Gluten Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars Recipe

It's National Cheesecake Day - let's celebrate!

I'm hungry - let's eat!

SPH Gluten Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars
inspired by a recipe in Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine
August 2011 issue

2 packages Glutino chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed into fine crumbs
1/2 cup melted butter
1 package unflavored Knox gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
1/4 cup boiling water
8 oz. room temperature cream cheese
1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup peanut butter, melted
1 cup mini chocolate chips
1 8-oz. container frozen whipped topping, defrosted

Combine cookie crumbs with melted butter.  Press evenly onto bottom and up the sides of a 9 x 13 pan.  Set pan in fridge and allow to chill while making the filling.

Stir gelatin into cold water and let stand one minute.  Add boiling water, stir til dissolved,  and allow to set while preparing cream cheese mixture.

Beat cream cheese, condensed milk and melted peanut butter together in a large mixing bowl.  Beat in the gelatin mixture.  Stir in chocolate chips.  CAREFULLY fold in whipped topping, only until everything is well combined.  Pour this mixture into prepared crust, and allow to chill overnight in the refrigerator several hours or overnight.  Cut into bars and serve.

'Nuff said - enjoy!




This recipe linked to Very Good Recipes.

Gluten Free Dairy Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Almost Fudge Recipe

Quick and simple.  Easy and delicious.  And no heat required!

This is easy enough the kids can help you make it.  It comes out very soft, and is best eaten with a spoon. It's really a method more than a recipe, but it's still ooey gooey good!

SPH Chocolate Peanut Butter Almost Fudge
Peanut Butter
Cocoa Powder
Honey or Agave Nectar

When I make this, I use about 1/2 cup of peanut butter.  I eyeball it - one really big blop.  Then I add about a couple tablespoons of cocoa powder, and stir well to combine.  Squeeze in honey or nectar, stir and taste. Start with a little, then add more as desired.

This can now be spread on a well-buttered plate and refrigerated to make actual fudge, or just eaten straight from the mixing bowl.  Let's just say, mine rarely makes it to the fridge.

Use this to add to a smoothie made with yogurt and bananas.  Make it with a different nut butter, add water and blend for a nondairy milkshake.  This is especially tasty with almond butter.

Enjoy!

Gluten Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes Recipe

March 1 is Peanut Butter Lovers' Day, and I thought it would be fun to do a peanut butter filled cupcake inspired by one of my favorite treats - Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.


Here's what we'll be baking today:

And here is the recipe:
1 box Betty Crocker Gluten Free Devils Food Cake Mix (you can use regular as well)
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup mayonnaise
2 eggs, beaten
2 t. vanilla
2 cans Betty Crocker Rich & Creamy Vanilla Frosting, divided
1 cup peanut butter + 3 tablespoons, divided
2 tablespoons butter
pinch of salt (omit if your peanut butter is already salty)
1/2 cup Pamela's baking mix (or 1/2 cup Bisquick-type baking mix of your choice)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Put cupcake papers in 2 muffin tins

Add cake mix to mixing bowl.  Beat in buttermilk, mayonnaise, eggs and vanilla until smooth.  In a separate mixing bowl, beat 1 cup peanut butter, butter and salt into 1 can of frosting.  Add baking mix, and be sure to combine well.

Now the fun part!  Measure 1/8 cup (2 tablespoons) cake batter into each of the muffin papers.  Using a cookie scooper, gently place 1 scoop of the peanut butter frosting mixture into the cake batter.  This is a great project for a little sous chef.  Add another 1/8 cup of batter to each paper.

Bake for about 25 minutes.  A skewer inserted into the center should come out clean (you may have melted peanut butter).  I tested mine in the center, and also at an angle just to be safe.  Allow to cool completely before frosting.

While the cupcakes are baking and cooling, make up some peanut butter frosting.  In a mixing bowl, beat the 3 tablespoons peanut butter and remaining can of frosting together until smooth and creamy.  Spread or pipe as desired onto the cooled cupcakes.

Eat and enjoy!

TV Appearance & Special Guest Star Today

Pretending to be a celebrity today - will be back tomorrow - COMPLETE WITH VIDEO FOOTAGE!

Helping me out today is my new friend and Special Guest Star Pamela.  She's quite the baker, and I think you'll agree that the goodies she's brought in her basket today are OUTSTANDING!


I am so glad to be here to talk about Healthy Desserts.  I make healthy cupcakes and cookies for my family and community.  It just started out as a hobby and then people started asking me about my cupcakes and cookies, and then Pamela's Heavenly Treats was born.  I am so excited to be able to showcase these healthy desserts, because then I know that what I am making is good for everyone.

When you hear the word "HEALTHY" people cringe and think "YUCK", but if my kids are eating every single cookie and cupcake that I make then I think I am doing something right here.  All you have to do to make your favorite dessert recipe healthy is substitute a few ingredients.  And since I am doing a gluten free recipe today, we only have to use 4 ingredients.  Yes, you read it correctly. This is the easiest, moistest, most peanut buttery tasting cookie that I have ever had.  I made this cookie for my homeschool co-op Valentine's Day party and they were gone in about 10 minutes.



So here we go - I always make double batch so I can get 30 cookies.

Ingredients:
1 cup of Natural Peanut Butter (the kind with the peanut oil on the top)
1 cup of light brown sugar
1 egg (fresh brown eggs)
1tsp gluten free vanilla (or homemade if you make your own)

Preheat oven to 350.  Add all ingredients to your mixer and mix until well incorporated.  Using a small scooper , roll like a ball place on parchment paper lined baking sheet and then press down with a fork. Bake for 10 minutes, let sit for 2 minutes, transfer to wire rack. Enjoy!

I have enjoyed being here on Suburban Prairie.  You may come by my blog to see my healthy cupcake and cookie recipes at Pamela's Heavenly Treats .

Thanks so much, Pamela - we were so glad to have you today!  I hope everyone takes a few minutes to go see your wonderful treats that are up on your blog...

Enjoy your cookies!

 

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cup Truffles Recipe

In honor Elvis Presley, chocolate and peanut butter for his birthday...

When you go gluten free, you understand that you will be losing many foods that you've grown to love.  Most people say breads and pasta.  You don't realize, though, some of your other favorites that will disappear, too.
Believe it or not, there is gluten in candy.  Yep, it's true.  It may hidden in ingredients like malt syrup, it may come from cross-contamination in manufacturing facilities - you get the picture.  So, every year, I seek out the lists of "safe" candy that hit the web around Halloween.  Food manufacturers have started getting hip to the fact that those of us who are GF are a pretty big market share, and we are getting bigger every day.  They want their piece of the action.

One of my favorites has been hit-or-miss on the safe list - Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.  I've seen it listed as safe, I've seen it listed as unsafe.  I've tried them, but with the "unsafe" side-effects.  Others have been able to eat them just fine, like Hubby.

Since I've been on this truffle kick lately, I thought I'd give a similar idea a try - here goes:

SPH Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cup Truffles
1 cup peanut butter - chunky or smooth will be your choice
1-2 tablespoons butter - amount will depend on how "dry" your peanut butter is (mine was from the bottom of the jar so I used the full 2 T)
1 can Betty Crocker (brand) Rich and Creamy Vanilla Frosting
1 teaspoon of salt (trust me, you'll need it to taste "authentic" - you can use less if your peanut butter is already really salty)
Chocolate coating of your choice (chips, melting disks, candy coating) - @ 1 pound
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening

Melt peanut butter and butter together.  In a mixing bowl, beat together peanut butter mixture,salt and frosting.  Scoop into balls, and place on wax paper-lined cookie sheet.

"See the little pretty maids, all in a row"

Chill until firm, about an hour.  I put mine in the freezer.  Meanwhile, melt chocolate and shortening together.  Dip peanut butter balls into chocolate (use a skewer or a fork) and place back on wax paper.  Allow to set (if you can), then eat and enjoy!

 http://verygoodrecipes.com/chocolate