CHOCOLATE PEANUT CLUSTERS: Peanut Cluster Day

Today is National Peanut Cluster Day. This should come as no surprise because 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)

How easy is that?

Cartoon of the Day: Cooking Magazine

SNOW GHOST COCOA CREAM PIE: Retro Ad & Recipe

It's cold and snowy in lots of places in the U.S. today, so this pie is just right! It's called Snow Ghost Pie aka Snow Ghost Cocoa Cream Pie. It's pretty chilly out there, so I like the name of this pie. This Snow Ghost Pie is easy and really good.

This Retro Ad from Hershey says "Snow Ghost Pie tastes as good today as it did when Granma baked in back in '33." I wasn't around in 33, and I doubt my grandmother would have baked this, but I've made it since. This recipe appeared in the original 1934 Hershey's Cookbook (and the facsimile). There's a story in the Advertisement that you'll want to read. Not sure if Hershey was doing this as a take-off of the Baker's Chocolate Story Ads & Recipes, or not.

So celebrate today with Snow Ghost Pie! Be sure to scroll down for the recipe.

Snow Ghost Cocoa Cream Pie 

Ingredients
1 9-inch baked pastry shell or crumb crust
1/2 cup Hershey’s Cocoa
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
Sweetened whipped cream

Directions
Combine cocoa, sugar, salt, and cornstarch in medium saucepan. Gradually blend milk into dry ingredients, stirring until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until filling boils; boil 1 minute. Remove from heat; blend in butter and vanilla. Pour into pie crust. Carefully press plastic wrap directly onto pie filling. Cool; chill 3 to 4 hours. Remove plastic wrap.
Garnish with whipped cream.

ONE BOWL OREO BROWNIES: National Oreo Day

Oreo Ad: 1960

Happy Birthday, Oreo! Today is Oreo Day! The Oreo is America's Favorite Cookie! This cookie debuted on March 6, 1912 by the National Biscuit Company (Nabisco, now owned  by Kraft). The original Oreo was packaged as a Trio: the Mother Goose, the Veronese, and the Oreo Biscuit. Oreo was the most popular, and soon was a stand-alone, well as far as cookies go, because you always need milk with Oreos!

In 1921, Nabisco dropped 'Biscuit' from the name and called it 'Oreo Sandwich'. In 1948 it was called the 'Oreo Creme Sandwich' and today it's marketed as the Oreo Chocolate Sandwich Cookie.  Over the years there have been many variations -- Mini Oreos, Double Delight,  Triple stuffed, Lemon-Cream, Chocolate Covered Mint Oreos, Halloween Oreos, Green Tea Oreos--even Oreo O's Cereal made by Post. For those who are interested in cookie history, the Hydrox chocolate sandwich cookie predated Oreos by four years. Read more here.

So how do you eat your Oreos? Do you dunk them? Do you open them and lick the filling and then eat the cookies? 

I've posted scads of Oreo-based tasty treats here on DyingforChocolate. But here's an easy recipe for One Bowl Oreo Brownies. you'll love these!

ONE BOWL OREO BROWNIES

Ingredients 
1 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup granulated sugar
1-1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed
1 Tbsp vanilla
4 eggs
1 tsp salt
1- 1/2 cups flour
1 cup DARK cocoa powder
1 cup chocolate chips
25 Oreo cookies, coarsely chopped

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F
Line 9 x13 pan with foil and spray with nonstick spray. Set aside.
In bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment combine butter, sugar, vanilla, and eggs. Mix on medium speed until combined, about 1 minute. Add in salt and cocoa powder and mix on medium until combined, 30 seconds to minute.
Turn mixer to low and add in flour until incorporated.
Stir in chocolate chips.
Spread half of batter into pan.
Top with Oreos and spread remaining batter on top.
Bake 35-40 minutes until center is almost set.