Peanut Butter Treasures

I totally made up the name of these cookies. I really have no idea what their name is, if they even have a name at all. I almost called them "Peanut Butter Blossoms," but aren't those the peanut butter cookies with the Hershey Kiss on top?

Similar cookie, but different. And different in a way that matters.

Instead of a boring Hershey Kiss (sorry to all you Hershey's Kiss fans out there; I've just never developed a taste for them), I use mini Reese's peanut butter cups. Now those I have developed a taste for!!

Patrick loves these cookies. With the combo of peanut butter cookie and peanut butter/chocolate candy, what's not to love?

And -- dare I say -- these are EASY. And fast. And, really, my "recipe" is more a "how to assemble" list than a recipe, but still.

Take 10 minutes out of your day and try these little gems.


Peanut Butter Treasures
1 recipe peanut butter cookie dough (or, if you are like me, you take the very easy way out and buy peanut butter cookie dough from the store. I'm not too ashamed to admit that I do that ...)
1 bag of Reese's mini peanut butter cups
Sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a mini muffin pan, or use mini cupcake liners. I used mini cupcake liners for the first time a few weeks ago and will always use them from now on. They make removal of the cookies and the subsequent cleanup so much easier. I found them at Wal-Mart, of all places (oddly, though, not with the regular size cupcake liners. I found them in the party supply area, where they had some Wilton items). I think Michael's carries them, too.

After your mini cupcake pan is all ready to go, roll your cookie dough into small balls (1-inch balls or so). Have a bowl of sugar nearby, and roll your cookie dough ball into the sugar. Place in one compartment of the muffin tin. Repeat until cookie dough is gone or all compartments are filled.

Bake for 10 minutes.

While the cookies are baking, unwrap the mini Reese's cups. They need to be unwrapped and ready as soon as the cookies are done baking.

When the cookies are done, take them out of the oven and immediately place one mini Reese's cup in the center of each cookie. Place back in the 350-degree oven for two minutes.

Remove the cookies and let cool in pan.

Enjoy!

Monkey bread

I'm back!!

Well, sort of. Patrick might dispute that statement, seeing as how he has yet to reap many benefits of my culinary adventures of late, but I have been using the kitchen for more than a workspace these days.

I made a chicken pot pie and cookies yesterday for some friends who just had a baby, (I made a double batch of cookies for Patrick, too, so don't feel too sorry for him), I made fruit dip (recipe coming soon) and monkey bread for a baby shower last weekend, and I also whipped up some cranberry "stuff" for Thanksgiving (that recipe is coming soon, too).

See, I've been cooking! But, did you happen to notice the glaring absence of dinners? Hmm... perhaps I should get back on that track?

But first -- MONKEY BREAD!!

This is one of my absolute favorite holiday season recipes. It just takes me back to my childhood. Plus, who can resist biscuits, butter, cinnamon and sugar? What a winning combo! I know that everyone and their mama has a monkey bread recipe, but I needed a recipe for the blog, so here's mine (actually, it's my mom's). It's the recipe I grew up on, and it never fails. In fact, I'm making it again tomorrow morning for our breakfast (I can get away with that because Patrick and I only got to enjoy a bite or two from the baby shower leftovers).

Monkey Bread
Courtesy of Mauri Norman, a.k.a. Mom
3 cans buttermilk biscuits (I actually use the handy four-pack that comes bundled together because it's easier to just grab it than three individual cans, and it works out perfectly.)
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Topping:
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup butter
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Cut biscuits into quarters. Combine 1 cup sugar, 2 T. cinnamon and nutmeg in a large Ziploc bag. Drop biscuits into bag and shake till coated (I do them in six-piece increments to ensure that they all get coated well, but you could also save time and drop them in all at once). Stack into a well-greased bundt pan (I like to sprinkle some of the sugar/cinnamon mixture in between each layer).

In a saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter and 2 t. cinnamon. Heat until sugar dissolves. Pour over biscuits.

Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a serving plate and enjoy!