add peanut butter. Beat until well combined. Scrape the bowl occasionally. Add eggs one at a time. Beat some more. Add vanilla.

4. Alternately stir in flour mixture and yogurt in 3 batches. Stir until well combined.

5. Drop by tablespoonful into prepared pan - fill up to about half full because the cake will rise. Bake for 17 minutes. Cool on a rack. I got 32 cupcakes.

6. While wait for the cupcake to bake and cool, boil 1/2 cup heavy cream in a sauce pan over medium heat until bubbly on the edges - just a few minutes. Pour over chopped chocolate in a small bowl. Stir until chocolate melts and let cool in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

7. Dip cooled cupcakes in the chilled chocolate sauce and set aside.

8. Make frosting, beat heavy cream and peanut butter with an electric mixter with a wire whisk attachment until stiff. Gently drop the frosting over chocolate dipped cupcakes.

9. Make 32 cupcakes - enough for 2 parties - a private birthday party - and a house party (that I didn't attend but heard it's fun...)

Peanut Butter Brownies:

Adapted from Butterwood Desserts, West Falls, New York via Gourmet, October 2007
Makes 32 brownies, more or less, depending on how you cut them
These “brownies” are more blondie than cakey, with an excellent peanut butter-chocolate contrasts and fantastic edges, for those of you into that sort of thing. Have a glass of milk handy.
For brownies
2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 large eggs plus 1 large yolk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (9 ounces)**
1/2 teaspoon salt, see note**
For ganache
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (9 ounces)**
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
Make brownies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F with rack in middle. Butter a 13- by 9- by 2-inch baking pan, then line bottom of pan with parchment paper and butter parchment.
Beat together butter and sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until mixture is light and fluffy, then add peanut butter and beat until incorporated. Beat in whole eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla. Reduce mixer sped to low, then mix in flour until just combined.
Mix in chocolate chips (1 1/2 cups) then spread batter in baking pan, smoothing top. (It will be thick, almost like cookie batter.)
Bake until brownies are deep golden, puffed on top and a wooden pick inserted in center come out with some crumbs adhering, 40 to 45 minutes.
Cool completely in pan on a rack, about 1 1/2 hours.
Make ganache: Put chocolate chips (1 1/2 cups) in a heatproof bowl.
Bring cream to a boil in a small saucepan, then pour over chocolate chips and let mixture stand for one minute.
Gently whisk in butter until it is incorporated, chocolate is melted, and a smooth mixture forms.
Spread ganache on cooled brownies and let stand until set, about 15 minutes.
Brownies keep in one layer in an airtight container three days, and we hope much longer if hidden waaay in the back of the freezer.

Peant Butter Cheesecake with Peanut Brittle:

Ingredients:

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/4 cups creamy peanut butter (do not use old-fashioned style or freshly ground)
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup sour cream
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 11-ounce package peanut butter chips

1 tablespoon apricot jam, warmed
1 1/2 cups chopped Peanut Brittle

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides with nonstick spray. Line bottom with parchment. Double-wrap outside of pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil.

Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese, peanut butter, and sugar in large bowl until well blended and fluffy. Beat in sour cream. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then vanilla. Stir in peanut butter chips. Transfer batter to prepared pan.

Place springform pan in large roasting pan. Fill roasting pan with enough hot water to come 1 inch up sides of springform pan. Bake cake until slightly firm to touch and top appears dry, about 1 hour.

Refrigerate cake uncovered until cold, at least 4 hours. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead; cover and keep refrigerated.)

Cut around pan sides to loosen cheesecake; release sides. Invert cake onto platter; peel off parchment. Brush apricot jam over top of cake. Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups peanut brittle pieces over cake and serve.

Servings: Makes12 servings.

Source: Epicurious

Peanut Butter Beignets with Caramelized Bananas and Caramel Ice cream:

Ingredients:

Beignet batter:

1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Valrhona or Dutch-process)
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups club soda
2 large eggs 9 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, cooledCanola oil (for frying)

Caramelized bananas:

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
1/4 cup dark rum
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
3 bananas, cut on diagonal into 1/3-inch-thick slicesPowdered sugar
Caramel Ice Cream
Purchased peanut brittle, chopped

Preperation:

For peanut butter ganache:
Bring cream, sugar, and corn syrup to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Add chocolate and stir until melted and smooth. Transfer mixture to medium bowl. Add peanut butter and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cover and chill until ganache is firm, about 2 hours.

Using 1 level tablespoon ganache for each, form 1 1/4-inch balls. Place on baking sheet. Freeze ganache balls overnight.

For beignet batter:
Whisk flour, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt in large bowl to blend. Add club soda, then eggs and melted butter. Using electric mixer, beat until mixture is well blended and smooth.

Pour enough oil into heavy large skillet to reach depth of 1 1/2 inches; heat to 350°F. Remove peanut butter ganache balls from freezer. Working with a few ganache balls at a time, dip into beignet batter, coating balls completely. Lift balls out with fork and slowly slide into hot oil; fry until batter is set and slightly crisp, about 1 1/2 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer beignets to paper towels to drain. Keep warm.

Meanwhile, prepare caramelized bananas:
Melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add brown sugar and stir until sugar begins to melt, bubble, and form thick mass, about 4 minutes. Add rum and lemon juice; simmer until mixture thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Add bananas and cook until glazed with caramel, about 1 minute.

Place 3 beignets on each plate. Dust with powdered sugar. Place caramelized bananas and scoop of Bitter Caramel Ice Cream alongside beignets. Sprinkle ice cream with peanut brittle and serve.

Source: Epicurious

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