Thursday, December 13, 2007

Warm Me Up, Peanut Butter Cup!

Okay, okay, cheesy title I know. But I'm stuck home sick with a stomach bug (while it blizzards outside) while Andrew gets to go out for sushi with all his college buds before his last day tomorrow, so gimme this bit of leeway. I'll make it up to you in yumminess, I promise. Well, if you're like me and love the combination of smooth peanut butter and scrumptious chocolate, you will. If you don't, well... this might not be the post for you.

Yesterday my mom and I got to play Santa Claus (or the Devil incarnate, depending on who was dieting!) around her office by giving out shortbreads and chocolate chip cookies (recipe coming!) to her fellow co-workers. Other goodies I managed to bring in, though have no idea how well they were recieved, were these peanut butter cookies with (if you couldn't tell by the colours) yummy yummy bits of Smarties in them! Note that these are the Canadian chocolate from Nestle... not the American candy!! I really hope her co-workers (hi everyone!) did my mom a favour and took these off her hands for her, though, since she moaned that these were her favourites and that she'd be forced to eat them, making her gain some sort of tonnage (yeah right, Mom). All I know is that my chocolate chippers (and the chocolate chip - smartie cookies too) were almost all gone by the time I left that day. These are great and chewy, whole-grain nibbles with a bite from the candies throughout.

The Nuttiest Rainbow Cookies
Serves 24
1/3 cup shortening
½ cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup honey
¾ cup smooth, low-fat peanut butter
1 egg
3 tablespoons non- or low-fat plain yogurt
1 ½ tablespoons vanilla extract
1 ½ cups whole-wheat flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
2/3 cup M&M or Smarties candies, slightly crushed

  1. Pre-heat oven to 350F.
  2. Cream together shortening, sugar, honey and peanut butter until smooth.
  3. Beat in egg, yogurt, and vanilla.
  4. In another bowl, blend flour, baking soda, and salt; stir into the peanut butter mixture until well blended. Fold in M&Ms.
  5. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto un-greased cookie sheets.
  6. Bake 10 minutes, cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 154.4
Total Fat: 7.2 g
Cholesterol: 11.1 mg
Sodium: 71.6 mg
Total Carbs: 20.1 g
Dietary Fiber: 1.3 g
Protein: 3.6 g

Of course, being the cookie monster that I am, I would be out-of-place not to be submitted to something as wonderful as Susan's Eat Christmas Cookies event! The round-up is always being updated, too, so check out the worldwide goodies!

And... what goes better with cookies than something warm to drink?

Since it was so freaking cold and nasty today (both outside and in my Yoga studio... which for some inexplicable reason refuses to warm up beyond freezing temperature) my mind turned to all things warming and hearty... warm fireplaces, hearty stews, and hot chocolate. But not just any hot chocolate, ohhh no. Peanut butter and honey hot chocolate. I'm a convert of the flavour combo, what can I say?? This is an awesome blend... creamy peanut butter, thick golden honey and creamy milk... what could only make this better but rich, dark cocoa? The only note I will say on this recipe (besides make it, and enjoy!) is use no less than 2% milk for this (yes, I know... no 1%, no skim!), and whisk it well. You need the full creaminess for this.

Duo of Decadence Hot Chocolate
Serves 2
2 tbsp unsweeteened cocoa powder
3 tbsp cold water
1 1/2 cups milk (4% is best, use no less than 2%)
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp smooth peanut butter

  1. In a small bowl, combine cocoa and cold water, mixing until thoroughly combined into a paste. Set aside.
  2. In a saucepan, pour milk and honey and stir. Set over medium-low heat.
  3. When milk is warmed through, stir in peanut butter and cocoa paste, whisking to froth slightly and combine fully.
  4. Keep over heat until it reaches desired temperature, but do not let boil.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 233.4
Total Fat: 10.8 g
Cholesterol: 18.3 mg
Sodium: 112.5 mg
Total Carbs: 30.1 g
Dietary Fiber: 2.3 g
Protein: 9.0 g

3 comments :

  1. Thanks for a low fat high flavor cookie, Sarah!

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  2. hey angel sushi was amazing i pigged out and now i am full i had so much fun

    love you angel amazing post just can't look at food for the rest of the night night night i need to finish studying.... happy holidays to all

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  3. I found this blog through Google and tried out this recipe. Yummy! It gets my kid's approval as well!

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Thanks for the feedback!