chocolate peanut butter revel bars

I am still working my way through my bhg cookbook.  I am trying to make some of the basics and also trying some things I have never heard of.  I had no clue what a revel bar was.  The ingredients sounded good.  Peanut butter, chocolate, oatmeal, salty peanuts and condensed milk .... check, check, check and check!   I tried googling revel bar to find out some background but, I came up short.  A lot of people make them, a lot of people like them but, I don't know why they are called a revel bar.  My takes is these are an oatmeal cookie base with a gooey rich chocolate filling with a hint of peanut flavor topped with an oatmeal cookie crumb.  They are good, they are rich and this recipe makes more bars then one family of 4 should eat.  If you don't need 60 bars then half the recipe and bake in an 8x8 pan.  I think these would freeze well.  I wish I had tried to freeze half rather then what we did which was eat all 60.  Can someone please remind me that summer is almost here?

chocolate peanut butter revel bars 

source: bhg  

14 tablespoons butter, softened   

2 cups  packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon  baking soda
2 eggs 
2 teaspoons  vanilla 
2 1/2 cups  all-purpose flour 
3 cups  quick-cooking rolled oats 
1 1/2 cups  semisweet chocolate pieces

1/2 cup peanut butter 
1 14-ounce can (1 1/4 cups) low-fat sweetened condensed milk
 1/2 cup  chopped peanuts 
2 teaspoons  vanilla

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

In a large mixing bowl beat the butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the brown sugar and baking soda. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla until combined. Beat in the flour. Stir in the rolled oats.

For filling, in a medium saucepan combine the peanut butter, the chocolate pieces, and sweetened condensed milk. Cook over low heat until chocolate melts, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in the nuts and 2 teaspoons vanilla.

Press two-thirds (about 3-1/3 cups) of the rolled oats mixture into the bottom of an ungreased 15X10X1-inch baking pan. Spread filling evenly over the oats mixture. Dot remaining rolled oats mixture on filling.

Bake for about 25 minutes or until top is lightly browned (chocolate filling will still look moist). Cool pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars. Makes 60 bars.

yellow cupcakes with chocolate butter frosting

Back from Barbados! We tried to eat as much local tropical cuisine as possible.  Our meals were heavy in fish (flying fish), vegetable curry wraps (roti) and plantains.  I was surprised that we did not (see Rhianna) or have many options in terms of tropical fruits or fresh vegetables.  We tend to not eat sweets when we are on vacation which is completely odd.  Sounds healthy right?  Well I am certain my thighs are plumped with rum punch, my bum is a bit wider due to its fill of local Banks brew and if you stuck a straw in my belly button certainly pina colada would flow out.  What we lacked in desserts we made up for many times over at the bar.  I came back craving vegetables, baked goods, not wanting to see or taste Mount Gay rum for a VERY long time and really missing my blog/kitchen time.  I really wanted to make a cake when we got back but, due to the extra vacation pounds I packed on and my lack of self control around cake I decided to compromise and make cupcakes.  The recipe is called a yellow cake but, I think this is more of a middle point between a white cake and a yellow cake.  It has egg yokes so, it is not a white cake but, I don't think it has enough eggs or butter to be a true yellow cake.  The cupcakes were still very good but, just not what I think of as a yellow cake.  Maybe I am wrong or maybe I only know yellow cake from a box?  The frosting was really good and although it is a butter frosting it does not have much butter compared to others which I really liked.  The lower amount of butter/shortening took away that greasy taste that some frosting has.  I can't stand that coat your mouth grease taste. Butter frosting is a classic and has a great consistency for spreading on cakes or piping on top of cupcakes. If you like more butter and your stomach is not hanging over your jeans from consuming to many rum drinks then certainly up the butter.  This recipe is easily adapted to taste.  The baked cupcakes freeze great as well.

yellow cupcakes with chocolate butter frosting
source: bhg

2 1/2  cups  all-purpose flour 

2 1/2  teaspoons  baking powder 

1/2  teaspoon  salt 

2/3  cup  butter or margarine 

1 3/4  cups  sugar 

1 1/2  teaspoons  vanilla 

2 eggs 

1 1/4  cups  milk

Preheat: 375.
For cupcakes: Line two 12 cup muffin tins with cupcake liners.  
Cake: Grease two 8",  two 9" or  13x9" pan. (Bake 30-35).

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl beat butter or margarine with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar and vanilla; beat until well combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating 1 minute after each. Add dry mixture and milk alternately to beaten mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just till combined. Pour batter into the prepared pan(s). 

Fill each cup. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 22 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in center of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Makes 24 cupcakes.

chocolate butter frosting

1/3 cup butter, softened

4 cups sifted powdered sugar

1/2 cup sifterd unsweetened cocoa

1/4 cup milk

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

In a mixing bowl beat butter until fluffy. Gradually add 1 1/2 cups of the powdered sugar and cocoa powder, beating well. Slowly beat in the 1/4 cup milk and vanilla.

Slowly beat in remaining powdered sugar. Beat in additional milk, if needed, to reach spreading consistency.

swiss fondue

Fondue is fun.  Fondue is yummy.  Fondue is great with a big group when it is cold outside.  All of these facts logically lead us to host our first annual February Family Fundue night.  We invited my family up from San Diego on a rainy February night for a fondue feast.  We roasted up a ton of vegetables, roasted some chicken and cut up crusty bread and tucked into one plus pound of melted gooey cheesy delight.  This fondue is very flavorful but, mild in the sense that kids can enjoy the cheese as well as adults.  After the pot of cheese was devoured we tackled a pound of wonderful chocolate fondue.  Fun family night.

swiss fondue
adapted: bhg

1 garlic clove halved
1 1/2 cup dry white wine (sauvignon blanc)
13 oz gruyere cheese, grated (~4 cups)
13 oz emmental cheese, grated (~4 cups)
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons kirsch
ground black or white pepper

Rub cut side of garlic on inside of fondue pot.  Pour in wine and bring to a boil on top of the stove.  Reduce the heat to a simmer. 

Put grated cheese in a bowl and toss with flour. Gradually add the cheese to the wine, stirring constantly, letting each addition melt into the wine.  When the mixture is creamy and smooth add kirsch and pepper to taste.  Transfer pot to tabletop and enjoy immediately.

Dip ideas: crusty bread, chicken, fingerling potatoes, green apples and roasted vegetables (broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, carrots, mushrooms and zucchini).

zucchini bread

A goal of 2011 was to get back to the basics.  To learn how to cook/bake at the beginning and tackling some of the easy and basic recipes every mom should have in her arsenal.  In almost every cooks kitchen I notice the BHG cookbook.  I think it is one of those cookbooks you get at the beginning of your cooking adventure post college or at the start of your marriage to learn to cook in order to fill the void of your mom, take out, frozen meals or whatever you were living on before you stepped out into your first big girl kitchen. I have had the BHG cookbook for years and have never made a single recipe from it.  I was not interested in cooking at the start of my marriage.  We lived on the handful of things I could make which included black bean soup (from a package), pasta with meat sauce, boboli and crock pot chicken.  Looking back all I can think is GROSS.  Why didn't I try to learn and feed my husband better?  I am not sure when the desire to learn to cook came on but, it is burning in me now and I go to bed thinking about flavors and combinations and techniques.  I am on a quest to learn and tackle my cookbook collection.  My csa box had zucchinis last week so, zucchini bread from BHG seemed like a good starting point.  This is an easy bread with a moist center and slightly crunchy top.  Next time I will double the recipe and freeze a loaf because it was gone in two days.  I should have watched it a bit closer toward the end of the cook time because it finished at the lower end of the suggested time range.

zucchini bread

source: bhg cookbook

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup shredded zucchini
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1/4 tsp. lemon zest
• 11/2 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 c. chopped walnut or pecan nuts (optional)

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter or spray  a 8"x 4" loaf pan.
2. In a mixing bowl combine the sugar, zucchini, and egg. Add oil and lemon zest; mix well.
3. Add the dry ingredients and stir.
4. Fold in the nuts, if using.
5. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
6. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on a rack.