Cake

I want something snacky!

Who hasn't said (or, at least, thought that on occasion? Dessert is perfect for those times, and cake really fits the bill. Check out the Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake, the Cherry-Cola Dump Cake, or any of the other yummy cakes in today's post. Enjoy!

ALMOND BERRY LAYER CAKE

This is from The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. The recipe begins, "Behold! An ode to summer in cake form. In this towering dessert from the food stylist and cookbook author Susan Spungen, crumbly yet tender layers of almond cake are layered with mounds of fresh berries and a rich filling of mascarpone and crème fraîche. It's not difficult to make, but it does take some time, so save this for a lazy Saturday when you've just scored piles of perfect berries from the farmers' market."

Yield: 1 cake; Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

This was featured in "Trunk Food," and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/8588-almond-berry-layer-cake.

Ingredients

For the cake:

Unsalted butter, for greasing pans

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, plus more for pans

1-3/4 cups whole blanched almonds

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 large eggs

2 large egg whites

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla or almond extract

For the filling:

1 pound mascarpone cheese

8 ounces crème fraîche

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

3/4 cup confectioners' sugar, plus more to taste

1 tablespoon kirsch or amaretto, optional

For assembly:

2 pounds (about 6 cups) mixed berries

Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Preparation

For the cake:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush 3 (8-inch) round baking pans with butter and line the bottoms with parchment paper cut to fit. Brush with butter again and dust with flour, tapping out excess.

Place 1 tablespoon flour, the almonds, baking powder and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely ground.

Fill a pot (large enough to set the bowl of an electric mixer in it without the bowl touching the bottom) with 1 inch water and bring to a simmer over low heat.

Place the eggs, egg whites and sugar in the bowl and gently whisk to incorporate. Place the bowl over the pot of steaming water and whisk constantly until the sugar has dissolved, about 3 minutes.

Return bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until pale yellow, thick and fluffy, about 7 minutes. Add vanilla and gently stir to combine.

Using a rubber spatula, gently fold almond mixture into batter. Divide batter evenly among pans and bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. The centers will rise and fall during baking. Transfer pans to a wire rack and let cool 5 minutes. Run a butter knife around the edges of the cakes and turn them out onto a flat plate or cardboard round. Peel off parchment and invert onto another plate or round. Cakes should be right-side up. Cool completely and wrap in plastic wrap if not using immediately.

For the filling:

In a chilled metal bowl, whip the mascarpone and creme fraiche, either by hand or with an electric mixer, until it holds its shape and is not at all runny. Add the lemon zest, confectioners' sugar and liqueur, if using, and beat to combine well. Add up to 2 tablespoons more sugar, to taste, if you choose.

To assemble:

Place one of the cakes on a serving plate. Top with 1/3 of the mascarpone filling and 1/3 of the berries. Repeat with the remaining 2 layers, leaving the prettiest berries for the top. If not serving right away, chill until ready to serve. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve.

EARL GREY TEA CAKE WITH DARK CHOCOLATE AND ORANGE ZEST

This is from Samantha Seneviratne in The New York TImes cooking page. Samantha wrote, "Loose Earl Grey tea stirred into buttery cake batter adds a sweet, floral essence that’s subtle but lovely. A little dark chocolate and orange zest makes this cake extra special. While you could use chocolate chips, using chocolate chopped from a bar produces the best result: The varying sizes of chopped chocolate blend in nicely without overpowering the delicate tea flavor."

Yield: 8 to 10 servings; Time: 1 hour, plus chilling

To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021062-earl-grey-tea-cake-with-dark-chocolate-and-orange-zest.

Ingredients

For the Frosting:

3/4 cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons loose Earl Grey tea

1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

1/2 cup mascarpone or softened cream cheese (see Tip)

For the Cake:

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pan

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon loose Earl Grey tea

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest (from 1 large orange)

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1/2 cup whole milk, at room temperature

1/4 cup chopped dark chocolate

Preparation

Prepare the frosting: In a small saucepan, bring 1/2 cup heavy cream to a simmer over medium-high heat. Stir in the tea, remove from the heat, cover and let stand for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour. Strain the tea through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding the solids, and chill the remaining cream until completely cold, at least 1 hour.

Prepare the cake: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch round cake pan and line with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, tea, baking powder and salt.

In large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the orange zest and beat to combine. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Beat in the flour mixture on low, until just combined, then beat in the milk. (Don’t overmix.) Add the chocolate and fold it in using a spatula. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake just until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs attached, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool for about 15 minutes. Then tip the cake out onto the rack to cool completely.

To finish the frosting, add the remaining 1/4 cup/60 milliliters cream and the confectioners’ sugar to the tea cream. With an electric mixer on medium, beat the cream mixture until medium-stiff peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the mascarpone and beat just until stiff peaks form. (Do not overmix.) Top the cake with the frosting to serve. Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days; let come to room temperature before serving.

Tip

If using cream cheese instead of mascarpone, because it has a thicker consistency, whip the cream cheese with the confectioners' sugar first, then add the whipped tea cream.

>RHUBARB CAKE

This is from Emily Weinberger on the Food Network site. The recipe begins, "Greek yogurt is the secret to this rhubarb cake, producing a sweet and tangy batter. The crunchy topping--spiced with nutmeg and ginger--gives off serious coffee cake vibes. It's perfect for breakfast with a mug of tea and makes a showstopping and delicious dessert for a dinner party."

Active Time: 30 minutes; Total Time: 2 hours 40 minutes (including cooling time); Yield: 10 to 12 servings; Level: Easy

To view this online, go to https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/rhubarb-cake-12470457.

Ingredients

Crumb Topping:

3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup packed light brown sugar

1/3 cup old-fashioned oats

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Pinch of ground nutmeg

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

Cake:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pan

2 cups all-purpose flour (see Cook's Note)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup granulated sugar

3 large eggs

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt

3 stalks rhubarb (about 7-1/2 ounces), sliced 1/8 inch thick (about 3 cups)

Directions

For the crumb topping: Combined the flour, brown sugar, oats, ginger, salt and nutmeg in a small bowl. Add the butter and mix thoroughly with your fingers or a fork until all the butter has been evenly distributed and incorporated into the flour. Form into small to medium clumps with your fingers. Set aside.

For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8-inch square cake pan.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.

Beat the butter and granulated sugar together in a large bowl with an electric mixer (or using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment) on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.

Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix the flour mixture in 3 parts, alternating with the Greek yogurt in 2 parts, beginning and ending with the flour and beating until just incorporated. Fold in the rhubarb using a rubber spatula. Take care not to overmix the batter.

Spoon the batter (it will be thick) into the prepared pan and smooth with an offset spatula. Sprinkle on the crumb topping, distributing it evenly.

Bake until the topping is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with just a few moist crumbs, 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes. Let the cake cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, about 1 hour.

Cook’s Note

When measuring flour, we spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level off excess. (Scooping directly from the bag compacts the flour, resulting in dry baked goods.)

CHERRY-COLA DUMP CAKE

This yumminess comes from Betty Crocker, and begins, "Super easy to prepare: Just mix devil's food cake mix with cola and pour over cherries. Bake for one hour and voila!"

Prep Time: 5 minutes; Total Time: 60 minutes; Servings: 9

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 jar (16 oz) maraschino cherries with juice (without stems)

1 box Betty Crocker™ Super Moist™ devil’s food cake mix

1 cup cola-flavored carbonated beverage

Directions

Heat oven to 350°F. Into ungreased 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish, “dump” cherries with cherry juice.

In medium bowl, mix cake mix and carbonated beverage. “Dump” mixture over cherries.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool about 15 minutes before cutting and serving cake.

Expert Tips

Serve with whipped cream and additional cherries.

You could substitute cherry pie filling in place of the maraschino cherries and juice.

PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE CAKE

This recipe comes from Publix.

Servings: 8; Total Time: about 3 hours; Active Time: 10 minutes

To view this recipe online, click here.

Ingredients

Butter-flavor cooking spray

1 (15.25-oz) box devil's food cake mix

2 cups water, divided

2 large eggs

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1 (4-oz) semisweet chocolate bar (or morsels)

1/4 cup peanuts, chopped

8 tablespoons whipped topping

Directions

Coat 4-quart slow cooker with spray. Place cake mix, 1 cup water, and eggs in large bowl; beat with hand mixer until blended. Add peanut butter; mix well and pour mixture into slow cooker.

Microwave remaining 1 cup water on HIGH for 2 minutes or until steaming. Break chocolate into pieces, if needed, then place in water and stir until melted; let stand 1 minute to cool. Pour chocolate over batter in slow cooker.

Cover and cook on LOW for 2 – 2-1/2 hours (or HIGH for 1-1/2 – 1-3/4 hours) or until toothpick inserted near center comes out with fudgy crumbs. Chop peanuts. Serve cake straight from slow cooker topped with whipped topping and peanuts.

BLACKOUT CAKE

This recipe, on The New York Times cooking site is from Ebinger's, and adapted by The New York Times. It begins, "This absurdly rich chocolate cake came to The Times in a 1991 article by Molly O'Neill about Ebinger’s, the legendary chain of Brooklyn bakeries that closed its doors in 1972 after 74 years in business. Their wildly popular blackout cake, a three layer devil's food cake filled with dark chocolate pudding, slathered with chocolate frosting and covered with chocolate cake crumbs, had a cult-like following in its day. This recipe isn't authentic (the Ebinger family never shared the original recipe with the public), but Ms. O'Neill claims in her book, 'The New York Cookbook: From Pelham Bay to Park Avenue, Firehouses to Four-Star Restaurants,' that this version got the thumbs-up from 'a panel of twelve Ebingerites.' That's enough for us."

Yield: 1 cake; Time: 3 hours plus chilling

This recipe was featured in "The Cake Box From Heaven (Brooklyn, of Course) is Back" and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018772-blackout-cake.

Ingredients

For the cake:

1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa

1/4 cup boiling water

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

3/4 cup milk

2 cups sugar

2 sticks unsalted butter, slightly softened, plus 2 tablespoons for the cake pans

4 eggs, separated

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups flour, plus 1 tablespoon for the cake pans

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

For the filling:

2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa

2 cups boiling water

3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

1 ounce bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 tablespoon cold water

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons butter

For the frosting:

12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

3/4 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup hot water

1 tablespoon corn syrup

1 tablespoon vanilla

Preparation

Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

To make the cake, place the cocoa in a small bowl and whisk in the boiling water to form a paste. Combine the chocolate and milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently as the mixture warms and the chocolate melts, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk a small amount of the heated chocolate milk into the cocoa paste and then whisk the cocoa mixture into the milk mixture. Return to heat, stir for one minute, remove and cool until tepid.

In the bowl of a mixer, cream the sugar and butter together. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time and add the vanilla. Slowly stir in the chocolate mixture.

Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Using a spatula or a wooden spoon, slowly add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture. In another bowl, whip the egg whites to form soft peaks and, using a rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the batter.

Butter and lightly flour two 8-inch round cake pans and divide the batter between the two pans. Bake for 45 minutes and cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Gently remove the cakes from the pans and continue to cool.

While the cake is baking, make the filling. Put the cocoa into a saucepan and pour in the boiling water and place over low heat. Add the sugar and chocolate. Dissolve the cornstarch in the cold water to make a smooth paste. Whisk the cornstarch into the water and chocolate, add the salt and bring it to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil for one minute.

Remove the pan from the heat, whisk in the vanilla and the butter, and transfer the mixture to a bowl and refrigerate until cool.

Make the frosting. In a double boiler, melt the chocolate. Remove from heat and whisk in the butter, one tablespoon at a time, returning to heat if necessary to melt the butter.

Whisk in the hot water all at once and stir until smooth. Whisk in the corn syrup and the vanilla. Refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes before using.

Assemble the cake. Use a sharp knife to slice each cake into two disks to form four layers. Set one layer aside. Place one layer on a cake round or plate. Generously swath the layer with filling. Add the second layer and repeat. Add the third layer. Quickly apply a layer of frosting to the top and the sides of the cake and refrigerate for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, crumble the remaining cake layer. Apply a second layer of frosting to the cake, press cake crumbs into the top and sides of the cake, and serve within 24 hours. Store in a cool place.

Dessert - Double-Post Tuesday

Besides being Taco Tuesday, it's also Double-Post Tuesday. Today's double post deals with desserts, and includes Rich Raspberry Swirl Brownies and Chocolate Pudding With Raspberry Cream. Enjoy!

WORLD'S BEST CHOCOLATE PIE

This is from Diana Rattray at The Spruce Eats. She wrote, "This pie is made extra tasty with baker's chocolate and homemade whipped cream topping."

Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 14 minutes; Total Time: 34 minutes; Makes 8 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.thespruceeats.com/worlds-best-chocolate-pie-3053489.

Ingredients

Pie:

1 (9-inch) prepared graham cracker pie shell

1 cup of sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons flour (all-purpose)

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 cups of milk

3 egg yolks (slightly beaten)

4 (1-ounce) squares Baker’s unsweetened chocolate

2 tablespoons butter (unsalted)

2 teaspoons vanilla

Topping:

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon Hershey’s cocoa

Directions

Blend the sugar, cornstarch, flour, salt, and 1 cup of milk together with a wire whisk.

Whisk in the remaining 2 cups of milk.

Cook over medium heat for 8 to 9 minutes, until the mixture thickens, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and whisk in the egg yolks.

Return to medium heat and cook, stirring constantly for 2 to 3 minutes more.

Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate squares, butter, and the vanilla. Stir until smooth and all the chocolate is melted.

Cool for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour into graham cracker pie and shell refrigerate for 4 hours.

For the topping, beat the whipping cream until soft peaks form.

Add the sugar slowly and beat until stiff peaks form.

Spread onto the cooled pie.

Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of Hershey’s cocoa and serve.

WHOLE ROASTED PINEAPPLES

This was in an article titled "Vision Quest, Recipes for Eye Health" in the July 2020 issue of Taste for Life (page 15).

I had picked up a copy of Taste for Life at Rollin' Oats, a Florida health food store with two locations (Tampa and St. Petersburg). Since I live close to the St. Pete store, I try to go there as often as possible (though not often enough, as far as I'm concerned). If you're ever in the area, I highly suggest giving them a try.

This recipe has a prep time of 30 minutes and serves 6.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp coconut sugar

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 Tbsp coconut oil

2 pineapples, peeled

To Garnish

Toasted coconut flakes

Dairy-free ice cream

Fresh mint

Maple syrup

Lime zest

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Add coconut sugar, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper to a small bowl and mix together.

Place a large non-stick pan over a medium heat and add coconut oil. When hot, add whole peeled pineapples. Turn pineapples so they color on all sides. Sprinkle over sugar mixture while they are cooking.

When pineapples are golden, place them onto a baking sheet and then into over for 15 to 20 minutes.

Once pineapples are baked, carve them at the table. Serve with toasted coconut flakes, ice cream, fresh mint, a drizzle of maple syrup, and a little lime zest.

CHOCOLATE PUDDING WITH RASPBERRY CREAM

This comes from Yossy Arefi on The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Yossy wrote, "This rich, creamy chocolate pudding is a comforting dessert for two that comes together in no time at all. Use Dutch-process cocoa powder for the richest chocolate flavor, but natural cocoa will work too, if that’s what you keep around. This pudding is also easy to dress up for any occasion. Raspberry cream and a handful of fresh raspberries adorn this version, but you could also top with a dollop of whipped cream or crème fraîche."

Yield: 2 servings; Time: 25 minutes, plus chilling

You can view this online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021898-chocolate-pudding-with-raspberry-cream.

Ingredients

1 cup whole milk

1 large egg yolk

5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar

5 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder

1 tablespoon cornstarch

Pinch of kosher salt

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup fresh raspberries

1/3 cup heavy cream

Preparation

Add the milk and egg yolk to a measuring cup. Whisk to combine.

Add 5 tablespoons sugar, the cocoa powder, cornstarch and salt to a medium saucepan, and whisk to combine, breaking up any lumps. Whisk the milk and egg yolk mixture into the sugar mixture until smooth.

Set the pan over medium-low heat and cook the mixture until it thickens and starts to bubble, stirring the mixture constantly with a rubber spatula and making sure to scrape the corners and bottom of the pan. Once it bubbles, cook for an additional minute until thick and creamy, taking extra care to scrape the bottom and sides of the pan to avoid scorching the mixture, 6 to 8 minutes total. If you do get a few small lumps, whisk the mixture vigorously for a few seconds to smooth them. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

Spoon the pudding into two small serving bowls or glasses, and press a piece of plastic wrap on the surface of each pudding to prevent a skin from forming. Chill for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.

When you are ready to serve the pudding, make the raspberry cream: Combine 1/2 teaspoon sugar with about 4 raspberries in a small bowl. Mash them together with a fork and macerate. In a medium bowl, whisk the cream with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla to medium peaks. Dollop the mashed raspberries over the top of the whipped cream and fold a few times. (The mixture should be streaky.)

Top the pudding with the remaining raspberries and a dollop of the whipped cream. Serve immediately.

ALMOND BERRY LAYER CAKE

This is from The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. The recipe begins, "Behold! An ode to summer in cake form. In this towering dessert from the food stylist and cookbook author Susan Spungen, crumbly yet tender layers of almond cake are layered with mounds of fresh berries and a rich filling of mascarpone and crème fraîche. It's not difficult to make, but it does take some time, so save this for a lazy Saturday when you've just scored piles of perfect berries from the farmers' market."

Yield: 1 cake; Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

This was featured in "Trunk Food," and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/8588-almond-berry-layer-cake.

Ingredients

For the cake:

Unsalted butter, for greasing pans

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, plus more for pans

1 3/4 cups whole blanched almonds

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 large eggs

2 large egg whites

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla or almond extract

For the filling:

1 pound mascarpone cheese

8 ounces crème fraîche

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

3/4 cup confectioners' sugar, plus more to taste

1 tablespoon kirsch or amaretto, optional

For assembly:

2 pounds (about 6 cups) mixed berries

Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Preparation

For the cake:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush 3 (8-inch) round baking pans with butter and line the bottoms with parchment paper cut to fit. Brush with butter again and dust with flour, tapping out excess.

Place 1 tablespoon flour, the almonds, baking powder and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely ground.

Fill a pot (large enough to set the bowl of an electric mixer in it without the bowl touching the bottom) with 1 inch water and bring to a simmer over low heat.

Place the eggs, egg whites and sugar in the bowl and gently whisk to incorporate. Place the bowl over the pot of steaming water and whisk constantly until the sugar has dissolved, about 3 minutes.

Return bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until pale yellow, thick and fluffy, about 7 minutes. Add vanilla and gently stir to combine.

Using a rubber spatula, gently fold almond mixture into batter. Divide batter evenly among pans and bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. The centers will rise and fall during baking. Transfer pans to a wire rack and let cool 5 minutes. Run a butter knife around the edges of the cakes and turn them out onto a flat plate or cardboard round. Peel off parchment and invert onto another plate or round. Cakes should be right-side up. Cool completely and wrap in plastic wrap if not using immediately.

For the filling:

In a chilled metal bowl, whip the mascarpone and creme fraiche, either by hand or with an electric mixer, until it holds its shape and is not at all runny. Add the lemon zest, confectioners' sugar and liqueur, if using, and beat to combine well. Add up to 2 tablespoons more sugar, to taste, if you choose.

To assemble:

Place one of the cakes on a serving plate. Top with 1/3 of the mascarpone filling and 1/3 of the berries. Repeat with the remaining 2 layers, leaving the prettiest berries for the top. If not serving right away, chill until ready to serve. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve.

GRANDMA'S CREAMY PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE

This is from AllRecipes, and begins, "This old-fashioned style of peanut butter fudge is not that easy to find out there. The ones I tend to run across always seem to be the soft, creamy version, which is not what I'm into. If it's going to feel like peanut butter in my mouth, then what's the point? No, I want something that feels dense and firm in my fingers but will almost instantly liquefy in when it hits my tongue."

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 5 minutes; Additional: 1 hour; Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes; Servings: 64; Yield: 64 small cubes.

To view this online, go to https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/276663/grandmas-creamy-peanut-butter-fudge/.

Ingredients

1 pound powdered sugar

1 1/4 cups unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

Sift sugar through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl.

Heat butter and peanut butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk to combine and cook until bubbles appear on the edges, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in salt and vanilla extract. Pour over powdered sugar in the bowl. Mix together using a spatula until smooth.

Spread mixture into an 8x8-inch baking pan lined with plastic wrap. Wrap fully and refrigerate until firm enough to cut but not too hard, 1 to 3 hours.

Unwrap fudge and cut into small cubes. Let warm up on the counter before cutting if needed.

Chef's Notes:

This technique will work with other nut butters, smooth or chunky, like almond or cashew.

Use 1/4 teaspoon fine salt instead of kosher if desired.

RICH RASPBERRY SWIRL BROWNIES

This comes from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list. Yield: 16 brownies

Ingredients

3/4 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup baking cocoa

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

3 large eggs, divided

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup seedless red raspberry jam

1 2/3 cups (10 oz) Toll House Swirled Morsels, divided

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease 9 inch square baking pan. Combine cocoa, flour, and salt in a small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract in a large mixer bowl until creamy. Add 2 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in the flour mixture. Spread 1 cup of the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle pecans over the batter. Stir jam until smooth. Drizzle over the pecans. Beat remaining batter and egg in the same large bowl until light in color. Stir in 1 cup swirled morsels. Spread evenly over raspberry jam. Top with remaining swirled morsels. Bake for 30 to 33 minutes or until center is set. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into squares.