Pinterest

Kitchen Adventures: Peanut butter cookie brownies

/ SallyJBrz / 3 Comments

What’s better than a chocolate chip cookie, a peanut butter cup, and a brownie?  Being able to eat all three of them at once.

I found this recipe on Pinterest and made it for my office’s Pie Day Friday.  Even though it wasn’t technically pie (ok, not at all), it rocked because:

  • I was able to get all the ingredients at CVS on my way home
  • All the ingredients cost less than $10 and made more than 20 servings
  • I was able to make different portions easily
  • I was able to give the extra peanut butter cups to my gluten-free colleague so he could have somewhat the same thing as the rest of us

These were a huge hit and especially great for when you don’t have time to get to a full-blown grocery store or need something that travels well.

Cookiebrownies

Peanut Butter Cookie Brownies

  • 1 bag of small Reese’s peanut butter cups
  • 1 box of brownie mix and the ingredients to make it (varies by box)
  • 1 roll of refrigerated cookie dough or box of cookie dough mix and the ingredients to make it (varies by box)
  1. Preheat your oven to 350 F.  Grease a muffin or mini-muffin tin
  2. Press cookie dough into the bottom layer of each section.  Add a peanut butter cup. Top with brownie mix, filling to about 2/3 full overall. (The cookies and brownies will both take up a little more space when cooked.)
  3. Bake for 18 minutes, less for mini-muffins.  When testing to make sure your treats are done, don’t let the melted chocolate from the peanut butter cup throw you off.  I overcooked mine a little, but they were still delicious.

Done!  I made 12 large muffins, 12 mini muffins, and 1 mini loaf pan (with the leftovers) with these ingredients.  Serving recommendation: warm these up and top them with ice cream.  You won’t regret it.

Kitchen Adventures: Quinoa & Cheese

/ SallyJBrz / 1 Comment

Crazy, but great! I found this recipe on Pinterest, where someone else had reposted it – the picture was delicious enough that I went out and bought the ingredients that evening so I could have it for dinner.

The final product took some time, but didn’t disappoint.  Here’s my take on Leanne’s version of Monica’s original recipe (phew! just trying to give credit where it’s due!).

Quinoa & Cheese (aka Quinoa Mac and Cheese)

  • 1 1/2 cups of uncooked quinoa, cooked first thing
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup non-fat or soy milk
  • 1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese (was one whole block, for me)
  • Panko bread crumbs for topping
  • salt
  • pepper
  • 1 head of cauliflower (optional)
  • 2 tomatoes (optional)
  • 2 small onions (optional)
  1. Cook the quinoa as directed on the package (mine took 15 minutes, try not to overcook!).  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Sauté or steam the cauliflour until lightly cooked.  Chop into smaller pieces (bite sized or smaller) when soft.  Chop the tomato into bite sized pieces and set aside.
  3. Chop the garlic and onion into small pieces and sauté until tender.
  4. Whisk together eggs and milk in a large bowl.  Add in quinoa and cheese, stirring until cheese is fully integrated and begins to melt slightly.  Add in cauliflower, onions, garlic, and salt and pepper (a few dashes, to taste) and mix well – now add in the chopped tomato and stir gently (so the tomato stays a bit intact).
  5. Spoon into a baking dish and top with bread crumbs.  Cook for for 30 minutes or until bread crumbs begin to brown.

Eat and enjoy!  The final product will be really hot with cheesy goodness, but worth it.  This meal is hearty, wholesome, and downright delicious for any time of year.  Let me know if you try it at home!