Focusing On What Really Matters With Fluffernutter Chocolate Puddles

Sometimes we all get so caught up in our to-do lists that we lose track of what’s really important. I’ve always struggled with separating the things that I need to do from the things that I want to do. FOr years this has been a constant source of self-inflicted angst. For instance, in high school I would always shoot for the highest A I could get instead of simply being satisfied with a 90%, I used to feel a need to check in with each of the blogs that I read on a daily basis to make sure that I didn’t miss out on anything, and I always tried to publish the greatest possible number of posts here on ModernAlice per week.

While these may be characteristic qualities of perfectionism, a few weeks ago I decided that I wasn’t going to let my goals derail me from simply making the most of every moment and living a bit more spontaneously. Some people may call it slacking off, but I simply call it reevaluating my priorities. Spending time fully focused on my friends, family, and boyfriend is my greatest priority, and I am making sure that my habits and time distribution reflect that.

What this means for my blog is that I may be blogging less frequently and with fewer step-by-step pictures of my baking projects. It also means that when I go out to dinner with my family, I will focus more on the conversation than on snapping blog-worthy photos in hopes of turning a meal into a blog post.

Now back to the cookies….

Goose and my incredible younger sisters helped me whip up these cookies and this recipe was one of my first baby steps toward more spontaneous, relaxed baking. The recipe is pretty simple and adaptable, so this is a great place to start relinquishing my kitchen control.

I baked these cookies twice last year and got rave reviews both times, so instead of spending precious time searching the internet for recipe inspiration, I wanted to share this delicious stand by with you. It combines a slightly healthier peanut butter cookie base with ooey gooey marshmallows and a decadent chocolate glaze. What’s not to love? These are a snap to whip up and a great way to show the people in your life that you care.

This ooey gooey cookie is the antitheses of light and delicate Parisian macarons. It’s a purely American mishmash of beloved flavors: salty peanut butter, sugary marshmallow, and rich chocolate. The cookies are perfect in their imperfection. What matters most about cookies are how delicious they taste, not how beautiful they look. Allow the marshmallows to deform as desires and the chocolate to spread or drizzle however it wants, and simply embrace the puddles of deliciousness.

Fluffernutter Chocolate Puddles 

Adapted from Bakegirl

Ingredients:

• ½ cup white sugar
• ¼ cup brown  sugar
• 
1 egg
1 cup natural peanut butter
• 
1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or extract)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ cup whole wheat flour
• 1 bag of large marshmallows (or you can use minis if you prefer)
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate (chips, bars, or chunks)
• 3 tablespoons of butter
• 1-2 tablespoons of milk (or heavy whipping cream if you want a thicker glaze)
• cooking spray

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, then set aside.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the baking soda, salt, and flour. Set the dry mixture aside.
3. Combine the egg and both sugars in a medium bowl and whisk until the until the mixture becomes pale yellow. Stir in the vanilla.
4. Spray the measuring cup with cooking spray before measuring out the peanut butter, then use a spatula to combine.
5. Add the flour mixture from step two to the wet ingredients and mix until fully combined.
6. Roll the cookie dough into balls, then slightly flatten them and place the disks on the parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Bake the cookies for 5-7 minutes.
7. In the meantime prepare the chocolate glaze by placing the butter and chocolate in the bowl of double boiler. Occasionally stir the mixture, then once it’s almost entirely lump-free, whisk in the milk. Set aside.
8.  Remove the cookies from the oven and lightly press a large marshmallow (or 3-4 small ones) into the top of each cookie and bake for another 2-3 minutes so that the marshmallow softens.
9. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool for 2-3 minutes. Use a fork to lightly drizzle or a spoon to drop the chocolate onto the cookies.
10. Allow the cookies to cool on baking racks for as long as you can wait, then enjoy!

Fluffernutter Cupcakes

If you enjoyed my Peanut Butter M&M Rice Crispy Treats, here’s another recipe for you! These cupcakes are a follow-up to my last post in which I shared a recipe for Homemade Marshmallow Fluff.

I’ve been dying to make these cupcakes ever since I saw them on Gingerbread Bagels, and I figured that my friend’s birthday was the perfect time!  Yes these cupcakes take more steps and require more time than most recipes that I post, but they are well worth it. Nothing can beat the expression of child-like joy that will fill the face of anyone who is lucky enough to bite into one of these fluffernutter-inspired cupcakes.

If don’t have two hours to dedicate to cupcake making, feel free to break this recipe up into various mini projects for a few days. You can make the marshmallow cream up to a week in advance, then make the frosting a day or two in advance, and finally pull it all together by making and decorating the cupcakes.

No this isn’t your everyday cupcake, but this is an ooey gooey indulgence that everyone should try at least once in their lives. Perhaps you save this recipe to your archives, or maybe you decide that you simply must try it today, but don’t let this delicious treat pass you by. Enjoy lovely readers!

Fluffernutter Cupcakes

Yield: 16 cupcakes

Ingredients:

Vanilla Cupcakes

Adapted from the Cupcake Project

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 3/4 cups cake flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/3 cup vanilla yogurt
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup lowfat milk

Fluffy Marshmallow Filling

Peanut Butter Frosting:

From Brown Eyed Baker, Originally from Ina Garden

• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/3 cup heavy cream (or milk)

Instructions:  

1. Preheat oven to 350 F
2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, mix together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Then add the sugar and mix until well combined.
3. Add butter and mix on medium-low speed for three minutes.  Because there is so little butter, you’ll end up with a very fine crumb texture.
4. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, yogurt, oil, and vanilla extract until smooth.
5. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined.
6. Slowly add milk and mix on low speed until just combined.  The batter will be liquid.
7. Fill cupcake liners just over 1/2 full.
8. Bake for 14 minutes and then test to see if they are done. The cupcakes should appear white with specks of vanilla bean. They should not turn a golden brown.  If they are not done, test again in two minutes.
9. When the cupcakes are done, remove them immediately from the tins and leave them on a cooling rack (or just on your counter if you don’t own a cooling rack) to cool.
10. To fill the cupcakes, first fit a piping bag with a round decorating tip and fill the piping bag with the marshmallow cream. Then take a completely cooled cupcakes, insert the tip into the cupcake. Push all the way down to the bottom of the cupcake and squeeze the marshmallow cream into the cupcake. Continue filling all of the cupcakes and set them aside.
11. To make the peanut butter frosting, first place the confectioners’ sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.
12. To decorate the cupcakes, fit the piping bag with a decorating tip and fill the piping bag with the peanut butter frosting. Then pipe the frosting on the cupcake in a swirl, starting from the outside and working your way inward. Continue frosting all of the cupcakes. Finally either take some mini marshmallows and cut each one half then top the cupcakes with the marshmallows, or top the peanut butter frosting with some extra marshmallow cream.

Cleaning Out the Pantry with Peanut Butter M&M Rice Krispy Treats

I know that I just posted about rice krispy treats a few days ago, but they are so simple to make that it inspired me to whip up another batch. I wanted to make artistic rice crispy treats to go along with my art history presentation to make the 13-straight days of presentations less boring, and I decided that as long as I included colorful m&ms, that these would fit the bill.

I had a 3/4 full bag of marshmallows, a nearly empty jar of peanut butter, left over Easter m&ms. To eliminate all of these baking odds and ends in one swoop, I decided to do a variation on my favorite snack. When the sugar pangs strike and we are out of candy, I always throw a few mini marshmallows, some peanut butter, and a few chocolate chips in the microwave for 12 seconds (this really is the perfect amount of time). Hence the inspiration for this delicious treat.

Peanut butter+butter+marshmallows

Stir until smooth

Add in cereal like usual

Think of these treats as fluffernutters with Rice Krispy cereal instead of bread and with m&ms added. Hungry yet?

Peanut Butter M&M Rice Crispy Treats

Ingredients 

• 3 tablespoons salted butter
• 4 cups of mini marshmallows or a bag of large marshmallows
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 5 cups Rice Krispy cereal
• 1 1/2 cups M&M’s (or equal parts m&ms and chocolate chips)

Directions

1. Butter a 9×13 pan and set aside.
2. Melt the butter in a large non-stick saucepan over low heat until melted, then stir in the peanut butter and stir until combined. Add the marshmallows and continue to stir them until fully melted.
3. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the Rice Krispies. Once the cereal is fully mixed in, stir in one cup of the m&ms.
4. Use a buttered spatula to evenly press the mixture into the buttered pan. Press the remaining m&ms into the top of the rice krispies.
5. Allow the rice krispy treats to cool for bout 20 minutes, then cut them into bars. Bon appetit!

The Easiest Cookies You Will Ever Make…Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies with M&Ms

Today I feel very fortunate to be celebrating my 2 1/2 year anniversary with my incredible boyfriend, Goose. He is not only my best friend but also the love of my life. Every month I try to cook something special to  show him how much I care, and this month I decided to cook Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies with M&Ms (after his suggestion of something peanut buttery)

I almost feel like it’s cheating to give him so simple, but the delicious combination of peanut butter and chocolate make these cookies addictively delectable without having to do any baking magic.

1 bowl + 2 types of chocoalte + 6 other ingredients = pure deliciousness

These cookies take a mere 10 minutes plus 12 minutes of cooking time so you could make them while watching the Golden Globes tonight without missing much.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies with M&Ms

adapted from Divine Baking http://www.divine-baking.com/2011/04/best-peanut-butter-cookie-ever.html

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all natural, smooth peanut butter
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup m&ms

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir until combined
3. Use hands to shape the cookie dough into 1 tbs size balls, and place them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet
4. Bake for 10-12 minutes
5. When cookies are firm enough to transfer, allow them to finish cooling on racks

These cookies are so easy that you don’t have any excuse to mkae them. They are the perfect thing to bake with your family tomorrow when eveyone has a day off for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

How are you spending your Monday off sweet readers?