Chocolate Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies: National Peanut Day

Today is National Peanut Day. I have many fond memories of the Peanut. My nickname as a child was Peanut. Only one person called me that, but she was so special to me. All these years later I can still hear her chuckle as she called me Peanut. 

I also loved Mr. Peanut. I couldn't wait to see him when we went down the shore. Mr. Peanut would walk the boardwalk in Atlantic City, shaking hands with all and sundry. I'm sure I believed he was a large peanut.... but that's for another post. So if you want to celebrate National Peanut Day, eat some chocolate covered peanuts. It's easy to dip them in chocolate.. of course, remove the shell. The saltiness of the peanuts goes so well with dark chocolate.

But if you want to take it a step further, make this recipe for Chocolate Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies and serve them on a bed of salted peanuts! I love Whoopie Pies whatever their origin. See a previous post on Whoopie Pies. The following recipe is from Martha Stewart's recipe for miniature Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies. As always use the very best chocolate, and in this case the best cocoa, too. Same goes for the peanut butter. The better the products, the better the taste.

Here's a tip for Presentation: Serve the Chocolate Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies on a bed of peanuts. And, you can also sprinkle the Whoopie Pies with confectionary sugar!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies

For the Cookies:
1 - 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened DARK cocoa powder, not Dutch-process  (I use Ghirardelli)
1- 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt (Kosher salt)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
1 large egg
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the Filling:
3/4 cup cream peanut butter

2/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
Coarse salt, optional

Directions

Make cookies: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in small bowl; set aside.
Put butter, shortening, and sugars in bowl of electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on high speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add egg; mix until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in half flour mixture, then milk, and vanilla. Mix in remaining flour mixture.
Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies spring back when lightly touched, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks using a spatula; let cool completely.

Or you can use a Whoopie Pie Pan (I have several): Whoopie Pie Pan post

Make filling: Put peanut butter and butter in bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Mix on high speed until smooth. Reduce mixer speed to low. Add confectioners' sugar; mix until combined. Raise speed to high, and mix until fluffy and smooth, about 3 minutes. Season with salt, if desired.

Assemble cookies: Spread 1 scant tablespoon filling on bottom of 1 cookie. Sandwich with another cookie. Repeat with remaining cookies and filling. Cookies can be refrigerated in single layers in airtight containers up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

TRIPLE PEANUT CHOCOLATE BUNDT CAKE: National Peanut Day

Yesterday was National Peanut Day, and I posted a WWII Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake. Well, if one chocolate peanut cake is good, two are even better. So today here's a recipe for Triple Peanut Chocolate Bundt Cake. This recipe is from one of the Peanut Associations, a great source for recipes.

Growers love to educate the public on recipes and uses for peanuts. This recipe is adapted from Virginia-Carolinas Peanuts. The original recipe called for dates, but somehow I stopped using dates and just added a cup of peanut butter chips instead. So this is a very peanut-y recipe: chopped roasted peanuts, peanut oil, peanut butter chips, and peanutbutter. Another variation on this bundt cake is to use a chocolate cake mix with chocolate pudding.

Triple Peanut Chocolate Bundt Cake
Ingredients
Softened butter or cooking spray
1/2 cup finely chopped roasted peanuts
1 package (1 pound, 2.5 ounces) yellow cake mix
1 package (3-3/4 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix
1/2 cup peanut oil
1-1/4 cups water
4 eggs
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup peanut butter chips
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat Oven to 350.
Grease a 10-inch Bundt pan with softened butter or cooking spray.
Sprinkle 1/2 cup finely chopped peanuts in pan. Shake pan in order to coat surface with nuts.
In a mixing bowl beat cake and pudding mixes, oil, water and eggs until well blended or four minutes on medium speed. Beat in peanut butter.
Pour 1/3 batter into pan; sprinkle with a layer of peanut butter chips and then a layer of chocolate chips. Repeat.
Pour remaining batter into pan and bake for 45- 50 minutes or until cake tests done.
Cool cake in pan for 10 minutes; turn out onto rack and cool.

DEEP SOUTH PEANUT PIE: Retro New Year's Ad with Recipe

O.K. this is a very creepy Retro 1940s Karo Syrup Advertisement, but since it features the Karo Kid as a New Year's baby, I thought I'd post it. I love Peanut Pies. Add a Chocolate Cookie Crust, and I'm in heaven. Peanuts and Chocolate -- great way to start the New Year.

DEEP SOUTH PEANUT PIE

Ingredients
2 eggs beaten
1 cup Karo Syrup, Blue Label (dark syrup)
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp melted butter
1 cup shelled, roasted peanuts

Directions
Roll pastry 1/8-inch thick. Line 9-inch pie pan. Mix remaining ingredients together, adding peanuts last. Pour into pastry shell. Bake in hot oven (400˚F) 40 minutes or until a silver knife inserted in center of filling comes out clean.

To make Peanut Tarts:
Follow above recipe for De Luxe Peanut Pie using 1 recipe pastry. Line 6 to 8 individual tart shells. Pour in filling. Bake in hot oven (400˚F) 20 to 25 minutes.

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER WHOOPIE PIES: National Peanut Day!

Today is National Peanut Day. I have many fond memories of the Peanut. My nickname as a child was Peanut. Only one person called me that, but she was so special to me. She was address me as Peanut and chuckle.

I also loved Mr. Peanut. I couldn't wait to see him when we went down the shore. Mr. Peanut would walk the boards, shaking hands with all and sundry. I'm sure I believed he was a large peanut.... but that's another post. So if you want to celebrate National Peanut Day, eat some chocolate covered peanuts. It's easy to dip them in chocolate.. of course, remove the shell. The saltiness of the peanuts goes so well with dark chocolate.

But if you want to take it a step further, mke this recipe for Chocolate Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies and serve them on a bed of salted peanuts!. I love Whoopie Pies whatever their origin. See a previous post on Whoopie Pies. The following recipe is from Martha Stewart's recipe for miniature Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies. As always use the very best chocolate, and in this case the best cocoa, too. Same goes for the peanut butter. The better the products, the better the taste.

Here's a tip for Presentation: Serve the Chocolate Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies on a bed of peanuts. And, you can also sprinkle the Whoopie Pies with confectionary sugar!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies

For the Cookies:
1 - 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened DARK cocoa powder, not Dutch-process  (I use Ghirardelli)
1- 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt (Kosher salt)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
1 large egg
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the Filling:
2/3 cup natural, creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup umsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
Coarse salt, optional

Directions
Make cookies: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in small bowl; set aside.
Put butter, shortening, and sugars in bowl of electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on high speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add egg; mix until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in half flour mixture, then milk, and vanilla. Mix in remaining flour mixture.
Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies spring back when lightly touched, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks using a spatula; let cool completely.

Or you can use a Whoopie Pie Pan (I have several): Whoopie Pie Pan post

Make filling: Put peanut butter and butter in bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Mix on high speed until smooth. Reduce mixer speed to low. Add confectioners' sugar; mix until combined. Raise speed to high, and mix until fluffy and smooth, about 3 minutes. Season with salt, if desired.

Assemble cookies: Spread 1 scant tablespoon filling on bottom of 1 cookie. Sandwich with another cookie. Repeat with remaining cookies and filling. Cookies can be refrigerated in single layers in airtight containers up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

CHOCOLATE PEANUT CLUSTERS: NATIONAL PEANUT CLUSTER DAY!

Today is National Peanut Cluster Day. This should come as no surprise as March is National Peanut Month. Peanuts are a nutrient rich super food that contains vitamins E, magnesium, and B6. Add heart healthy dark chocolate with antioxidants, and you have an incredibly healthy treat!

Here's an easy recipe for Chocolate Peanut Clusters. Remember, your finished product (and taste) is only as good as your ingredients. Use the best chocolate and peanuts!

CHOCOLATE PEANUT CLUSTERS

Ingredients
12 ounces dark chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate
12 ounces peanut butter chips
12 ounces roasted salted peanuts

Directions
Combine chocolate chips and peanut butter chips in top of double boiler (or saucepan over saucepan over simmering water). Stir over medium heat until melted. Add peanuts and stir.
Drop by teaspoon full onto wax paper.
Refrigerate until firm (30 minutes or so)

CHOCOLATE BACON PEANUT BARK: International Bacon Day

Today is International Bacon Day!

Chocolate and Bacon was the chocolate food trend several years ago, and I don't really think it's gone out of fashion. What a great pairing! Salty bacon with dark sweet chocolate is terrific. Add Peanuts, and it's even better! This is a simple recipe for Chocolate Bacon Peanut Bark. Barks are so easy to make, too.

Susan Russo  had a great article on NPR in 2010 on different pairings of bacon with different foods, but this was my favorite. It's simple to make.

Chocolate Bacon Peanut Bark  
adapted from Susan Russo's recipe

Ingredients
8 strips bacon (or Costco Bacon crumbles)
16 ounces fair-trade organic chocolate 60-75 % cacao (chunks or chips are fine)
1 cup unsalted peanuts

Directions
In large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon, turning several times, until browned and done, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to paper towel-lined plate to drain. Chop finely. (or use Costco Bacon Crumbles)
Line large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Add chocolate to double boiler (or saucepan on top of another saucepan). Once water begins to boil, add chocolate. Using spatula, stir continuously, until smooth and creamy.
Stir in bacon and peanuts. Pour onto prepared baking sheet and spread to 3/8-inch thickness. Refrigerate for minimum of one hour. Bark should be hard and chilled.
Place bark on cutting board and cut  (or crack) into pieces — any size or shape you'd like.
Serve at room temperature.

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER TRUFFLES: National Peanut Butter Day

January 24 is National Peanut Butter Day. I'm also paying homage today to Mr. Peanut. I grew up with Planter's Peanuts. Mr. Peanut, shaking hands with everyone, would walk the boardwalk in Atlantic City! What a treat. I also loved those hot salty peanuts, roasted right onsite. The original company was called Planters Nut and Chocolate Company, so what's not to love? Planters did make peanut butter, but I'm not sure for how long.

I've posted lots of recipes for Chocolate and Peanut Butter, but here's an easy Peanut Butter Truffle recipe to celebrate today's holiday!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffles

This is a simple recipe for a peanut butter ganache truffle rolled in chopped peanuts adapted from a recipe in  CountryLiving.

Ingredients
8 ounces 60-75% dark chocolate, chopped
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup smooth Organic peanut butter
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup finely chopped peanuts

Directions
Place chopped chocolate in medium heat-safe bowl. Set aside.
In medium saucepan over low heat, cook heavy cream until it just begins to boil; then immediately pour over chocolate. Let sit for 1 minute. Stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is thick and smooth. Stir in smooth peanut butter, vanilla extract, and salt. Pour into shallow baking pan and refrigerate until set, 4 to 6 hours.
Spoon chocolate–peanut butter mixture, by tablespoon, into your hand and roll into balls. Place on parchment-lined baking pan and return to refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes.
Place finely chopped peanuts in shallow dish. Roll truffles in peanuts,  shaping each ball as you work. Keep refrigerated until serving.

What's your favorite Peanut Butter and Chocolate recipe?