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Do Your Dogs Like Peanut Butter?

PetSugar — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:30:07 -0800

Whether a teeny spoonful of the real thing or as a flavoring in treats, would your pooches' noses wriggle at the nutty goodness?

Delilicious: Monster Candy Eyeballs

LilSugar — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 08:00:22 -0700

I know it is only a short while before my lil ones come home with bags of treats, so I wanted to try to make my own candy! Epicurious had a great recipe for a frightful version of buckeye candy; traditionally it is a peanut butter ball that is then coated in a thin layer of chocolate. With a little creative dunking and a bag of M&M's, these candies are transformed into a spooky, yet, scrumptious monster eyeball.

Kids can definitely help with the whole process because the recipe only requires a microwave. You might even be grateful as mixing the peanut butter and powdered sugar is best done by hand and can be a pretty messy job! The finished candies would be cute packaged in small gifts bags as a ghoulish treat for your kids' friends! Children of all ages (including adults) are bound to love this classic combination, so if you want to get started on your own eye-poppingly delicious candy for Halloween keep reading for my tips and recipe.

Snack Attack: Apple, Peanut Butter, and Pumpkin Seed Stacks

FitSugar — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:00:15 -0700

Take advantage of Fall's harvest and pick up some fresh apples for this healthy and delicious snack. The apples will not only satisfy your sweet tooth and your need to crunch, but they're also a great source of fiber. I used Pink Lady apples for this recipe, but you can use any variety you like. Munch on these stackers for breakfast or a light lunch, or cut the recipe in half if you just want to make a little snack.

To learn how to whip up this quick treat and see the nutritional info for it keep on reading

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Blondies. Enough Said.

partysugar — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 09:00:51 -0700

When I saw this recipe on the last page of October's Everyday Food magazine, I knew, instantly, that I had to make it. Reese's Pieces are my favorite Halloween candy and the thought of their crunchy shell and peanut butter filling in combination with brown-sugar blondies was too good to be true.

Unfortunately, the day I planned on making them, I couldn't find Reese's Pieces anywhere and didn't have time to run to another grocery store. Thus, I grabbed the next best thing: Reese's peanut butter cups. The resulting blondies weren't as festive as the original, but they sure were scrumptious! To check out the super easy recipe that can be topped with your preferred Halloween chocolate, read more.

Halloween Blondies
From Everyday Food

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, plus more, room temperature, for pan
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
1/4 cup each orange, yellow, and brown candy-coated chocolates (from a 12.6-ounce bag) or 8 Reese's peanut butter cups, removed from their wrappers and corasely chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Brush an 8-inch square baking pan with butter; line pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides. Butter paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together butter and sugars until smooth. Whisk in eggs and vanilla. Add flour and salt; stir just until moistened. Transfer batter to prepared pan and smooth top. Arrange candies or chopped peanut butter cups in 12 rows (2 rows per color, repeating once) on top of dough.
Bake until top of cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Set pan on a wire rack and let cool completely. Using parchment overhang, lift cake from pan and transfer to a cutting board; cut into 16 squares. To store, keep in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 2 days.

Makes 16.

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Earn Brownie Points With Peanut Butter

YumSugar — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 16:15:03 -0700

After drooling over Party's amazing brownies, I knew I was going to have pull out the butter and flour and get to baking my own batch. Rather than making an uber chocolate one like she did, I opted for a peanut butter and chocolate variation. Initially, I wanted a recipe for chocolate brownies with a peanut butter swirl, but I came across the reverse - peanut butter brownies with chocolate chunks - and had to give it a try!

These peanut butter brownies are dense, moist, and full of flavor. I added three quarters of a cup of chocolate chips and next time will make it an even cup, so every bite has both peanut butter and chocolate. These brownies are easy to make and would be out of this world served fresh from the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. If you want to earn brownie points with your friends and family who are obsessed with the combination of peanut butter and chocolate, keep reading.

Peanut Butter vs. Almond Butter

FitSugar — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 16:00:00 -0700

A reader recently wrote in asking, between her two favorites, which was better: peanut butter or almond butter? The question of "better" might boil down to a sipmle question of taste, but like the reader, I enjoy the flavors of both.

I decided to do a side-by-side comparison of these popular spreads to see if they differ much nutritionally. If you're curious what you should be putting on your toast in the morning, read more.

This chart compares creamy unsalted versions of each nutty spread, and the percentages are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

	2 tbsp. peanut butter	2 tbsp. almond butter
Calories	190	190
Total Fat (g)	16	16
Saturated Fat (g)	2	1.5
Carbs (g)	7	6
Fiber (g)	3	4
Protein (g)	8	7
Calcium	1%	8%
Iron	3%	6%
Vitamin E	14%	40%
Folate	6%	6%

Nutrition-wise, it looks like almond butter offers a bit more, especially in terms of vitamin E. I will continue to eat both, and I hope you do too, since both nut butters offer a good source of protein and a fair amount of fiber. Remember, a serving of each is only two tablespoons, so watch those portions.

Fast & Easy Dinner: Tofu Sandwich With Peanut-Ginger Sauce

partysugar — Thu, 07 May 2009 07:50:55 -0700

Tonight, be inspired by Tom Colicchio's philosophy to "craft a sandwich into a meal and a meal into a sandwich" and make this complex vegetarian dish. It combines char-broiled vegetables with crisp, golden brown tofu.

A peanut butter sesame oil sauce ensures that the sandwich is moist and delicious. Even if you don't put it together for dinner, it's an awesome portable lunch, so get the recipe and read more.

Tofu Sandwich With Peanut-Ginger Sauce
From Whole Living

Ingredients

1 medium onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
1 red bell pepper, cut into 4 long panels
2 teaspoons olive oil
6 ounces Thai-flavored baked tofu, cut into 1/2-inch slices
2 tablespoons natural unsweetened peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
3/4 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 (4 ounces) 8-inch whole-wheat baguette, or wholegrain baguette , halved horizontally
Radish sprouts for garnish (optional)

Directions

Heat broiler with rack 4 inches from heat source. Place onion slices and pepper, skin side up, on a broiler pan. Broil, turning onion over halfway through cooking time, until peppers are blistered and onion is lightly browned, 12 to 15 minutes. When cool enough to handle, peel skin off pepper. Cut pepper into thick strips.
In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute tofu until golden brown and crisp, about 2 minutes on each side.
In a small bowl, combine peanut butter, honey, 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil, and ginger. Toss reserved vegetables with remaining 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil.
Spread peanut-butter mixture on bottom side of bread. Top with tofu and vegetables. Place other piece of bread on top. Cut in half to make two sandwiches. Wrap tightly in foil and refrigerate for up to two days. Serve with radish sprouts on the side, if desired.

Serves 2.

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Come Party With Me: Change the World - Dessert

partysugar — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 11:30:06 -0700

"Bake something for a friend. Next time you need to buy a friend a present, don't. Make them one instead."

That's one of the actions listed in the book Change the World For Ten Bucks. My sister is on the cover and she's spearheading a day of volunteerism. To help, I've offered to make a delicious portable lunch. For dessert, I thought a scrumptious baked good would be appropriate.

Chocolate and peanut butter are no-fail crowd-pleasers and these milk chocolate-peanut butter sandwich cookies look to die for. Placing 2-3 cookies in small baggies tied with ribbon turns them into nicely packaged individual portions. Check out the recipe, read more.

Milk Chocolate-Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies
From Bon Appétit

Ingredients

Cookies
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon (packed) dark brown sugar
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 1/3 cups (about 8 ounces) milk chocolate chips
Filling
3 ounces high-quality milk chocolate (such as Lindt or Perugina), chopped
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
6 tablespoons whipping cream

Directions

For cookies: preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk first 4 ingredients in medium bowl.
Using electric mixer, beat powdered sugar, dark brown sugar, and butter in large bowl to blend.
Add peanut butter; beat until creamy. Gradually beat in vegetable oil and vanilla extract, then egg.
Add dry ingredients; mix just until blended. Stir in milk chocolate chips.
Drop cookie dough by level tablespoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets, spacing about 1 1/2 inches apart.
Bake cookies until puffed and golden brown, about 12 minutes. Cool slightly, then transfer cookies to rack to cool completely.
For filling: place chocolate, peanut butter, powdered sugar, and kosher salt in medium bowl.
Bring whipping cream to boil in heavy small saucepan. Pour hot cream over chocolate mixture; stir until mixture is melted and smooth. Chill until filling is thick and spreadable, about 1 hour.
Spread about 1 rounded teaspoonful chocolate-peanut butter filling on flat side of 1 cookie. Top with second cookie, forming sandwich. Repeat with remaining filling and cookies. (Cookie sandwiches can be made 1 day ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.)

Makes about 2 1/2 dozen sandwich cookies.

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Snack Attack: Creamy Peanut Butter Dip and Fruit Slices

FitSugar — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 10:00:00 -0700

One of my favorite go-to snacks is apples and peanut butter, or ants on a log, but a serving of peanut butter (two tablespoons) contains 180 calories. So if you're watching your calorie intake, here's a way to enjoy that creamy, nutty taste without all the calories. It's made with nonfat Greek yogurt so it's creamy, low in fat, full of protein, and I swear it tastes like peanut butter ice cream!

To find out how to make this creamy peanut butter dip read more.

Take one 5.3-ounce container of nonfat Oikos Greek Vanilla yogurt.
Mix in two tbsp. peanut butter (I prefer crunchy), 1/2 tbsp. honey, and 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon.
Serve with slices of apple, banana, and pear. Store unused portion in the fridge.

Makes four, two-tbsp. servings. Each serving contains 80.5 calories, 3.75 grams of fat, .5 grams of saturated fat, .75 grams of fiber, and 5.5 grams of protein.

St. Patty's Day Treats For Your Four-Legged Friends

PetSugar — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 12:00:00 -0700

Although Samson isn't Irish (obvs), that didn't stop LilPeaPod from making her little guy some special St. Patrick's Day treats to enjoy so he wasn't left out of the celebration fun. She sent in a few photos, and describes how she made the Irish bars with one of my household's favorite ingredients: peanut butter! She writes:

After attending the St. Patrick's Day parade this weekend in San Francisco, I had enough Irish treats and Guinness to last me a week! Since this was Samson's first St. Patty's Day, I didn't want to leave the little guy out of the fun, and decided to make a green-themed treat for him. I took the Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Cookie recipe you posted last year, and cut them into small, bite sized bars. As you can see, I added to the recipe by topping the cookies with a cream cheese and honey frosting. With just a few drops of organic food coloring that I found at my local Whole Foods, I got the nice green tint. It was super easy to make, and my little guy gobbled them up!

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Those cookies definitely look good enough to eat! Check out the full cookie and frosting recipe when you read more.

Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Cookies For You and Fido
Petville

Great tasting cookies that are safe for your pup, and will appeal to your palette as well.

Ingredients

2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 tablespoons of sesame seed oil
1 cup peanut butter-creamy or chunky
1 cup low-fat milk
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups of uncooked oatmeal
Honey (no more than 1/2 cup) – as a yummy extra

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Grease cookie sheet(only 1 needed)
3. Put 2 cups of flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 cup milk, 2 eggs and 2 tablespoons of oil in a bowl, mix well.
4. Heat peanut butter and honey(together) in microwave for 30 seconds and mix into bowl mentioned in #3.
5. Pour 2 cups of oatmeal into bowl and mix well.
6. Pour and spread into cookie sheet.
7. Take 1/2 cup oatmeal and spread on the top and tap down with fork to make it stick when done cooking.
8. Bake for 25 minutes, longer if you want them crispy.
9. Hot or cold, cut treats into 3-inches by 1 1/2-inches and store in sealed container.

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Doggie Friendly Cream Cheese Frosting
Original Recipe

Great topping for your pet-friendly cookies!

Ingredients

5 ounces of low fat cream cheese
1 tablespoon of vanilla
1 tablespoon of honey

Directions
Mix cream cheese, canola oil, vanilla, and honey in a bowl. For color, use one or two drops of food coloring. Frost cookies with mixture and enjoy!

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