Browse Tag by Peanut Butter
No-Bake

Oreo Crack Squares

Oreo Crack Squares are a dreamy mixture of milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate and peanut butter. Oh my! Oreo’s chunks are also incorporated into the candy, adding a satisfying crunch and complimentary flavor. 

Oreo Crack Squares from butterloveandcowboys.com

One of the best confectionery parts of the Christmas season is homemade candy. Making it, giving it, and receiving it, I love it all! Each December I only wish there were more time to test out recipes, but I try out as many as I can with the time I am allotted.

Oreo Crack Squares were one of the treats I was able to test out this year. They just may be a new favorite! You can never go wrong with chocolate and peanut butter, but add white chocolate and Oreo’s to the mix and you have yourself candy perfection. 

Oreo Crack Squares from butterloveandcowboys.com

Christmas is well on it’s way! Every December, I find myself wondering where the month has gone. I am definitely thinking the same thing today. Time is something that can be difficult to find this time of year. There is always a Christmas party, shopping, family gathering or other commitments that tend to load up the month. 

I love all of these festivities special to this time of year, but also believe we can easily spread ourselves so thin we forget to enjoy the season and reflect on it’s true significance and meaning. With that in mind, as I search for recipe ideas, I usually revert to the ones that are simple and take the least amount of time. Oreo Crack Squares are just that. They are easy as can be and ready in a time crunch. 

Oreo Crack Squares from butterloveandcowboys.com

Last Friday, as I prepared some Christmas goodies, including these bad boys, I teetered back and forth on which candy to make. Oreo Crack Squares won out, because I thought they would be delicious and especially because I knew they would be quick to whip up!

Oreo Crack Squares from butterloveandcowboys.com

Oreo Crack Squares from butterloveandcowboys.com

Oreo Crack Squares from butterloveandcowboys.com

I sincerely hope you all have the Merriest of Christmases. Find the time to do what matters most to you. You won’t regret it. I love this season and all that it means for each and every one of us.

Oreo Crack Squares
Oreo Crack Squares are a dreamy mixture of milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate and peanut butter. Oreo's chunks are also incorporated into the candy, adding a satisfying crunch and complimentary flavor. 
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Ingredients
  1. 2 cups milk chocolate chips
  2. 1 cup dark chocolate chips
  3. 2 cups white chocolate chips
  4. 1 cup peanut butter
  5. 24 Oreo's, coarsely chunked
Instructions
  1. 1. Line a 9x13 inch pan with parchment paper. Place milk chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, and peanut butter in a large microwave safe bowl. Microwave in increments of 60 seconds on a power level of 50-60% until fully melted. Stir in between each increment.
  2. 2. Coarsely crush the Oreo's. Place them in a gallon Ziploc bag and crush them with a rolling pin. Do not crush too much, the larger chunks add a lot of texture to the squares. Reserve about 1/3 cup of crushed Oreo's for the topping, particularly the finer bits.
  3. 3. Stir Oreo chunks into the chocolate/peanut butter mixture. Pour into the parchment lined pan and refrigerate until firm. To hasten this process, place in the freezer for about thirty minutes. Cut into small squares. Enjoy!
Butter, Love, and Cowboys https://www.butterloveandcowboys.com/
Brownies and Bars

Chocolate Scarecrow Bars

Chocolate Scarecrow Bars are a crunchy treat loaded with the combined flavors of chocolate and peanut butter. These are definitely part of the “just treats, no tricks” category. In my adapted recipe, this original Halloween dessert gets the most delectable makeover I could think of- a chocolate one.

Chocolate Scarecrow Bars from butterloveandcowboys.com

So I saw several recipes for Scarecrow Bars a year or two ago and set my heart on making them and sharing, if appropriate. By the way, “sharing, if appropriate,” is when My Cowboy and I both agree that a recipe is worth sending out on the worldwide web, because we each found it delicious! As I reread this recipe, I realized two things.

  1. Scarecrow Bars begin with a yellow cake mix. (And I immediately thought, “Isn’t there a way we can improve that?”)
  2. Scarecrow Bars crunchy rice crispy topping includes a decent amount of peanut butter, which I naturally translated to a more generous amount of peanut butter. (My mind raced to thoughts of my favorite flavor combination. “If there’s peanut butter, why not let there be chocolate too?!”)

Chocolate Scarecrow Bars from butterloveandcowboys.com

Chocolate Scarecrow Bars were then born. These were a relatively easy treat that totally satisfied My Cowboy and I’s Halloween sugar fix this past weekend. Chocolate, peanut butter, and Halloween. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Chocolate Scarecrow Bars from butterloveandcowboys.com

Chocolate Scarecrow Bars from butterloveandcowboys.com

Chocolate Scarecrow Bars from butterloveandcowboys.com

Chocolate Scarecrow Bars from butterloveandcowboys.com

Chocolate Scarecrow Bars from butterloveandcowboys.com

Chocolate Scarecrow Bars from butterloveandcowboys.com

Happy Halloween! Enjoy!

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Chocolate Scarecrow Bars
Serves 16
Chocolate Scarecrow Bars are a crunchy treat mixed with the flavor combination of chocolate and peanut butter. They are like the original, only chocolate!
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Ingredients
  1. 1 box devil's food cake mix
  2. 1/2 cup butter, melted
  3. 1 egg
  4. 2 teaspoons vanilla, divided
  5. 3 cups mini marshmallows
  6. 1/2 cup corn syrup
  7. 1/3 cup brown sugar
  8. 1/4 cup sugar
  9. 2/3 cup peanut butter
  10. 2 cups rice crispy cereal
  11. 1 cup almonds OR peanuts (I used slivered almonds)
  12. 1 cup candy corn
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven at 350 degrees F. Combine cake mix, melted butter, egg, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Mix well. Press into a greased 9x13 pan and bake 10-12 minutes or until set. Remove pan from the oven and sprinkle marshmallows over top of the cake/brownie layer. Move the oven rack closer to the top of the oven and bake bars an additional 1-2 minutes, until the marshmallows begin to puff up.
  2. As soon as you pull the bars out of the oven, begin working on the top layer. Do not let the marshmallows cool, or the topping will not attach to the bars and when cut, the top layer will come apart from the bottom. Combine corn syrup, brown sugar, sugar, and remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla. Stirring frequently, bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, then remove from heat. Add peanut butter and mix until fully incorporated. Add rice crispy cereal, nuts, and candy corn. Mix well. Place mixture over top of the marshmallow layer. I found it easiest to drop it on top in tablespoon size heaps and then pressed the mixture together. Cool completely before serving. Enjoy!
Adapted from Land O' Lakes
Adapted from Land O' Lakes
Butter, Love, and Cowboys https://www.butterloveandcowboys.com/
No-Bake

No-Bake Reese’s Cups

No-Bake Reese’s Cups start with Oreo chunks piled beneath a rich and creamy peanut butter layer. To finish off, extra pieces of Reese’s and chocolate top this decadent dessert. As always, no-bake anything is what keeps me sane in my hot kitchen this time of year!

Last week, the youngest cowboy in My Cowboy’s family got hitched! His pretty little lady asked me to do the desserts for the reception. Happily, I accepted! I brooded for months about what to make. This Cowboy and his bride are both local, so I knew it would be a well-attended reception and it sure was. Therefore, whatever I decided on, I wanted it to be good! I tested, created, improved, and recreated recipes for months. 

My Cowboy quickly became a beneficiary of the project. 

No-Bake Reese's Cups from butterloveandcowboys.com

No-Bake Reese's Cups from butterloveandcowboys.com

As time went on, I caught wind of how many people they were planning on for the reception, and knowing it was a summer wedding, I decided no-bake treats for the win. As I pinterest-ed  (ya, it’s totally a thing) wedding dessert ideas, I saw many cute pins with no-bake cups. No-bake, single serve, and cute- perfect for a wedding! 

Before my list of flavors even began, I knew without a doubt, Reese’s Cups would have it’s place at this celebration. Reese’s and peanut butter just aren’t even a question with me. I also knew I wanted varied flavors, with the hopes that everybody could find a flavor they like and have a perfectly, happily satisfied sweet tooth. 

My test kitchen eventually produced what I shall call the final four. The other three recipes will be coming at you soon. Unsurprisingly, Reese’s Cups proved My Cowboy’s and I’s favorite! 

No-Bake Reese's Cups from butterloveandcowboys.com

 

No-Bake Reese's Cups from butterloveandcowboys.com

No-Bake Reese's Cups from butterloveandcowboys.com

No-Bake Reese's Cups from butterloveandcowboys.com

No-Bake Reese's Cups from butterloveandcowboys.com

No-Bake Reese's Cups from butterloveandcowboys.com

 

No-Bake Reese's Cups from butterloveandcowboys.com

 

The evening of the reception, as we packed and carried the hundreds of dessert cups, my little heart felt so satisfied. You know the feeling of taking pride in your work? I’m not talking about about an excessive ego that feels YOU are the only one who can do things and do them right, but that feeling of knowing your hard labors produced results you are pleased with. Over the months of testing, I became very proud of all the recipes I produced and to see them all done, to know they were tasty, and know the were enjoyed at the wedding made my night. 

Now, treat yourself to these Reese’s Cups this weekend! I worked hard to provide you with this recipe :D.

No-Bake Reese's Cups
Serves 8
No-Bake Reese's Cups start with Oreo chunks piled beneath a rich and creamy peanut butter layer. To finish off, extra pieces of Reese's and chocolate top this decadent dessert.
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Ingredients
  1. 16-20 Oreo's, in chunks
  2. 8 oz cream cheese
  3. 1 cup peanut butter
  4. 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  5. 8 oz Cool Whip
  6. 6 Reese's, chopped
  7. Chocolate Syrup, for drizzling
Instructions
  1. Place chunked Oreo's in the bottom of 8 5 oz cups. I probably filled them about an inch high with the Oreo's. I used 5 oz plastic cups, but you can use whatever you have on hand. I thought 5 oz was a good single serving size. Just remember if you use larger cups, there won't be as many servings.
  2. Beat cream cheese and peanut butter until smooth and completely combined. Add powdered sugar and combine. Fold in the Cool Whip. *Refrigerate the peanut butter filling for 2-3 hours. Once chilled, Place the peanut butter mixture on top of the Oreo chunks. Leave a little space at the top of the cup, because they are easier to eat that way.
  3. Top with Reese's chunks and drizzle with chocolate syrup. Keep refrigerated. Enjoy!
Notes
  1. *You can also wait to refrigerate the filing until after it is placed in the cups. It will take less time to chill, but I prefer to do it the other way around, because the longer the filling sits on the Oreo's, the more likely the Oreo's are to become soggy, but they are usually fine for about a day. So I generally only make up as many as we will eat that day. Keep the filling in the fridge if you choose to do it this way and just pull it out whenever you are ready to make more cups!
Butter, Love, and Cowboys https://www.butterloveandcowboys.com/

 

Brownies and Bars, Cakes and Cupcakes

Reese’s Cheesecake Bars

Reese’s Cheesecake Bars are a delectable dessert that begin with an Oreo crust. The filling is a Reese’s loaded, peanut butter cheesecake. These beauties are then topped off with a fudge-y ganache. 

I simply adore a chocolate and peanut butter loaded cheesecake dessert. So does My Cowboy. And that fact sure helps us get along swell. If we’re being honest, a cold piece cheesecake on a warm day is bound to help any marriage succeed.  

Reese's Cheesecake Bars from butterloveandcowboys.com

Think about it. Aren’t you just in a better mood when you eat cheesecake? I sure am!

Significantly so. And My Cowboy is too. So I guess that’s it- after all these years we’ve figured it out. The secret to a successful and happy marriage is cheesecake. In particular these Reese’s Cheesecake Bars. I speak from personal experience when I suggest/prescribe these for marital bliss. This is huge. 

Speaking of huge, these Reese’s Cheesecake Bars are just how I like them-piled high. Of course, cheesecake is a rich dessert, so a smaller piece goes a long way. Unless you’re me or My Cowboy, then it doesn’t. 

Something I find humorous is when a recipe for an 8×8 inch or 9×9 inch square pan claims to yield 16-20 bars. What the hay?! Those are the yields of a 9×13 inch pan. At least my eight and nine inch pans don’t make that many bars. Just Today I looked over a brownie recipe for a 9×9 inch pan that claimed to yield 2 1/2 dozen bars. So that tallies up to 30 bars from a little square pan of brownies, maybe if we serve half bite bars…maybe?

Reese's Cheesecake Bars from butterloveandcowboys.com

Reese's Cheesecake Bars from butterloveandcowboys.com

Reese's Cheesecake Bars from butterloveandcowboys.com

Anywho, I will be honest as can be when I label how many the recipe for Reese’s Cheesecake Bars yield.

Have a happy Memorial Weekend!

Reese's Cheesecake Bars
Serves 12
Reese's Cheesecake Bars are a delectable dessert that begin with an Oreo crust. The filling is a Reese's loaded, peanut butter cheesecake. Lastly, these beauties are topped off with a fudge-y ganache. 
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For the Crust
  1. 15 Oreo cookies, finely crushed
  2. 1/4 cup butter, melted
For the Cheesecake Filling
  1. 12 oz cream cheese, soft
  2. 3/4 cup sugar
  3. 1/2 cup peanut butter
  4. 1/2 cup sour cream
  5. 8 Reese's, chopped
  6. 2 eggs
  7. 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
For the Ganache
  1. 1 cup milk chocolate chips
  2. 2 tablespoons peanut butter
  3. 2/3 cup cream
Instructions
  1. 1. Preheat oven at 325 degrees F. Combine the Oreo crumbs and melted butter in a small bowl. Press into a greased 8x8 inch or 9x9 inch pan. Press into the pan with the bottom of a cup. Bake six minutes then remove from oven and let cool until filling is made.
  2. 2. For the filling, combine the cream cheese and sugar. Do not overmix. Add the peanut butter, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla. Mix until just combined. Fold in the Reese's chunks. Bake at 325 degrees F for about 45 minutes. I would check it at about 40 minutes to ensure it is not becoming over done. The middle will still jiggle a little, but the sides will be set. Once baked, cool in the fridge while you make the ganache.
  3. 3. To make the ganache, bring cream to a boil in the microwave. Place chocolate chips and peanut butter in a medium sized bowl. Pour the cream over top and mix until combined and all the chocolate is melted. Pour on top of the bars and spread. Refrigerate at least 4-6 hours. Enjoy!
Butter, Love, and Cowboys https://www.butterloveandcowboys.com/
No-Bake

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Frosting

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Frosting is a wonderful combination of chocolate, peanut butter, and Reese’s cups. Frosting just doesn’t get better than that. This Reese’s Frosting is made up of a buttercream base that is fantastic with brownies, cookies, cake, or even great for dipping graham crackers.

My personal favorite way to eat this Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Frosting though is probably with a spoon. That’s all I need, but I try to temper my frosting intake with a brownie. You know, health goals. 

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Frosting from butterloveandcowboys.com

I have been intending to create a chocolate and peanut butter frosting made with Reese’s peanut butter cups and I finally gone, done, and did it.

Bam.

It was positively wonderful. I actually made it to go on top of a banana cake. I thought it would be great- chocolate, peanut butter, and Reese’s with the banana flavor of the cake, because I think that combo is fantastic. As predicted, the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Frosting rocked, and was fabulous with the banana flavor, but the cake was too cake-y and a bit dry. I’m really not into cake-y cake. I prefer a super moist and dense one! 

The banana cake was such a disappointment. I even went so far as to scrape the Reese’s Frosting off of a piece of the banana cake and place it on top of a week old brownie I had made the previous weekend. Fortunately, I have a rockin’ brownie recipe, so it wasn’t too bad even if it was a week old! I’m convinced anything sweet with this frosting will do the trick. That’s how much I love it.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Frosting from butterloveandcowboys.com

PS. I really think you need to make a batch of brownies. Because Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Frosting, that’s why. You can find my favorite brownie recipe here.

Frost away!

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Frosting
Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Frosting is a fantastic buttercream that combines just the right amounts of chocolate and peanut butter. Don't forget it is loaded with Reese's Peanut Butter Cups!
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Ingredients
  1. 1/2 cup butter, soft
  2. 3/4 cup peanut butter
  3. 1 teaspoon vanilla
  4. 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  5. 3 cups powdered sugar
  6. *1/4 cup cream or milk (may need more or less for consistency)
  7. 10 Reese's peanut butter cups, chopped
Instructions
  1. Place the butter and peanut butter in a mixer. Beat until well combined. Add the vanilla and mix. Add the cocoa powder and mix until well combined. Add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing well between each addition. Add the cream or milk, until the frosting reaches a spreadable consistency. You may use more or less of the cream or milk than the recipe calls for.
  2. Fold in the chopped Reese's. Spread over cooled brownies, cookies, cake, or dip graham crackers. Enjoy!
Notes
  1. *I prefer to use cream, because it gives a richer flavor, but milk works just fine! Sometimes I use both, depending how much liquid the frosting needs.
Butter, Love, and Cowboys https://www.butterloveandcowboys.com/
No-Bake

Chocolate Peanut Butter Eggs

Chocolate Peanut Butter Eggs are a favorite Easter treat of ours! A delicious peanut butter truffle filling is coated in melted chocolate for seasonal perfection! Because they are simple and quick, you won’t have to spend the entire holiday baking. Instead, these will allow a little extra time with your loved ones. I like to make them a day ahead to make food preparation on Easter Sunday even easier.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Eggs from butterloveandcowboys.com

Chocolate Peanut Butter Eggs have been an Easter tradition of ours since the beginning of our marriage. My Cowboy and I adore Reese’s Eggs. When I first saw the idea, everybody claimed they taste just like a Reese’s Egg. I hate to break it to ya, but they don’t. They are different, but in a good way. While these Chocolate Peanut Butter Eggs may not perfectly mimic the Hershey’s favorite, they are beyond worthy of their own spot on your Easter list. I make them each Easter and I use the same filling for peanut butter truffles at Christmas!

Peanut Butter. Oh ya.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Eggs from butterloveandcowboys.com

Chocolate Peanut Butter Eggs from butterloveandcowboys.com

Chocolate Peanut Butter Eggs from butterloveandcowboys.com

Chocolate Peanut Butter Eggs from butterloveandcowboys.com

Chocolate Peanut Butter Eggs from butterloveandcowboys.com

Chocolate Peanut Butter Eggs from butterloveandcowboys.com

Chocolate Peanut Butter Eggs from butterloveandcowboys.com

Chocolate Peanut Butter Eggs from butterloveandcowboys.com

Easter candy just happens to be my most favorite seasonal candy. Halloween candy is wonderful, Valentine’s candy is fun, and Christmas candy comes close, but- Easter candy. It makes me swoon. How does it get better than jelly beans, Reese’s white and milk chocolate eggs, Cadbury Creme/Caramel Eggs, or Cadbury Mini’s? Speaking of Cadbury Mini’s, don’t forget to try out these Easter macaroons made with Cadbury Mini’s I posted last year! And of course don’t forget to try these Chocolate Peanut Butter Eggs.

I have a question for you. Do you like Peeps or do you think they’re gross ? I don’t really like them much, but I tend to always have one or two each year- just because. Because they are cute, festive, and somehow eating something cute and festive can make up for not being very tasty.

While I believe that is true, I promise that Chocolate Peanut Butter Eggs are cute, festive, and tasty!

As much as I love peanut butter eggs and Easter candy, I am inexpressibly more grateful for the opportunity we have this holiday to celebrate Jesus Christ’s life and sacrifice for each one of us. May you all be blessed with the peace He offers. Happy Easter!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Eggs
Chocolate Peanut Butter Eggs are filled with a peanut butter truffle filling and coated in melted chocolate. They are an Easter favorite!
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Ingredients
  1. 1 1/2 cups peanut butter
  2. 3 cups powdered sugar
  3. 1/3 cup melted butter
  4. 2 tablespoons milk
  5. 1 1/2-2 bags milk chocolate chips
  6. 3 tablespoons shortening
Instructions
  1. 1. Beat the peanut butter, powdered sugar, and melted butter until well combined. The dough will be crumbly. Add the milk and combine. Filling will still be crumbly.
  2. 2. Grab a few tablespoons of the peanut butter mixture and roll into the shape of an egg. Place on a cookie sheet and freeze about 15-20 minutes to harden.
  3. 3. While the peanut butter hardens, melt the chocolate with the shortening. I usually do it in the microwave, in thirty second intervals. I power down the microwave to sixty percent and stir in between each thirty second interval. You can use a double broiler to melt the chocolate as well. If you melt the chocolate in the microwave, use a microwave safe bowl.
  4. 4. Grab the peanut butter eggs from the freezer and dip them individually in the chocolate. I like to set them on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper, or aluminum foil sprayed with cooking spray.
  5. 5. Allow the chocolate to harden. These keep best if they are refrigerated.
Notes
  1. *You could dip some or all of the eggs in white chocolate as well!
  2. *You can shape the eggs bigger or smaller if you want. I prefer less chocolate and more peanut butter so I make them big enough there is a lot of peanut butter filling. My mom prefers more chocolate so she likes them to be small. If you really want them to be chocolate-y, you can even double dip them in the melted chocolate!
Adapted from Six Sister's Stuff
Adapted from Six Sister's Stuff
Butter, Love, and Cowboys https://www.butterloveandcowboys.com/
Cakes and Cupcakes

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake- how does it get any better than that? Three heavenly foods all crammed into one dessert. I promise there is no exaggeration here as I declare this is definitely one of THE BEST cheesecakes I have ever tasted. It is so fudge-y and the layers upon layers of peanut butter and chocolate are perfection.

As I often say, together, chocolate and peanut butter create my most favorite combination. I thought this cheesecake looked ridiculously delectable, so when my sister asked what cake I wanted for my birthday in 2016, I requested this Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake from the DIY Foodie. This recipe was so scrumptious it found it’s way onto my birthday list for 2017 as well. My birthday was in November, but you already know the whole story of how I got so behind on posting, so let’s just keep movin’ forward :).

You wanna know my favorite part about this cheesecake? My Cowboy made it from start to finish. Isn’t he just a rock star? 

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake from butterloveandcowboys.com

My Cowboy can totally cook and bake. It is so wonderful he can fend for himself when he needs to and can cook us tasty and nutritious meals when I am down and out. The only snag- he doesn’t always believe he can whip up the things I know he could do in a cinch.

Several years ago, we were doing a get together with my sister and her family. I had promised to make my Aunt JaNae’s famous cookie salad, but got sick to my stomach and had to leave it to My Cowboy. Or the time I had surgery and I was confined to the couch for a couple weeks- it took a little coaxing, but I talked him into homemade pizza with crust from scratch one Sunday afternoon. And you know what? The cookie salad and homemade pizza always turn out better when HE makes them!

It’s just not fair.

But I’ll still take it!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake from butterloveandcowboys.com

My sister and I always make each other’s birthday meal and cake- whatever the birthday girl requests. This past November was the first of six consecutive birthdays my sister wasn’t able to make it for my birthday to cook my dinner and bake my cake. Talk about sad. It’s so fun living by sisters! Being the absolutely wonderful husband he is, My Cowboy stepped up to the plate. He made me lasagna fit for a queen and Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake. He knows the way to this girl’s heart. It also worked out that my Mom and Dad got to be there on my birthday- the first time that has happened since I was in high school!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake from butterloveandcowboys.com

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake from butterloveandcowboys.com

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake from butterloveandcowboys.com

Oh yes yes yes!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake from butterloveandcowboys.com

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake from butterloveandcowboys.com

I also wanted to note that this Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake may sound a little complicated or time consuming because of all the different layers, but I promise it is simple! And so worth your time and effort. 

Shared on:

Weekend Potluck

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake
Serves 10
Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake is unbelievably fudge-y. The layers upon layers of chocolate and peanut butter are absolute dessert perfection.
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Crust
  1. 20 Oreo's, finely crushed
  2. 1/3 cup butter, melted
Filling
  1. 15 Reese's peanut butter cups
  2. 24 oz cream cheese, soft
  3. 1 cup sugar
  4. 3 eggs
  5. 1 tsp vanilla
  6. 1/2 cup sour cream
  7. 1/2 cup peanut butter, smooth
  8. 6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
Ganache Topping
  1. 1 cup milk chocolate chips
  2. 1/3 cup cream
Instructions
  1. 1. Preheat oven at 325 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch spring-form pan. Combine the crushed Oreo's and melted butter. Press into the spring-form pan. I like to go over the entire crust with the bottom of a cup to ensure it sets well. Unwrap the Reese's and place on top of the Oreo crust evenly.
  2. 2. In a mixer with the paddle attachment, mix cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs, vanilla, and sour cream, then mix until smooth. Take half of the batter from the mixing bowl and place in another large bowl. Add peanut butter to the bowl in the mixer, then melted chocolate to the other. Mix both until combined.
  3. 3. First pour the chocolate batter over top the Oreo crust and Reese's layer, then pour peanut butter batter over top the chocolate layer. Bake for one hour, then turn off the oven, keeping the oven door closed. Let it sit in the cooling oven for 1 1/2 hours.
  4. 4. To make the ganache topping, heat the cream in the microwave until almost boiling. Place the milk chocolate chips in a bowl and pour the cream over top. Whisk until well combined and spread evenly on top of the cheesecake after it has finished it's sitting time in the oven. Cool in the fridge for 4-6 hours.
Adapted from The DIY Foodie
Adapted from The DIY Foodie
Butter, Love, and Cowboys https://www.butterloveandcowboys.com/
Cookies

Buckeye Brownie Cookies

Guess what? It’s the most wonderful time of the year! And Buckeye Brownie Cookies are the perfect addition to any Christmas cookie list. They are fudge-y, soft, peanut butter-y, and chocolate-y, so basically that means they are perfect. 

These simple cookies remind me of my most favorite brownie-Peanut Butter Brownies. Buckeye Brownie Cookies are super similar to those, but in cookie form.

Buckeye Brownie Cookies from butterloveandcowboys.com

I’ve been on a little hiatus for a few weeks. I certainly didn’t intend for my little break to last this long, but we spent Thanksgiving across the country in Texas with my sister’s family, then we spent several days in Utah visiting more family. After that trip, I headed to Montana with my Mama while My Cowboy was away for a work trip. This week has been spent decking the hall’s at my parent’s and Christmas is well beyond full swing in our neck of the woods.

I am so excited for holiday baking and decided sharing these Buckeye Brownie Cookies was a good place to start the season here on Butter, Love, and Cowboys. Normally, I would have started my Christmas goodies sooner than this, but have had little time for baking with these many visits away from our house. 

Oh that soft brownie bottom.

Buckeye Brownie Cookies from butterloveandcowboys.com

Oh that chocolate ganache topping.

Buckeye Brownie Cookies from butterloveandcowboys.com

Oh that peanut butter center.

Buckeye Brownie Cookies from butterloveandcowboys.com

Buckeye Brownie Cookies from butterloveandcowboys.com

Buckeye Brownie Cookies from butterloveandcowboys.com

Buckeye Brownie Cookies from butterloveandcowboys.com

Buckeye Brownie Cookies from butterloveandcowboys.com

Bless these Buckeye Brownie Cookies.

Buckeye Brownie Cookies
A soft, fudge-y cookie stuffed with peanut butter and topped with smooth chocolate ganache.
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Brownie Cookie
  1. 1 box brownie mix
  2. 4 oz cream cheese, softened
  3. 1/4 cup butter, melted
  4. 1 egg
  5. 1 cup peanut butter chips
  6. 1/4 cup milk chocolate chips
Peanut Butter Center
  1. 1 cup peanut butter
  2. 1 cup powdered sugar
Chocolate Ganache*
  1. 1 cup milk chocolate chips
  2. 1/3 cup cream
Instructions
  1. 1. Preheat oven at 350 degrees F. Beat brownie mix, cream cheese, and melted butter, and egg until just combined. Mix in the peanut butter chips and chocolate chips by hand. Shape the dough into one inch balls and place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes.
  2. 2. While the cookies are baking prepare the peanut butter filling. Beat the peanut butter and powdered sugar until combined. Form peanut butter filling in 1-2 teaspoon sized balls. Immediately after you remove the cookies from the oven, gently press a peanut butter ball into each cookie. Let cookies cool completely.
  3. 3. For the ganache, place the chocolate chips in a medium sized bowl. Microwave the cream until almost boiling. Pour over the chocolate chips and stir until melted completely. You may need to place it in the microwave for an additional 20-30 seconds to melt the chocolate completely. Spread about 1 tablespoon of ganache on top of each cookie. Enjoy!
Notes
  1. *If you end up needing more ganache, just repeat the ganache recipe or make an additional half recipe until all the cookies have been covered. Leftover ganache also makes great hot fudge!
Butter, Love, and Cowboys https://www.butterloveandcowboys.com/
Brownies and Bars, Cakes and Cupcakes

Harry Potter Cauldron Cakes

The last recipe I posted was this phenomenal Harry Potter Butterbeer. When I posted that recipe, I wrote all about our annual Harry Potter party. Another treat I always whip up for our H.P. festivities are Cauldron Cakes. The first year we held our party, I searched high and low online for any spectacular ideas on how to create Cauldron Cakes. I found several, but none of them were quite what I was hoping for. So, I came up with my own version and naturally they became a combination of chocolate and peanut butter.

I’m not a huge cake fan. I make it for birthdays and that’s about it. Even then, it has to be a good homemade recipe. Brownies and their texture are more my style. Usually when I do any sort of cupcake, I make them out of brownie batter and decided that would be the way to go for these Cauldron Cakes. I usually use a boxed brownie mix and like to vamp it up with butter, buttermilk, and vanilla, but you could use your favorite homemade brownie recipe too. They are topped heavily with peanut butter buttercream, and the “cauldron” is filled with chocolate. Oh and don’t forget the Reese’s baked inside. That detail really has nothing to do with the theme of Cauldron Cakes, but the way I see it, why not put a Reese’s in the middle? 😀

Cauldron Cakes from butterloveandcowboys.com

Let’s talk Harry Potter. I love H.P. It was really a huge part of my childhood that helped make my formative years magical. Anytime a new H.P. book hit the shelves, had to be a good year. Almost just as exciting to me was the highly anticipated release of the next movie installment in the series. The final film was released the summer after I graduated high school. I went to see it in the theater with a group of my fellow H.P. loving friends a month or so before I left for college. That experience really made it seem like Harry Potter graduated with me as I said goodbye to childhood, adolescence, and headed towards adulthood. I cried as the movie ended and it wasn’t just because it was an emotional show with talented actors/actresses.

Cauldron Cakes from butterloveandcowboys.com

Cauldron Cakes from butterloveandcowboys.com

Cauldron Cakes from butterloveandcowboys.com

Cauldron Cakes from butterloveandcowboys.com

Cauldron Cakes from butterloveandcowboys.com

I have maintained a deep love of reading that developed at an early age. Books have the power to take us to places we never could have imagined going on our own. They introduce us to people we never would have met and can develop within us desires to understand and experience what lies beyond our own sphere. Harry Potter was one of the very first book series that created these opportunities for me. The first real exposure I had to Harry Potter came from my third grade teacher. She read many good books to my class throughout that school year, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone being one of them. Over the next couple of years I read the remaining books in the series and continued reading until they had all been released. 

Of the many things I hope to be able to instill in our future children, one of them is a love and appreciation for reading good books.

Like I said about the Butterbeer, you don’t have to be a H.P. fan to love these Cauldron Cakes and any H.P. inspired treats you may come across.  I will mention however that they can definitely help you find your way into the truly magical world of Harry Potter!

Cauldron Cakes
Yields 15
A brownie cupcake, stuffed with Reese's, topped with peanut butter buttercream, and filled with chocolate.
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For the Brownie
  1. 1 box brownie mix, or homemade brownie recipe (made for a 9x13 size pan)
  2. 2 eggs
  3. 1/3 cup buttermilk, or 1/4 cup milk (I prefer buttermilk, but either will work)
  4. 1/2 cup butter, melted
  5. 1 teaspoon vanilla
  6. 8 snack-size Reese's, cut in half
  7. muffin cups, at least 15
Peanut Butter Buttercream
  1. 1/2 cup butter, softened
  2. 1 cup peanut butter
  3. 1 teaspoon vanilla
  4. 3-3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  5. Milk or cream (as needed, for consistency)
*Chocolate Ganache
  1. 1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips
  2. 1/3-1/2 cup cream
Instructions
  1. 1. Preheat oven at 350 degrees F. Prepare the brownie batter by mixing the box brownie mix, eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla. If using your own brownie recipe, prepare the batter. Place each muffin cup in a muffin tin. Fill the muffin cups 2/3 full with the brownie batter. Place a Reese's half in each cupcake and press down below the batter. Bake 18-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from muffin pan and let cool.
  2. 2. To prepare the frosting, beat the butter and peanut butter on medium-high speed until well combined. Add the vanilla and mix well. Next, add the powdered sugar, about 1 cup at a time, mixing until well combined between each addition. As you add the powdered sugar, gradually add the milk or cream, as needed for consistency. I probably add at least 1/4-1/3 cup of cream.
  3. 3. Fill a cup with a few inches of water to lightly dip the utensil you spread the frosting with. This will help to spread the frosting smoothly.To make the cauldron, spread a generous amount of the buttercream on top of each cupcake. We like a lot of frosting, but I know not everybody does. Use what you will be happy with as far as the frosting ratio goes, but it is easier to make the cauldron if you use a decent amount. As you spread the frosting, make a well in the middle of the cupcake, it will be about an inch wide and the depth depends how much frosting you use. I use enough the depth is probably close to 1/2 of an inch.
  4. 4. To prepare the ganache, place chocolate chips in a medium sized, microwavable bowl. Place the cream in a mug and microwave until almost boiling. Pour over the chocolate chips and whisk until there are no lumps. You may need to place the bowl in the microwave for 30-60 seconds. Let the ganache cool to room temperature. Place in the fridge or freezer to quicken cooling. Fill each well on top of each cupcake with the ganache. It is okay if it drips a little, it will be a little messier, but also makes the cauldron part even better 🙂
Notes
  1. *For this batch of Cauldron Cakes I just made a chocolate ganache, but in the past I have also used my hot fudge recipe. You could use either. Some of my family members like the ganache better and some like the hot fudge filling better. Personally, I can't quite decide! The ganache is a little stronger on the chocolate flavor, while the hot fudge is a little more on the sweet side.
Butter, Love, and Cowboys https://www.butterloveandcowboys.com/
No-Bake

Caramel Peanut Butter Halloween Monster Munch

Caramel Peanut Butter Halloween Monster Munch is a quick, tasty, and festive little treat. It is a combination of pretzels, popcorn, Reese’s Pieces, and candy corn, all coated in a smooth caramel-y peanut butter mixture. It is a cinch to throw together and would be perfect for any Halloween gathering. 

Let’s talk Halloween-I absolutely love it. Even as an adult, it still continues to rank high on the charts as one of my favorite holidays. As of last year, My sister-in-law, The Rancher’s Wife, and I started the tradition of spending an evening together to make Halloween goodies to enjoy, while the two of us and our crew watch Hocus Pocus- which just happens to be my favorite Halloween movie. We think it’s a pretty rad way to spend an October evening 🙂

Caramel Peanut Butter Halloween Monster Munch from butterloveandcowboys.com

As I contemplated what new treat to try last Friday for our movie night, I thought about all these Halloween party mixes I have seen and decided to come up with my own version. That’s how this fun Halloween Monster Munch was born. I will make a note that when I initially made it, I didn’t put any salt in and we decided it needed it to make it more of a sweet and salty treat, as opposed to just sweet. I have modified the recipe below for you. 

Caramel Peanut Butter Halloween Monster Munch from butterloveandcowboys.com

Caramel Peanut Butter Halloween Monster Munch from butterloveandcowboys.com

Caramel Peanut Butter Halloween Monster Munch from butterloveandcowboys.com

Halloween Monster Munch is great addition to any movie, but I will say that it paired really well with Hocus Pocus :D-Happy Halloween! 

Caramel Peanut Butter Halloween Monster Munch
A tasty and festive Halloween snack mix, covered in a smooth caramel and peanut butter mixture
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Ingredients
  1. 1 cup corn syrup
  2. 2 cups brown sugar
  3. 1 can sweetened condensed milk
  4. 1 cup peanut butter
  5. 1/2 teaspoon salt (add more or less to taste)
  6. 1 teaspoon vanilla
  7. 12 cups popped popcorn
  8. 5 cups pretzels (can be mini pretzels or pretzel sticks)
  9. 3 (4 oz) boxes Reese's Pieces
  10. 1 cup candy corn
  11. 1 cup peanuts or almonds (optional)
Instructions
  1. Mix the corn syrup and brown sugar in a medium size saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil for one minute and remove from heat. Add the sweetened condensed milk, peanut butter, salt, and vanilla. Stir until smooth and the peanut butter is melted and incorporated into the mixture. In a large bowl, combine the popped popcorn, pretzels, Reese's Pieces, candy corn, and nuts (if using). Pour the caramel and peanut butter mixture over the top, mix until all ingredients are evenly coated. Serve and enjoy! Store leftovers in an air tight container or Ziploc bags.
Butter, Love, and Cowboys https://www.butterloveandcowboys.com/
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