After School Snack: Frozen Peanut Butter Bananas

October 12, 2012 by 1 Comment

These days school is jam-packed full of learning, extra-curriculars, and even a taddy little bit of fun. They’ve even moved lunch time up for many kiddos to make room for other activities. Some children eat lunch at 10:00! What is this world coming to? But they are waking up at the crack of dawn so an early lunch isn’t so bad. But as parents we must be prepared to hear those impending words each afternoon….

I’m huuuuuungry. Can I have a snack?

Can you blame them? They have been busy for 7 HOURS. All of that icky math and science can really work up an appetite you know? The least that we can do is give them a snack. Here’s a simple snack idea for your busy student (or hungry parent!).

Start by cutting up a couple ripe bananas into bite-size pieces.

Microwave 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter and stir in 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder.

Dip each banana piece into the peanut butter and set on wax paper.

You can drizzle any leftovers on the tops if you’d like.

Freeze for at least an hour and you’re done!

Bing bang bong and you’ve got a very tasty (and healthy) snack! It’s a nice little change from chocolate-covered bananas. The peanut butter actually adds nutritional value with it’s healthy fats and boost of protein. Not to mention the potassium in the banana itself. But who cares about all that? The peanut buttery goodness with a hint of cocoa is super yummy!

Here they are after they are frozen. The peanut butter gets hard, but not as hard as chocolate would so you’ll want to eat them pretty quickly after removing them from the freezer. Ie- don’t leave them sitting around for long periods of time.

YUM!

After School Snack: Frozen Peanut Butter Bananas
Recipe Type: Snack, Dessert
Author: Pennywise Cook
Frozen peanut butter bananas create a healthy afternoon snack!
Ingredients
  • 2 Bananas, Cut into bite-size pieces
  • 1/4 c. Creamy Peanut Butter
  • 1/2 tbsp Cocoa Powder
Instructions
  1. Place peanut butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat for about 30 seconds to melt. Stir in cocoa powder until mixed well.
  2. Dip banana pieces into peanut butter and place on wax paper. Drizzle remaining peanut butter over top if desired.
  3. Freeze for at least an hour. Preferably 3-5 hours or longer.

 


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No-Bake S’mores Pie

October 5, 2012 by 3 Comments

Fall is here! On our trip these past couple of weekends I noticed the trees a changin’ and they are just beautiful. It was especially beautiful driving through the mountains in Chattanooga. I love looking down on huge valleys just covered in autumn-colored fall trees. Makes the drive more enjoyable for sure!

Along with the leaves falling and cooler weather, campfires are sure to follow! In fact, we’re thinking about having a family night this weekend around our fire pit. The feel of cool, crisp air mixed with a crackling fire and marshmallows just can’t be beat in the fall. And you can bet that some fall treats will be eaten! S’mores are my all-time favorite campfire food. I enjoy a roasted hot dog every now and then. And popcorn in those foil packages are fun, but s’mores are the real deal.

Even before the weather even pretended to cool off, I got a hankerin’ for a s’more. Somehow, instead of creating just 1 s’more, I ended up creating this pie. That’s ok. I’d rather have an entire pie than 1 s’more anyways.

So this pie is super simple. I wanted to make it a little better for you, so instead of using creams, I opted for a nonfat yogurt. Of course after using an entire bag of chocolate chips, it doesn’t really matter. But hey, at least I make the effort right?

All the prettiness on the top is completely optional. I had just bought the ingredients for my s’more so I had them and thought why not make the pie look pretty? So depending on how pretty you make yours look, you’re talking between 4 and 6 ingredients. Most of which are highly inexpensive and easy to work with. This pie would be a GREAT thing to bring to a cookout get together.

The one thing that I will point out is that the yogurt does give the chocolate filling a bit of a tang. Clearly this was my sacrifice for making something better for you. My daughter noticed this immediately, but it didn’t bother my husband. If you think you might not like that, try using heavy cream instead. Should taste great and give the same type consistency.

Here’s how to make it:

No-Bake S’mores Pie
Recipe Type: Dessert
Author: Pennywise Cook
You don’t have to make a fire to have s’mores! Try this easy pie to satisfy your craving!
Ingredients
  • 1 Graham Cracker Crust (reduced fat)
  • 1 Bag Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (12 oz)
  • 1 c. Plain, Nonfat Yogurt (or heavy cream)
  • 1 tub Marshmallow Cream
  • 2 c. Mini-marshmallows- Optional
  • 5 Graham Crackers for Topping- Optional
  • 1 Hershey Bar for Topping- Optional
Instructions
  1. In a large microwavable bowl, place the chocolate chips and 1 cup yogurt. Microwave on 50% power for 5 minutes. Remove and jiggle the bowl getting the chocolate chips to move around without stirring. Return to microwave and heat on 100% powder in 15-30 second increments until the chips begin to melt. Stir until smooth. Place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour- 2 hours.
  2. Chocolate mixture should be cold. Place in a mixing bowl and whip until the chocolate turns a light brown color. Whip for about 5 minutes on high. Pour into graham cracker crust.
  3. Top with marshmallow cream (though you may not need the entire tub). Top with chocolate pieces and graham crackers if you wish and line the outside with mini marshmallows.

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Parmesan Garlic Knots

September 21, 2012 by 5 Comments

I think I could probably put the word easy in front of just about every recipe that I share with you. I usually don’t attempt or create anything that involves too much work. I don’t have the time or the patience most days to waste on a drawn-out recipe so I enjoy when I can crank something out easily.

My mom has been on an easy recipe kick recently and shared some killer monkey bread with me the last time we visited. Easy is a pretty relative term when it comes to cooking. What might seem easy to one might just be heavy labor to another, but today’s recipe folks is for anyone’s definition of easy. Mom said that she had made a couple different versions of pull-apart bread and one was a savory version that included Parmesan cheese and garlic. I’m not sure that there’s anything better than those two in combination. I loved that idea and it was only a matter of when to make it.

Her monkey bread recipe was so simple and the savory version carried the same instructions with different ingredients.

Preheat your oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or perhaps spray with nonstick spray.

Start out with refrigerated biscuit dough. Let’s not judge here. You do it too. Pop them all out of the can.

My lovely assistant, Addie helped me with the next step. Depending on how big you want your knots you can cut the biscuits in half or leave them whole. I cut mine in half to make slightly smaller knots.

Roll out the dough into a rope.

 

Then in all literalness, tie the ropes into knots. And don’t worry about them being perfect and pretty. They are going to puff up and get eaten, who cares?!

Try to place them with the ends facing down. Then its time to bake them according to the dough’s package. About 8 minutes should do. I found myself checking over and over again because I made my knots smaller. The bottoms ended up slightly dark brown.

While they are cooking, make up the coating. In a large ziploc bag, throw together Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, parsley flakes, Italian seasoning, and oil. My mom used butter for her’s, but I went a slightly healthier way with a mix of olive oil and canola oil.

As soon as they come out of the oven, let them cool for just a second (so they don’t melt the bag) and then while they are still warm, toss them in the cheese mixture. The warmth helps the cheese to stick to them.

They are SO tasty! I took them to a get together the other night and everyone kept saying that they wanted the recipe. There’s almost nothing to them that it seems silly to call it a recipe. Enjoy!

This recipe is thanks to my mommy and with a little help from Spark People.

Parmesan Garlic Knots
Recipe Type: Side Dish, Appetizer, Snack
Author: Pennywise Cook
Turn a simple can of biscuits into a masterpiece fit for any dish by making these Parmesan Garlic Knots!
Ingredients
  • 1 Package Refrigerated Biscuit Dough
  • 2 Tbsp Canola Oil
  • 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 3 Tbsp Grated Parmesan Cheese
  • 1 Tsp Italian Seasoning
  • 1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400°.
  2. Cut each biscuit in half for smaller knots or use whole for larger. Roll each piece into a long rope. Tie into a knot and place onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Place ends down on sheet.
  3. Bake according to package or about 8 minutes until golden.
  4. Meanwhile mix all other ingredients in a large ziploc bag.
  5. Remove knots from oven and allow to cool slightly. While still warm, toss the knots in the cheese mixture until coated thoroughly.
Notes

The cheese mixture did slightly get clogged up in the bottom of my ziploc bag so if you want to avoid that, you can just toss them in a large bowl.

The go really great with spaghetti or pasta!

 


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DIY Dollar Store Graphic Sign

September 19, 2012 by 1 Comment

I’m crossing my fingers that my friend Nikki is not reading this. Not that I don’t want her reading my blog, but she’ll know how much I spent on her birthday present! Money-wise it was literally just $1. That’s all that it cost me to whip this sign up.

How much is a homemade personalized sign for a special friend worth? Worth all the love that was put into it when it was made. 🙂

I was scrambling at the last minute to figure out what to get her. She’s been into cooking lately, so I knew I wanted to do something for the kitchen. My crafty side kicked in and I knew this was what I wanted to make. Knowing I already had the paint and brushes, I knew that I wasn’t really going to need much to make this so I stopped into Dollar Tree to find some type of board or plaque to make the sign from.

The plaque that I chose was of this hideous flower bouquet. It was almost metallic in nature. But it was getting painted over, so I didn’t mind. You can see in this picture that the underlying picture still came through. No matter how many coats I gave this, it still showed up. That’s alright! I think it still turned out pretty cool with a bit of a cloud affect.

To get the lettering on the sign, I used the same technique that I used on my Coffee Mug Holder. Very simple process that just takes a little time, but not money. You use your printer to select your favorite fonts.

And the hanging fabric was just some leftover from a chair recover that I did. You could use a shoelace, yarn, or just whatever you have laying around. I used a stencil that I had for the bottom, but you can find graphics online that can be used for this.

Want to make your own sign? Many of these things you may have on-hand already. Here are step by step instructions.

What you’ll need:

  • Board or plaque for making the sign on.
  • Paint
  • Paint Brushes
  • Printer and paper for making your text and graphics
  • Pencil
  • Ballpoint pen
  • Paint Pen
  • Yarn, shoelace, fabric for hanging
  • Clear Topcoat Spray (optional)

Instructions

1) Start by giving your board or plaque a few coats of your selected paint. Let dry completely.

2) Using your computer and Word or word processing program, choose your text and graphics and their correct size for your sign. You may need to hold them up a few times to the board to get it right. Cut the words out as a whole. Do not cut each letter out separately.

3) Turn the words over and using a pencil, color over the backside of each letter.

4) When your board is dry, lightly tape your word in place how you want them on the board. Use the ballpoint pen to outline each letter. The pencil lead will be transferred to the board. Carefully remove the tape and word.

5) Use your paint pen to carefully fill in the letters. It may take you some time to get used to staying in the lines.

6) If you choose to use a topcoat, spray it down and allow it to dry before moving on.

7) Using a drill or screw, create a hole in each side of your board. My board was ridiculously hard but I managed to screw in a screw and use that hole to pull my fabric through. Pull the fabric, yarn, or whatever you are going to hang it with through these holes. Make a knot so they cannot slip through. Tie the two pieces together in the middle for hanging.

That’s all there is to it! I hope I didn’t leave anything out. Most of the time I just do these things without thinking so typing it out into steps takes some getting used to. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. Let me know if you make your own Dollar Store sign and if you do, I’d love for you to share a photo of it on the Pennywise Cook facebook page!


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Easy Peanut Chicken

September 17, 2012 by Leave a Comment

How was your weekend? Is it really Monday already? The weekend just goes by way too fast. It’s Saturday morning and you’re thinking oh this is nice, I still have Sunday. Then all of the sudden it’s Sunday night and you’re like crap, tomorrow is Monday. Such is life.

I have some good news for you. Well actually, it’s a good recipe for you. It’s definitely good news for those of you who enjoy a little Asian flare. This recipe is via Coach Nicole at Spark People. Which means it’s healthy too! Always a bonus when you like something AND it’s not sky high with calories.

I’m a bad food blogger. I didn’t take many pictures and the ones that I did take are very dark. It was a late night, what can I say. Natural light is very hard to come by when you’re eating dinner at 8:00. So please enjoy the one halfway decent picture that I have for you. 🙂

My family LOVED this chicken. You’ve probably gotten to know a little about my family by now (they’re picky) and so you know that this is big! The only real complaint I have with this sauce recipe is that it doesn’t make very much. I would definitely suggest that you double it if you’re feeding a family of 4. Also, you’ll want to make sure and eat it soon after making it. I placed the sauce in my crockpot while we went to the Y and when we came back it had kinda thickened up in consistency.

This meal came together really fast. No really, it was extremely quick to make. Browning the chicken was the most time-consuming step. And you know how fast you can brown up bite-size pieces of chicken.

Isn’t it nice to learn from someone else’s mistakes?

Easy Peanut Chicken
Recipe Type: Sauce, Main Dish
Author: Coach Nicole (Spark People)
Don’t sacrifice flavor to make something healthy. Enjoy creamy peanut sauce with your chicken in minutes!
Ingredients
  • 1/4 c. Peanut Butter (creamy)
  • 2 tbsp Soy Sauce (low-sodium is best)
  • 1-2 Garlic Cloves, Minced
  • 1/8 tsp Ground Ginger (optional)
  • 1/3 c. Warm Water
  • 2 Fresh Chicken Breasts, Cut into bite-size pieces
  • Salt & Pepper to taste
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
  1. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper and cook until browned.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together all sauce ingredients. Pour over chicken and heat through.
  3. Serve over rice!
Notes

Like I said in the post, I would suggest doubling the recipe. I also added a little bit more water (maybe 2 tbsp) to make it just a little runnier. You can adjust that to your liking.

If you like a little crunch, you can also add a few peanuts to your chicken in the end.

This would also be very tasty with tofu, veggies, or just plain pasta!


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Baked Lemon Berry Donuts

September 14, 2012 by 1 Comment

Ok so those of you who have been reading for a while probably know that I’m a health nut. So after reading the title of this post, you might just be thinking that I’m out of my mind for sharing a recipe for donuts. Well, the keyword in my title is “baked”. You see, donuts are diet devils. I don’t go near them with a 50 foot pole.

That was until I discovered donut bake pans. Now I’ll gladly go within 3 feet of them. No, I still don’t like to get too close. Too much of a good thing can be bad, you know.

There’s really no guilt involved with these donuts. There’s only around 100 calories (104 to be exact) per donut. And we’re not talking about those mini donuts. It’s the big ones y’all! And don’t fret if you don’t have a donut pan. When I first began my quest to make homemade baked donuts, I could not find a pan anywhere to save my life. I ended up getting one online. Then about 2 weeks later, my mom hit the mother-load at a thrift store where she purchased 2 of them for less than $1.

Isn’t that how life works? You can’t find what you’re looking for when you’re looking for it. But when you aren’t looking for it, it’s everywhere.

Sometimes I say, screw life and use a muffin tin! 🙂

This recipe is slightly adapted from Chef Meg’s recipe. I made her blueberry version a while back, but now that the blueberries have skyrocketed in price at the store, I figured strawberries would be a good substitution and would be very tasty with lemon. Don’t worry, the lemon isn’t overpowering. Just the right amount to compliment the strawberries.

Try them out yourself!

Baked Lemon Berry Donuts
Recipe Type: Dessert, Snack
Author: Adapted Slightly from Chef Meg’s recipe at Spark People..
Have one last taste of summer with these Baked Lemon Berry Donuts!
Ingredients
  • 1/2 c. white (or brown if you don’t have white) whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 c. sugar
  • 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 c. plain nonfat yogurt
  • 1 tbsp canola oil
  • Zest of 1 lemon + 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 and 1/2 c. fresh strawberries, chopped
  • TOPPING
  • 1 tbsp + 1 tsp sugar
  • Zest of 1 lemon
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375°.
  2. Spray donut pan with cooking spray and set aside.
  3. Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Combine all wet ingredients, except for strawberries in another bowl. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined.
  4. Gently fold in the strawberries.
  5. For standard donuts, use 2 tbsp of batter for each donut. For the mini-size, use 1 tbsp.
  6. Bake for 10 minutes.
  7. Meanwhile, combine the sugar and lemon zest in a mini food processor until mixed. Place in a large ziploc bag.
  8. Remove donuts from oven and working 1 at a time, shake the donut around in the bag of lemon sugar. Place each on a wire rack to cool.
Notes

It works best to shake them in the lemon sugar when they are still warm. But be careful, they are hot when they first come out and the strawberries are super hot. Give them just a little bit of time to cool.

This will make about 10 regular size donuts or 20 of the mini size.


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Church, Tomatoes, Atlanta, and Giveaway!

September 13, 2012 by

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Creative Commons License photo credit: weisserstier

The last update about church from me was that we were still searching. Searching, searching, and more searching. It has honestly felt like it was never going to get us anywhere. It’s tough hauling the kids around to different churches. That wouldn’t be so bad if Addie didn’t get exposed to super fun churches where they have indoor playgrounds and THAT is the expectation that is in her mind from now on.

No church will ever be as good to her as the one with the indoor playground. Thanks, church that will remain anonymous. It wasn’t even a bad church either, just not for us.

The funny thing is that the very first church that we tried right after we left our last one will most likely become our new church home. It’s as if we wasted a bunch of time looking elsewhere. But I realize this is a journey. Sometimes you have to see what else is out there before you can really know how extraordinary something actually is. Our decision to plant roots at this church isn’t completely set in stone, but we are planning to attend their classes on the church’s history, getting involved, and meeting the people there. I must say, it feels relieving to think we might not have to look any further. I felt homeless without a permanent place.

There are things that I feel that I’m “settling” on. However, I always think that I’m just a weeeeeeee bit picky too. And after all, it’s just a building and my relationship with the Lord is way beyond that building.

Say hi to my perfect little tomato! This very tomato was grown in my garden. Aren’t you proud? I have actually been able to create something edible! I pick on myself, but my garden has actually been doing really well. I got a couple of squash from it before I had a huge lot of bugs come along and kill that plant. But my green bell peppers, snap beans, and tomatoes have been doing really well. It took forever for the tomatoes to actually turn red, but now that they have started it seems there are 3 or 4 of them turning red per day!

We’ve been eating fresh snap beans a lot and those are just fantastic when they are so fresh. I’ve gotten some really nice compliments from the family about those. I can’t help but take a little pride in my little raised garden. I’m planning to make it ever better next year.

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Creative Commons License photo credit: natetheape21

It’s been a while since hubby and I got to go on a little overnight getaway so we are taking a trip to Atlanta soon. I’m very excited to get away from reality for a couple days and hopefully rewind a bit. I haven’t been to Atlanta since I was a kid, so it’ll be an entirely different experience as an adult I’m sure. We don’t have a huge load of plans while we’re there. There’s only so much you can do in a couple of days, but I do plan to go to Ikea! I’ve never been there before *gasp* so that is one of the highlights of the whole trip.

Of course, thrift stores won’t be out of the question either. We’re going to try and take Marta anytime that we go close to downtown. If it’s anything like our Nashville traffic, you won’t find me driving in it. And parking, don’t get me started. I refuse to pay crazy prices to park!

Have any suggestions for a frugal Atlanta getaway? Or suggestions for places we should go or visit or EAT? Please leave a comment with it! We’ll take any help we can get!

And lastly y’all, I’m feeling generous. So how about a giveaway? Just in time for tailgating and football parties, check out this Omaha Steaks Grilling package!

One of you extremely lucky readers is going to win this Omaha Steaks Spring into Savings Grilling Package which includes:

  • (4) 6 oz. top sirloins
  • (4) boneless chicken breasts (1 lb. total)
  • (4) 4 oz. Omaha Steaks burgers
  • (8) 3 oz. gourmet jumbo franks
  • (10) potatoes au gratin

I got this same package this year and it is awesome. I love the quality of their meats!

So how do you win?

Mandatory entry: Leave a comment on this post just saying hi or what’s up. Or you could leave a suggestion about Atlanta for me!

Optional Additional Entries:

  • Like Pennywise Cook on facebook. Leave a comment on this post telling me that you did/are.
  • Follow Pennywise Cook on twitter. Leave a comment on this post telling me that you did/are.
  • Follow Pennywise Cook on pinterest. Leave a comment on this post telling me that you did/are.
  • Subscribe to Pennywise Cook’s daily recipe via email. Leave a comment on this post telling me that you did/are.

This giveaway will end on Friday, September 21st at 11:59pm CT. I will select a winner at random via And the Winner Is WordPress Plugin and they will be contacted on Saturday, September 22nd and they will have 24 hours to respond. If I have not heard back from them, I will name a new winner. The winner’s prize will come via mail so a mailing address will be necessary for shipping. This giveaway is only open to those in the USA. This giveaway is being provided by Pennywise Cook with no affiliation with Omaha Steaks.


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Homemade 3 Musketeers Bars

August 22, 2012 by 9 Comments

Oh man, I’m still on a sugar high from all of this week’s candybars. When you have bowls of fillings and melted chocolate in front of you, it’s impossible to resist. I’m just sayin’.

We’re going to go a bit lighter today on our candy bars and talk about how to make Homemade 3 Musketeers Bars. Once again, the simplicity of this recipe stunned me. There are once again just 3 ingredients in this one and it’s as simple as pie to make. Well, maybe not apple pie. It’s really not that easy to make apple pie from scratch is it?

I digress…

The main ingredient in the filling for these candybars is whipped cream. You don’t get much fluffier than that, huh. I think that’s why it’s so much lower in fat than most other candybars. It also explains it’s lighter than air texture.

You simply melt up 2 cups of chocolate chips. I used semi-sweet this time around, but I won’t be using those next time.

UPDATE- I tried the nougat part with milk chocolate and it made it WAY too runny, so I do not advise using the milk chocolate chips.

Anywho, melt those up in the microwave or double boiler (I prefer this method) and then give them a good whippin’ with your mixer. Beat in an 8 ounce container of cool whip just until combined and fluffy.

Pour into a lined square dish and freeze. The longer, the better. At least 30 minutes, but overnight is great!

Sorry this picture is so dark. I got these put together at night and the lighting was just horrible. But you get the idea don’t you?

Once frozen, cut it into bite-size squares and dip into your melted chocolate wafers. I used a fork to turn and coat them well. These were a little more difficult to work with than the Butterfingers. These didn’t turn out as pretty for me, but they were still tasty!

Recipe from Monster Mama.

Homemade 3 Musketeers Bars
Recipe Type: Dessert, Candy, Snack
Author: Adapted from Monster Mama
Ingredients
  • 2 c. Milk Chocolate Chips
  • 1 8 oz Tub Cool Whip (You can even use sugar-free or fat-free!)
  • 2 c. Chocolate Melting Wafers
Instructions
  1. Melt chocolate chips in microwave or using a double boiler (I use this method). If you do use the microwave, it’s best to melt them on 50% power in 30 second intervals, stirring between each spurt.
  2. Beat your melted chocolate chips with a mixer for about a minute. Add in the cool whip and beat just until combined and fluffy.
  3. Pour into a lined 8×8 baking dish and freeze for at least 30 minutes. The longer, the better!
  4. Take out and cut into bite-size squares.
  5. When frozen, melt chocolate wafers according the package directions and using a couple forks, roll the squares until coated. Place on a wax-paper lined baking sheet. Place in the freezer to set.

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Homemade Butterfingers

August 21, 2012 by 7 Comments

We’re now on day number 2 of our CandyBar Week here at Pennywise Cook. It’s great making cakes and cookies and casseroles and all, but there is great satisfaction that comes when you have a batch of homemade candybars laying around. I’ve been using them for more than just eating by themselves. I’ve thrown a few in homemade ice cream a couple of times. They also make great bribery tools for the kids. And the husband…

Today’s homemade candybar is Butterfinger! Oh yeah, that’s right. Peanut Buttery, orange goodness. You might just be surprised by what exactly goes into these.

It’s possible that you may need to have a seat before you continue reading.

Almost everyone that tasted these could not guess what it was that these are made of. But they ALL said they taste exactly like the real thing.

It all starts with the famous fall candy, candy corn. I’m a big fan of it myself, but just like coconut I know there are some who don’t like it. It doesn’t matter. If they like Butterfingers, they will like your candybars even though they contain candy corn. If you’re concerned about whether that will make a difference, just don’t tell them. It can be our little secret.

But you might just be dying to share this 3-INGREDIENT recipe with everyone.

It starts with 1 pound of candy corn getting all smooth and melty in the microwave. I was a little surprised, but this was my first experience melting candy corn. It was fun. I was surprised at how quick it went back to being firm again.

Here’s a view of the melted candy corn awaiting the arrival of peanut butter. That’s the next step once you get it melted. Stir in a 16 oz jar of creamy peanut butter.

Then it’s time to pour it into a square pan to freeze. I used another piece of wax paper to smooth the top out and create a perfect square. I didn’t freeze it with the wax paper on top.

No need to freeze it long. Just let it get firm for about 15 minutes. You’ll find that the candy corn really firms up well.

Cut it into squares. You decide how big. Just eyeball it. I tried to make mine smaller so I could eat more. 🙂

Then it’s all a matter of using two forks to roll the squares through melted chocolate wafers. When I started, mine were really ugly y’all. But as I went on, I got better and they began to look fairly similar to a candybar. I even used my fork to drizzle little lines on the top to mimic the real thing. Not perfect, but I think it was a nice touch.

And they turned out SO good! They taste so incredibly similar that it’s crazy. I was very impressed with them and I know you will be too!

Let me know if you make them!

Recipe adapted from Plain Chicken.

Homemade Butterfingers
Recipe Type: Dessert, Candy, Snacks
Author: Adapted from Plain Chicken
With just 3 simple ingredients, you can create your very own Butterfinger candybars!
Ingredients
  • 1 Pound Candy Corn
  • 16 oz Jar Creamy Peanut Butter
  • 2 Cups Chocolate Wafer Melts
Instructions
  1. Melt candy corn in the microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir then continue microwaving in 15-second increments until melted completely. Stir between each interval.
  2. Stir in the peanut butter until smooth. Pour into a lined or greased 8×8 square baking dish. Freeze for about 10 minutes. Place wax paper onto a cookie sheet.
  3. Cut into small squares. Melt chocolate wafers according to package. Using two fork, roll the square into chocolate coating all sides. Lay on wax paper and allow to firm. Freeze for about 10 minutes once all are coated.

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CandyBar Week: Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

August 20, 2012 by 2 Comments

Happy Monday! There are only about a million reasons why today is a GOOD Monday, y’all. First off, my oldest baby starts kindergarten today! It just doesn’t seem right. I’ve been at home with her since the beginning and it’s going to be really different around here without her energetic self. I might just be able to keep the house clean. 😉

Another reason that today is a great day is because I had a fantastic weekend and someone those always seem to make way for a good week. Enjoyed some time with all of my family. I got to snuggle my step-sister’s little boy and even worked a little Scrabble game in. My dad even made me up some homemade ice cream. You know, the automated cranked kind. (I must be really special, huh?!) It was such a wonderful weekend and makes me so thankful for my family.

The biggest reason that I’m so glad that it’s Monday is that I have now declared TODAY the beginning of CandyBar Week here on Pennywise Cook! Oh yeah, we’re talking homemade versions of your favorite candybars that take very little time, money, and effort. I had no idea how easy my favorites were to make! I’m so glad to share these with you this week. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have.

And my entire family and friends have. I have now shared some of my candybars with most of my family by request. They were all in aw of how close they were to the real thing! And by the ingredients too….you might be surprised what it takes to make them. But I’ll shut up now and start you off today with Homemade Peanut Butter Cups!

I can already tell you that you will love these Homemade Peanut Butter Cups. Much like the original Reese’s Cups, these are much more special because they are made with love and ingredients from your very own kitchen. Can’t you just imagine them as perfect Christmas gifts?

Grab your old trusty double boiler, or perhaps your two small saucepans like I do. Throw some hot water in the bottom one and get it going on a slow boil. Melt up a cup of milk chocolate chips. Or use your microwave if you’re brave. I’m not, so I use my saucepans.

Line a muffin tin with liners and drop a thin amount of melted chocolate into each cup. Use your spoon to get it into each little crevice of the liners. This is what really makes it look like a peanut butter cup. Then pop them in the freezer for a bit while you whip up the filling.

The filling is super easy. In a mixer, mix together natural peanut butter, powdered sugar and honey. Voila! It’s ready to be rolled and then flattened into your frozen bottoms.

Use about a teaspoon of the filling per cup. Roll it up into a ball, then flatten onto the chocolate leaving a little space around the outside. This way the chocolate can ooze down in there to create a smooth outer shell.

Melt another cup of chocolate chips and smooth it on top of each cup and freeze for a little bit longer and you’re done!

So tasty and so close to the original thing that you’ll believe that’s just what you’re eating.

The first time I made them, I used semi-sweet chocolate chips for the coating. It was ok, but not near as good as the milk chocolate. We liked the ones made with them a lot better. I also made them in the mini muffin tins the first time and the second batch was in the larger ones. After having it both ways, my hips told me to go back to the smaller muffin tins next time. 🙂

Mine weren’t perfect by any means, but here’s the inside. Oh my goodness, I want one right now y’all!

Let’s talk about how to make them…

CandyBar Week: Day 1- Homemade Peanut Butter Cups
Recipe Type: Candy, Dessert, Snack
Author: Pennywise Cook
With just 4 ingredients, create peanut butter cups that rival even the biggest peanut butter cup competitors.
Ingredients
  • 2 c. Milk Chocolate Chips
  • 1/2 c. Natural Peanut Butter
  • 3 Tbsp Powdered Sugar
  • 1 Tbsp honey
Instructions
  1. Melt 1 cup of the chocolate chips in a double boiler. Drop equal amounts into a lined mini muffin pan. Use a spoon to even it out into the crevices of the liner. Place in freezer for 5-10 minutes while you make the filling.
  2. With a mixer, whip together the peanut butter, powdered sugar, and honey. If you notice your filling being a little too thick, pour a few drops of the natural peanut butter oil into it to thin it out just a bit. It should be like dough and able to be rolled.
  3. Remove the chocolate from the freezer. Roll the filling into 1 teaspoon- 1 and 1/2 teaspoon balls. I used about 1 and 1/4 tsp for mine. Flatten them on the chocolate leaving a little space on the outside of the filling for the chocolate to go into.
  4. Melt the other cup of chocolate chips and even pour equal amounts on top of the peanut butter filling smoothing it out as you go. It’s best to do one cup at a time because the peanut butter can make the chocolate harden faster this time.
  5. Freeze for about 10 minutes then serve!

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