Generously butter a standard baking sheet. Set aside.
Combine sugar and corn syrup in a 2-quart glass casserole dish. Stir to blend, then microwave (on high power) uncovered for 4 minutes. Stir after 2 minutes.
Stir in pistachios and microwave for 3 to 5 minutes more (until mixture is light brown). Then stir in butter and vanilla, blending well. If pistachios are unprocessed and unsalted, add a pinch of kosher salt (optional). Microwave for 1 to 3 minutes more. The mixture will be very hot. Add baking soda, stirring until mixture is frothy (about 1 minute).
Pour mixture onto prepared baking sheet. Let stand for 30 to 60 minutes, until hard. Break into bite-sized pieces. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
Substitute pistachios for your favorite nuts (cashews!) or peanuts.
Ingredients:
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup white corn syrup
1 cup pistachios, shelled
1 teaspoon butter plus additional butter for baking sheet
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of kosher salt (optional)
Start off making the peanut butter syrup by melting 3 tablespoons butter in medium saucepan over low heat. Stir in peanut butter until thoroughly combined. In small bowl, stir together syrup and water. Then stir syrup mixture into the peanut butter mixture. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Serve the syrup warm on top of the waffles.
While the syrup is simmering, you can combine 1/2 cup butter and chocolate in another medium saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat and stir constantly until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Then stir in eggs and vanilla, just until combined. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk in milk until batter is smooth.
Add batter to a preheated, lightly greased waffle maker. Bake per manufacturer’s instructions. When done, use a fork to lift waffle off the griddle. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve topped with warm peanut butter syrup.
Cover and refrigerate any remaining syrup for up to 3 days.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons butter, divided
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup milk
1/3 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup water
Preheat oven to 350° F. Place dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir until melted; set aside and let cool.
In small bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a separate large bowl, use a mixer to beat together butter and sugars (about 2 minutes). Add eggs and vanilla, beating until combined. With mixer on low speed, alternately beat in chocolate and flour mixtures. Mix just until combined. Fold in milk chocolate chunks.
Drop dough by heaping tablespoons, about 2 inches apart, onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and cool completely.
Notes
Brownie cookies are great for making homemade ice cream sandwiches. Scoop softened vanilla ice cream between two warm cookies for a memorable treat!
Preheat oven to 425° F. Lightly grease bottom of a 13×9-inch baking pan with non-stick spray. Set pan aside.
Cook ground turkey on medium-high heat in a medium skillet, along with chopped onion, until well browned. Stir to break up mean and evenly cook onions. Drain any excess fat.
Layer ground turkey mixture in bottom of baking pan. Next layer the edamame evenly on top of the ground turkey. With a tablespoon or small spatula, spread the cream of mushroom soup so that it covers the edamame. [During the baking process, the soup will seep down into the edamame and ground turkey layers to create a moist, creamy sauce.]
Now layer the tater tots on top of the cream of mushroom soup. Sprinkle shredded cheese and parsley on top. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until potatoes are done.
Ingredients:
2 pounds ground turkey
1 small onion, chopped
16 ounces cream of mushroom soup
3 cups tater tots, frozen
12 to 15 ounces edamame, shelled, frozen
8 ounces shredded cheese (recommend either mozzarella or Cheddar) for garnishment
3 pinches dried parsley for garnishment
Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly grease bottom of an 8×8-inch baking pan with butter or shortening.
In medium saucepan, stir dark chocolate and butter over medium-low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in sugar, eggs, vanilla and salt. Gradually add flour and stir, just until combined. Fold in cookies.
Spread batter in the prepared baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Cut into 3 rows by 3 rows to make 9 brownies.
Ingredients:
4 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
12 sandwich cookies, chopped
3/4 cup unsweetened dark chocolate cocoa powder, sifted
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups and 1/2 cup pretzel twists or sticks, coarsely chopped, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 eggs
pinch of salt
1/2 cup salted peanuts, chopped
1 cup miniature marshmallows
1 cup and 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips, divided
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375° F. Lightly grease bottom of a 13x9-inch baking pan with butter or shortening. Whisk together in large bowl the cocoa powder, flour, baking soda and salt. Then set aside.
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add dark brown sugar, stirring until completely blended with butter. Stir flour mixture into the butter mixture. When mixed, remove from heat and set aside. The mixture at this point will be very dry.
In medium bowl, whisk eggs and vanilla. Incorporate egg mixture into brownie batter in the pan. Fold in 2 cups pretzels and 1 cup milk chocolate chips. Pour into the prepared baking pan.
In medium bowl, stir together marshmallows, peanuts, 1/2 cup pretzels and 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips. Sprinkle evenly over the top of brownie batter.
Bake for 25 minutes, or until set. Let brownies cool completely, about 1 hour. Cut into 6 rows by 4 rows to make 24 brownies.
If you knew me, you’d be surprised that I’d even consider creating a recipe for Peanut Butter and Jelly Brownies. Why, you ask? Let me lie down on the couch and explain. I’m one of those people who loves peanut butter, who likes jelly and jam – but is NOT a fan of peanut butter and jelly together. I don’t know why, so don’t ask me. Well, maybe I do know why.
When I think peanut butter and jelly, I think of PB&J sandwiches. Growing up in the 70’s, we used to have Smucker’s PB&J (Grape) in the cupboards. Strips of peanut butter and strips of jelly in a single jar – in theory – makes sense. It was the 70’s and we all craved for innovation in our kitchens (or at least our moms did). But in practice, having peanut butter and jelly in the same jar was nothing more than a blobby mess.
And as child #4 out of 6, we had an assembly line of PB&J sandwich-making each night to get school lunches ready for the next day. Add in that I loathe, loathe, loathe mushy bread, those PF&J sandwiches were not a fond memory from my childhood. Now if that’s among the most annoying things in my childhood, I really should not complain. But it left a psychic scar on my palate.
I usually consume my peanut butter separate from my jelly. Actually, as an adult male, I now gravitate toward blackberry jam. [Quite adult of me, don’t you think.] This PB&J aversion might not make sense to you. But consuming peanut butter separate from my jam makes perfect sense to my palate – and it satisfies three levels of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs for me: physiological, safety and self-actualization (yes, honest to goodness self-actualization). Don’t let my crazy stop you from trying this combination in your next brownies.
Peanut Butter and Jelly Brownies
Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly grease bottom of a 9×9-inch square baking pan with butter or shortening.
Beat butter, brown sugar and peanut butter in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs and vanilla, and then mix well. Beat in flour and salt until well blended. Fold in chopped dark chocolate.
Spread batter in the prepared baking pan. Drop jam by spoonfuls over batter, and then swirl into the batter with a butter knife to create a marble effect. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
Lightly dust with cinnamon-sugar mixture and cut into 6 rows by 4 rows to make 24 brownies.
Brownie Points: Jam is better for baking than jelly because it includes pieces of actual fruit, whereas, jelly is made up of only fruit juices. Use any of your favorite jams for this recipe. For a stronger flavor contrast against the dark chocolate, try strawberry, raspberry or apricot jam.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
6 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
1/2 cup jam
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
This is hands-down the easiest potato soup recipe ever. German potato soup is hearty and provides the perfect warm-up for a cold winter day.
Using prepared hash browns for the potato base makes it a no-muss, no-fuss recipe with very little kitchen clean up. And canned sauerkraut is much easier and (usually) as good – but if you want to make the entire recipe from scratch, get out the potato peeler and here’s a sauerkraut recipe from (my food icon) Alton Brown.
This German potato soup also freezes well, so make a double batch to have on hand for that Sunday dinner when you don’t feel like cooking.
German Potato Soup
In a 5-quart slow cooker, place sausage, potatoes, sauerkraut and mustard. Pour chicken broth over all and gently stir. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 6 to 8 hours (or 2 to 4 hours on high-heat setting).
Garnish with crispy bacon and shredded Cheddar cheese. Serve with warm, buttered bread to experience total carb-induced euphoria.
Ingredients:
1 pound cooked smoked sausage, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch slices
28 ounces diced hash brown potatoes with onion and peppers (if utilizing prepared frozen hashbrowns, defrost in refrigerator for about 3 hours before using)
16 ounces sauerkraut, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons stone ground mustard
5 1/4 cups chicken broth
crispy bacon bits and shredded Cheddar cheese, for garnish
Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly grease bottom of a 9×9-inch square baking pan with butter or shortening.
Melt butter in a medium-sized saucepan and then remove from heat. Stir in sugar and water first, then eggs, oil and vanilla. Stir in all dry ingredients (except dark chocolate chunks) and mix just until blended. Fold in dark chocolate chunks and hazelnuts. Spread batter in the prepared baking pan.
Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
Dust brownies with a cinnamon-sugar mix and cut into 4 rows by 4 rows to make 16 brownies.
Brownie Points: Substitute espresso powder for the cayenne pepper for a less spicy option.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
3 eggs
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark chocolate chunks
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/3 cup cold water
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup hazelnuts, chopped
cinnamon-sugar mixture for dusting
Preheat oven to 350° F. Prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Combine flour, baking soda and salt. Add butter, dark brown sugar, granulated sugar and maple syrup. Cream with paddle in a stand mixer for 2 minutes.
Add eggs, one at a time, and mix thoroughly. Fold in bacon with spatula. Using a small cookie scoop, scoop dough onto prepared baking sheets. Bake until golden brown, about 14 to 18 minutes.
Remove from oven and transfer cookies to wiring racks. As the cookies cool, they will become very crunchy on the outside.
Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
16 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 eggs
1 pound bacon, cooked slightly crispy and minced
Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly grease bottom of an 8x8-inch or 9x9-inch square baking pan with butter or shortening.
Melt butter in microwave-safe bowl. Add liqueur and eggs to the melted butter. Stir in all dry ingredients and mix just until blended. Spread batter in the prepared baking pan.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes (8-inch pan) or 25-30 minutes (9-inch pan), or until the brownies are dry around edges. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out almost clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
Lightly dust brownies with confectioners’ sugar and cut into 4 rows by 4 rows to make 16 brownies.
Notes
Change the flavor profile by substituting the raspberry liqueur with your favorite flavored liqueur, such as coffee, Irish cream, black currant or orange.
Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly grease bottom of a 9×9-inch baking pan with butter or shortening.
In medium heatproof bowl over saucepan of simmering water, stir semisweet chocolate and 3/4 cup butter until melted and smooth. Whisk in granulated sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, whisking just until combined. Gently stir in flour, red food coloring, baking powder, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1/8 teaspoon salt.
Spread batter in prepared baking pan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out with moist crumbs. Let brownies cool completely, about 1 hour.
While brownies are cooling, prepare cream cheese frosting. In medium bowl, use electric mixer on medium speed to beat cream cheese and remaining butter until creamy. Gradually add in confectioners’ sugar and 1/8 teaspoon salt, beating until blended. Stir in vanilla.
Spread frosting on top of brownies. Cut into 4 rows by 4 rows to make 16 brownies.
Ingredients:
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup plus 3 T butter, divided
2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon plus 1 teaspoon vanilla, divided
1/8 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon salt, divided
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 ounce red food coloring
