Buck Eyes

I know everyone makes these, and everyone has their own special way about going about making them, so ignore this if you are stuck in your ways and consider this a post just for myself as the hard copy of this recipe seems to like to disappear on us and it would be great to have an electronic copy for myself.

The recipe I'm listing is already a doubled recipe. Do not double it again. I repeat, DO NOT! It won't fit in your mixing bowl, even your 5 quart, professional class bowl. I learned the hard way and ended up with 160 Buck Eyes, which took forever to roll and even longer to dip.

This recipe is my Mom's and my Grandma's. I don't know who passed it to who, and were it originated from before that.

Makes 6 1/2 Dozen

See I said I made a lot!

Ingredients

1/2 C. Butter

4 C. Icing Sugar

2 1/2 C. Peanut Butter

1 C. Rice Krispies

1 lb Milk Dipping Chocolate

White Dipping Chocolate

Directions

~In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and then add the sugar and peanut butter and mix until combined.

~Add in the Rice Krispies and process briefly to distribute them

~Roll into balls and place on a waxed paper lined cookie sheet.

~Melt the milk chocolate in a microwave safe dish and dip each peanut butter ball and place back on the waxed paper.

~When chocolate has set, melt the white chocolate and drizzle over top (helps to hide the imperfections in the milk chocolate)

Enjoy

Peanut Butter Oat Fudge Bars (No Bake)

So as I believe I've already mention, I don't currently have an oven. You think that's bad enough, but I also have a horrible suspicious that I don't actually have a working hot water tank either. As my last 3 showers have ended up being ice cold. Yeah, that may not sound out of the ordinary for some people, but trust me, I've lived here for over ten years and this is the first time I've ever had a cold shower in this house. Not good I tell you.

But back to the no oven issue, because you guys really don't care if I shower right? The one benefit of the internet. So I got all excited that I had an opportunity to make dessert for this weekend for people other than my direct family / coworkers. Then the awful realization hits, that not many good things can be made without an oven. Or so I thought, I have to take that back now, because I've found this recipe. It is utter, pure bliss. Trust me. Too good, and too easy not to try. And you don't even have to turn the oven on, just the stove top (you probably could get away with just using the microwave if you really are anti-heat right now). I'm not anti-heat ever. I just spent the past weekend in what was practically a dessert and loved it, only to have to return home to 15 degree cooler weather and hearing everyone complain about how 'hot' it is at 21 Celsius. Some people just need to go live at the top of Everest, because they obviously missed out when they were being taught geography, because we live in one of the coolest and wettest places around. Hmm, except when it starts raining they complain that the sun doesn't shine. Ever!

...End rant.

Return to food talk...

This recipe is doubled from what the original called for. If you want to half what I have posted here, prepare it in a 9x9 pan.

This recipe is from allrecipes.com.

Ingredients

2 C. Butter

1 C. Brown Sugar

4 Tsp. Vanilla

6 C. Quick Cooking Oats

2 C. Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

1 C. Peanut Butter

1/4 C. of your favourite chocolate (I used milk chocolate bar), melted

Directions

~Grease a 9x13 baking dish (or a 12x12 as I did)

~In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in sugar and vanilla until dissolved.

~Add in the oats. Stir continuously while they cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until slightly softened.

~Divide mixture into 2 parts. Press half into the bottom of the prepared pan, reserving the other half for later.

~In a microwave safe dish, melt chocolate chips and peanut butter and stir well to combine.

~Spread mixture over top of crust and smooth with a knife.

~Place in fridge for 30 minutes or until chocolate has begun to set.

~Spread the reserved half of the oat mixture evenly onto the chocolate layer. Press gently to adhere it to the layer below.

~Melt remaining chocolate in the microwave on high heat and drizzle over top of the bar.

~Return to fridge for 2-3 hours to set completely.

~Cut into bars.

Enjoy (either straight from the fridge or at room temperature).

Peanut Butter Cup Muffins

Okay, people said these were good. My dog loved me when I was making them because she got to lick the peanut buttery spoons clean. (She's such a good little helper.) I don't actually know what they taste like as I'd much rather eat my Nutella Muffins than these. Plus, I'm not so fond of these muffins for the sole reason that they gave me a horrible time when trying to photograph them. Yup, I don't know what it is about muffins (and breakfast foods and breads) that make them so hard to get a good picture of. Maybe it's that they are all brown and brown isn't the nicest colour. Or even that they are brown and I'm trying to take their picture next to a brown countertop, brown wood board, brown kitchen cupboards, brown walls. I think I've found why I can't get a decent picture. Then again, didn't I say that I don't really care if I have top notch photography (or even mediocre), so I shouldn't be fretting over this. This blog in the end is just for me to document what went right and wrong in the kitchen. Hey, if anyone else wants to read this then that's a bonus.

Yes, this is the same muffin recipe as the one from which I made my Banana Bran Nutella Muffins. In the process of trying to make these muffins dairy free, I think I also created something wonderful. You see, the first time I made these with peanut butter, I threw a couple chocolate chips on top as an after thought because hey, everyone that likes peanut butter seems to love peanut butter cups. Well the verdict quickly came in, they were good but didn't have enough chocolate. So here you have my updated Peanut Butter Cup Muffin Recipe. And yes, they still are pretty healthy (minus the odd chocolate chip or two now in them.)

One thing I did notice is that while you think peanut butter and nutella have a similar consistency, they actually bake up quite differently. With the nutella, I was able to swirl the extra spread on top of each muffin and it just stayed there nicely like I had placed it. The peanut butter on the other hand really melted and oozed over the top of the entire muffin (and looked really horrible and unappetizing). My recommendation: continue to place the nutella on top of the batter, but if you do peanut butter, place the blob of peanut butter on top of the batter and then with a toothpick try to flip the blob upside down so that the entire blob is coated in a bit of muffin batter. Does that make sense? If it doesn't, just push the blob into the depths of the muffin batter. When the peanut butter is encased by the batter it doesn't ooze away and so you bite into a peanut butter surprise.

The original recipe is still from Baking Bites.

Ingredients

Makes 14 Very Large Muffins (or 18 Regular Sized)

1 1/2 C. Whole Wheat Flour

1 C. Oat Bran (or Quick-Cooking Oatmeal)

2 Tbsp. Cocoa

1 Tsp. Baking Powder

1/2 Tsp. Baking Soda

1/2 Tsp. Salt

2 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil

3/4 C. Brown Sugar

2 Large Eggs

1 1/4 Tsp. Vanilla

1 C. Mashed Bananas (about 2 1/2 Bananas)

1/3 C. (heaping) Peanut Butter (+ additional for top ~ 1/3 C. extra)

1 C. Buttermilk

1 1/2 C. Chocolate Chips

Directions

~Preheat oven to 375 F.

~Line muffin tins with liners or grease.

~In a large bowl, combine flour, bran, cocoa, baking powder, soda and salt. Stir to combine.

~In a medium bowl, whisk together oil, sugar, eggs, banana, nutella and buttermilk until smooth.

~Poor wet mixture into dry, add chocolate chips and stir until just combined.

~Fill each muffin tin.

~Drop 1-2 tsp of the additional peanut butter onto top of each muffin, then either push the peanut butter into the middle of the batter or with a toothpick, flip the peanut butter blob around to get the top surface covered by muffin batter.

~Bake until toothpick comes out clean. Approximately 13-15 minutes for regular sized muffins or 15-17 for large muffins.

~Cool muffins in tin slightly then remove to cool completely on a cooling rack.

Enjoy

Fudge Nut Protein Bars

I'm not typically a big fan of protein bars. A coworker of mine said it best, they have a funny taste. Now, there is a couple I'm okay with, and one I actually really like but they're expensive. Some protein bars can be a couple of bucks each. Now when you eat them as a meal replacement that's not too bad of a cost. Or if you cut a bar in half or thirds like I do, again not too costly. No, it's when you eat protein bars like my brother does that you begin to have a problem. You see, he thinks nothing of having a 300 calorie protein bar only minutes after eating his dinner. So his request today was and I quote "if you're going to make something tonight, at least make some more of those protein bars." Yup, I guess I'll chalk that up as a win for me.

Basically, this recipe is a base for something amazing. I've added a lot of different things into the main base of peanut butter / honey / oats / whey / cocoa. Some examples are shelled hemp seed, ground almond, whole peanuts, shredded coconut, etc. The possibilities are really endless and I know that I won't be making these the same way any time I make them because there are just so many different things you can add in to them. It's a good thing to make to use up the tail end of bags of stuff that are cluttering your pantry. Next up for me will hopefully include some flax seed and who knows what else.

Adapted from Spark Recipes.

Ingredients

Makes 12 Bars

1 C. Peanut Butter

2 Tbsp. Maple Syrup or Honey

1 1/2 C. Chocolate Whey Protein Powder

1 C. Rolled Oats

1 Tbsp. Cocoa

+ Additional Add-Ins

Water (amount is dependent on the amount of add-ins - with no add-ins use about 4 tbsp)

Add-Ins (I used this time)

1/3 C. Wheat Bran

1/3 C. Ground Almonds

1/2 C. Water 

Directions

~Place peanut butter and syrup into a microwavable dish and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds on high. Stir to combine.

~Add in the rest of your ingredients and mix until it forms a crumble. 

~Add water, a tablespoon at a time until you achieve a sticky, moist texture (but not wet).

~Press into greased 8x8 dish.

~Place dish into fridge and let set (at least half an hour).

~Once cooled, cut into squares or bars.

~Store in the fridge.

Enjoy

While it may not be the most environmentally friendly way to do things, I wrap each bar up individually so they are an easy grab and go snack, just like a granola bar. 

Alternatively, instead of pressing into a dish, you could roll into balls for something a little different. If the mixture is moist enough you can then even roll the outside in a bit of ground almonds or coconut, etc. Have fun with it.