Mini Peanut Butter Cup Buttermilk Doughnuts with Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache

Wow what a mouthful! This was one of the first bakes I made in our new home! and you know what I was most excited about...aside from eating them, was photographing them against this mint green wall! 

Isn't it just dreamy!

It's like our landlord knew mint green was my fave colour! It's one of the things I love most about our house...along with our dishwasher! It's been a long 2 years without one! 

I whipped up these mini peanut butter cup doughnuts for father's day because Byron is all about the peanut butter so I knew he'd be all over these! I also got a mini doughnut pan for Christmas that had yet to make its debut so it seemed like a good combo! 

While I was photographing the doughnuts and Byron was patiently waiting to try them, I snapped these pics of him and Ella Bella in the garden.  He is such a great daddy to our baby girl and we're so lucky to have him in our lives!

Since it was my first time baking doughnuts I don't have much to compare them to! but the peanut butter chocolate ganache was the perfect pairing for these soft little buttermilk babies and the chopped peanut butter cups strewn throughout the mix were a definite highlight! Topped with generous chunks of peanut butter cup and they really are a peanut butter lovers dream! 

Stay tuned for all kinds of doughnut flavour varieties coming soon!

Mini Peanut Butter Cup Buttermilk Doughnuts with Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache:

Makes 18 mini's

Adapted slightly from Picky Palate

3/4 cup plain flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/4 cup caster sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 tbsp instant vanilla pudding mix

6 mini reese's peanut butter cups

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 cup chocolate chips

3 tbsp extra thick double cream (just use regular double cream for a runnier smoother ganache)

2 tbsp peanut butter

6 mini reese's peanut butter cups

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.  Grease doughnut pan - if using a silicone pan you can skip this step.

Place flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, egg, vanilla and pudding mix into a large bowl.  Add smashed peanut butter cups and pour in the buttermilk.  Using a whisk, stir to combine.

Scoop batter into doughnut pan, I had to make mine in two batches.  Bake for 15-18 minutes until cooked through.  Remove and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  

Place chocolate in a microwave safe bowl, and melt in 30 second intervals.  Add cream to chocolate, stirring until smooth.  Stir in the peanut butter, put back in the microwave for 15 more seconds.   If the ganache needs thinning, put back in the microwave for another 15 seconds.  

Chop up the mini peanut butter cups into quarters and garnish the ganache with them.  

Eat and enjoy! 

Chocolate Peanut Butter S'mores Fudge

I made this in mid December for some friends who were in need of cheering up! I added these photos to my blog and planned to write it up at some point to tell you all what a great little sweet treat Christmas prezzie this fudge would make...but here we are on January 3rd and Christmas has been and gone, whoops! It would still make a great gift...just not a Christmas one obviously or you can bookmark it for next December! 

My favourite part of making this fudge, aside from eating it, was when my husband asked me what I was making when he came home to find the ingredients on the table one day.  I replied fudge, and he turned to me with a totally shocked look on his face and said 'are we fudge people?' it was hilarious! I cracked up laughing!! but he was right to question my judgement - we are not fudge people! I can probably count the number of times we've eaten fudge on one hand.  It is not something I am ever too bothered about.  So I told him it wasn't for us...but also that it was chocolate and peanut butter s'mores fudge and not just any old fudge!! 

We both agreed that the addition of the graham cracker crust made this better than any other fudge we have had.  Often fudge is just way too sickly and you don't want to eat more than one piece but the crust definitely broke up the sweetness and added another good texture.  The peanut butter gave a subtle undertone to the creamy chocolate and the marshmallow swirl with added marshmallows on top gave it some extra chew! 

I was also surprised at how easy it was to make! The only other time I've attempted fudge was this candy cane fudge last Christmas but since it was only made with condensed milk it was the cheats kind of fudge...making real fudge has always scared me but by using the microwave in this recipe it is a no fail recipe! 

Give it a try! Your tastebuds will thank you...even if you're not fudge people!

Chocolate Peanut Butter S'mores Fudge:

Makes 24

From Like Mother Like Daughter

for the crust:

8 Graham Crackers (digestives or hobnobs would work fine too)

2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

1/4 cup caster sugar

for the fudge:

1 7oz jar Marshmallow Fluff

1 1/2 cups caster sugar

1 5oz can evaporated milk

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup dark chocolate chunks

1/2 cup milk chocolate chunks

1 cup peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla

for the marshmallow swirl:

1/2 cup mini marshmallows

to decorate:

1/4 cup micro mini marshmallows

1 Graham Cracker, broken up

4 milk chocolate chunks, broken up

Preheat your oven to 190 degrees C.

Line an 8x8 inch baking pan with tin foil - leave extra so it hangs over the edge.

Crush your graham crackers into a fine powder and mix them with the butter and sugar to form the crust.

Press the crust into the bottom of your prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes until the edges and golden brown.  Set aside.

In a large saucepan, over medium heat, combine the Marshmallow Fluff with the sugar, evaporated milk, butter and salt.  Bring to a boil stirring occasionally.  

Meanwhile, chop your chocolate into chunks and have your peanut butter and vanilla measured out and ready.  Measure out your mini marshmallows and have them ready too.  It is important to have everything already prepared because once you remove your pan of ingredients, everything needs to be stirred in immediately. 

Once your pan is boiling, set a timer for 5 minutes and stir constantly.  

Remove from heat and separate 1/2 cup of mixture and mix it with the mini marshmallows til smooth - do this immediately otherwise the mini marshmallows won't melt.  

Add your chocolate chunks, peanut butter and vanilla in with the rest of the cooked mixture and stir until mixture is smooth.

Pour fudge over your graham cracker crust.  

Spoon marshmallow mixture over and swirl in with a knife.

Top with broken Graham Crackers and chocolate chunks and teeny tiny marshmallows.

Refrigerate for 2 hours.

Eat and enjoy!

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chunk Cookie Sticks

Sometimes when it's cold and grey and rainy...you need baked goods! whether it is the weekend or not yet! but come on...Friday's count as the weekend right?

and sometimes only cookies will do!

but when you turn to your Pinterest list of cookie goodness, you discover that most of these recipes call for chilling your dough, for an hour...sometimes three...or sometimes OVERNIGHT!

Now, I know...chilling your dough has its merits and stops your cookies from spreading and makes them look more attractive but when that cookie craving creeps in who can stand to wait overnight to fulfil it?

Not me! 

Enter the cookie stick!

No chilling time, no rolling out into little balls...

maximum output of deliciousness with the minimum input...

Sounds good?

Sounds amazing...and the taste is even better!

Throw some chocolate chunks in, creamy peanut butter, and reese's pieces and your laughing!

A delicious winter warming treat, that only takes less than 15 minutes of prep time - you can't beat that!

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chunk Cookie Sticks:

Makes 9

Adapted from My Baking Addiction

1 1/2 cups plain flour

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup creamy smooth peanut butter

1/2 cup caster sugar

1/2 cup light brown soft sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 large egg

3/4 cup Reese's Pieces

1 cup milk chocolate chunks 

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Line a brownie pan (11x7") with parchment paper. 

In a large bowl, combine the sieved flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the oil, peanut butter, both sugars, vanilla and egg. Mix on medium-high speed until thoroughly combined.  Add the flour mix in 3 parts, mixing on low speed until the flour is incorporated.

Chop the chocolate into chunks, and stir in with a spatula.  Add the Reese's Pieces and stir again.  Reserve back a handful of both to decorate the top.

Spread the cookie dough into the brownie pan, ensuring the surface is flat and level.  Sprinkle the handful of chocolate chunks and Reeese's Pieces across the top of the dough.

Bake in the preheated oven for 12-14 minutes, until the top looks golden brown, and the middle is still slightly gooey.

Remove from oven, and leave to cool in pan for 10 minutes.

Remove parchment from pan and cut the cookie vertically into cookie strips with a large sharp knife. Be careful because the cookie will still be quite soft and gooey, and you don't want any of the sticks to break in half.  Cool completely on wire rack.

Eat and enjoy!

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chip Overload Ganache Cookie Cake

 You know how sometimes you take really bad pictures that you don't ever think should see the light of day! Well, that's what happened with this bake! I made this for Byron's birthday last April whilst we were still living in Vancouver...he had been away for a week on a forestry trip in the middle of nowhere up North and my sister and mom had arrived from England 3 days before he got back.  We had been busy touring Seattle and Vancouver Island and had been surviving on very little sleep, it was a hectic time but I knew no birthday could pass without sufficient delicious celebrations! hence this cake! but also hence why the pictures were a bit of an afterthought, it was super dark once I finished making it and we were all just too desperate to eat it for me to faff around!

 

 So I wasn't intending to blog it, but I came across these pictures today and remembered how decadently delicious it was, and how many peanut butter lovers I know there are out there who need to know about this cake!

So please forgive the pictures...and let's talk about the cake!

 

 It is essentially a giant cookie, baked in a cake pan...but not just any cookie, a cookie filled to the brim with not only chocolate chips but also peanut butter chips!

Once the cookie has baked, you cover it in some deliciously creamy marshmallow fluff, which has been heated slightly so it's easier to spread out.  You then throw mini marshmallows, micro chocolate chips and mini peanut butter cups on top (I may or may not have waited for the fluff to cool so my toppings all melted into the fluff which doesn't make for the prettiest pictures but it was rather delicious still!) 

At this point, in the original recipe you would whip up a batch of peanut butter frosting and cover the sides and top of the cake...only I had run out of icing sugar - I know, what kind of baker runs out of icing sugar! 

So since I was still in my ganache cures everything phase...I whipped up a batch of peanut butter chocolate ganache and just piped around the top of the cake with that, adorning each little swirl of ganache with either a peanut butter cup or a micro marshmallow.  

Every ounce of this cake is decadent, and not for the faint hearted! but if you like a lot of sugar, and a lot of peanut butter, and chocolate then this cake is surely for you! My husband LOVED it!

and I fell in love with peanut butter chocolate ganache - who knew it would be so tasty!

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chip Overload Ganache Cookie Cake:

Serves 12-14

Adapted from Sprinkle Bakes

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Cookie:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup caster sugar

2/3 cup soft light brown sugar, packed

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups plain flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 cup milk chocolate chips

1 cup peanut butter chips

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.

Grease a 10 inch cake pan with butter and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugars until well combined.  Add in the eggs and vanilla extract.  Beat again until well mixed.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, cream of tartar and bicarbonate of soda.  Pour flour mixture into the butter and mixture and mix until a thick batter forms and the flour is just incorporated.  Add both types of chips and mix on the lowest speed until combined.  

Pour batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly with a spatula so the cookie is flat on top.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes.  Turn cake out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Marshmallow Topping:

1 cup marshmallow fluff

3 tbsp micro mini chocolate chips

1/2 cup mini marshmallows

15 mini peanut butter cups, halved

Spray a small bowl with cooking spray and place the 1 cup marshmallow fluff in the bowl.  Heat gently in the microwave for 20-30 seconds, or until just loosened and pour into the centre of the cookie.  Spread evenly over the top.

Wait for it to cool, or if you're impatient like me throw all the toppings on top.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Ganache:

5 oz. dark chocolate

1/4 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup double cream, heated

Chop up the dark chocolate into small pieces and put into a bowl.  Add the peanut butter to the bowl.

Heat up the cream gently in a saucepan and once hot, pour into the bowl of chocolate and peanut butter.  Leave it for 2 minutes to melt the chocolate, and then stir like crazy with a spoon until all the chocolate has melted and the peanut butter has been incorporated into the ganache.

Put it into a piping bag, and pipe swirls of ganache around the outside of the cake.

Top each alternate swirl with a chopped mini peanut butter cup, or a micro mini marshmallow.

Eat and enjoy!

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Yule Log

So for Christmas this year, I didn't really end up doing much baking! That's what is great about being at my parents house surrounded by keen bakers! One sister whipped up our tropical pineapple Trifle for Christmas day dessert, another one made up some mango and ginger syllabubs, along with some homemade mince pies too!  and since I'm now 8 months pregnant I was quite happy to sit back and let it all happen, although I couldn't resist whipping up some mint magic bars with ghiradelli mint choc chips my sis had received from America and also a batch of lime curd! 

However, that was pretty restrained for me! So by the time I got to my in laws I knew I wanted to make a fancy Christmas dessert...and there had been plenty of hints dropped about how they were expecting some baked goods from me so I didn't want to disappoint! Being the huge peanut butter lovers they are, I decided to experiment with a peanut butter and chocolate yule log after the success of my coconut and chocolate yule log last Christmas.

I made a whipped peanut butter cream filling which worked perfectly with the rich chocolate-y frosting on the outside of the log, and the icing on the cake was a whole bundle of mini Reese's peanut butter cups that my sister attached to my prezzie this year! It was a great alternative to the traditional yule log...whilst still remaining festively fun! 

Since my trusty Kitchenaid has been at my sister's flat in London ever since we were in Canada, I have been pretty lost without it! I jumped at the chance of testing out this Tefal mixer to see if it was up to the job of baking such a complex dessert! 

The first thing that struck me was just how light it was! I'm used to my beast of a Kitchenaid which is so heavy to lug around! (hence why it was still in London because there was no way my sister could have carried it on the tube to bring it back to me!) but to cart this around with us over the Christmas period was super easy! It's lightness made me question whether it was going to be sturdy enough to cope with the bake I had planned...but it managed every step with ease.

It creamed the butter and sugar like a dream, with just a few scrapings down the side to incorporate it altogether, and it was so efficient in whipping the cream that I turned my back for a second and the cream was done!

 Despite having reduced power from what I'm used to with my Kitchenaid it did exactly what I needed it to do, and coped with every stage of my baking brilliantly! When I had it on the fourth speed setting, it did sound a bit like it was going to take off! but aside from that it worked like a dream and considering it's only £99 I'd say you get your money's worth for sure.

The mixing bowl isn't huge, so if you're planning to do large batches of baking like double batches of cupcakes or triple layer cakes then it might not be the mixer for you but for everyday baking it's certainly a cheaper alternative to the higher spec models out there and works just as well!

 Argos have large ranges of Tefal appliances available to buy here.

So if you're a peanut butter lover, then save this recipe away for next Christmas - it's a crowd pleaser for sure!

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Yule Log:

Serves 10-12

From Cupcake Crazy Gem

For the cake:

6 eggs

170g caster sugar

140g plain flour

2 tbsp cocoa powder

1/2 tsp baking powder

For the filling:

284ml double cream

6 tbsp smooth peanut butter
3 tbsp condensed milk (optional)

40g caster sugar

For the frosting:

1 cup unsalted butter

3 1/2 cups icing/powdered sugar

1/2 cup cocoa powder

2 tsp vanilla extract

4 tbsp milk

14 mini Reese's peanut butter cups

Preheat oven to 200 degrees C.

Grease and line a swiss roll tin with baking parchment.  

Beat the eggs and sieved sugar together with an electric whisk for about 8 minutes until thick and creamy.  

Mix the flour, cocoa and baking powder together, then sift into the egg mixture.  Fold in very carefully, the pour into the tin.  Now tip the tin from side to side to spread the mixture into the corners.  Bake for 16-18 minutes.  

Lay a sheet of baking parchment on the work surface.  When the cake is ready, tip it onto the parchment, peel off the lining paper, then roll the cake up from the longest edge with the paper inside.  Leave to cool.  

Whip the double cream until peaks form.  Add in the peanut butter and the sugar until stiff peaks form.  At this point I underestimated the strength of the mixer and over whipped the cream slightly, so I added the condensed milk to give a creamier texture.  If you keep an eye on your cream you shouldn't need to do this.

Once completely cool, unravel the cake and spread the peanut butter cream over the top. 

Then, roll the log back up again and refrigerate whilst making the chocolate frosting. 

Cream butter for a few minutes in a mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed.  Sieve sugar and cocoa powder into the mixing bowl 1 cup at a time.  On low speed, mix the ingredients until they come together.  Increase mixer to medium, and add the vanilla extract and milk and mix until incorporated.  Increase mixer to high speed and beat for 3 minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy.  

Take the log out of the fridge, and spread the frosting on thickly using a palette knife.  Use a fork to mark the frosting to give the effect of tree bark.  Go around in a circle to make knots.  Sprinkle with chopped Reese's peanut butter cups to finish off your peanut butter creation!

Eat and enjoy!

--> Please note Argos kindly donated the mixer for review, but all opinions expressed are my own. 

Peanut Butter, Oreo, Nutella & Banana Cream Pie!

 A few weeks ago we had the American missionaries from our church over for dinner.  As well as cooking them up some Enchiladas (since Americans always complain about the lack of Mexican in this country) I also wanted to bake them something to remind them of home. 

I knew it had to involve peanut butter, and cream pies always scream America to me so I remembered a peanut butter pie recipe I had come across ages ago.  When trying to find it again, I came across this version which seemed even better to me because it involved an Oreo crust AND Nutella!! 

So it's pretty much all my favourite ingredients in a pie!

 Everything tastes better with an Oreo crust...it's a fact! Recently, I've even been baking up magic bars using Oreo crusts since sadly I no longer have easy access to graham crackers now we're back on this side of the pond!

 Next time I would probably even spread a more generous amount of Nutella on the bottom of the pie because I'm so obsessed with the stuff! The filling is the creamiest dreamiest stuff you can imagine, due to the cream cheese and the condensed milk inside it, and I like to top mine off with some straight up cream as well just to balance out all the sweetness.

It is the pie that dreams are made of! Bake one up today, you and your dinner guests will not be disappointed!

Peanut Butter, Oreo, Nutella & Banana Cream Pie:

Makes 1 (9 inch) pie

From Andrea Meyers

225g (8 ozs) Oreo cookies 

57g (4 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted

113g (4 ozs) Nutella spread

240ml (1 cup) double cream

225g (8 ozs) cream cheese

256g (1 cup) creamy peanut butter

130g (1 cup) icing sugar

1 (397g/14 ozs) can condensed milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 large banana

1/4 cup melted Nutella

Sprinkling of chocolate Flake

Crush the Oreos in a food processor until you have fine crumbs.  Stir in the melted butter until combined and press the mixture in the bottom of your tart tin and up the sides if desired.

In a heatproof bowl, warm the Nutella in the microwave in 30 second intervals until runny.  Pour it over the bottom of the cookie crust and spread it out to the edges using the back of a spoon.  Place the crust in the fridge to chill.

Pour the double cream into the stand mixer bowl and whisk until stiff peaks form.  Store in the fridge until ready to use.  Place the cream cheese and peanut butter in the mixing bowl and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy.  Reduce speed to low and gradually beat in the icing sugar.  Add the condensed milk, vanilla extract and lemon juice.  Increase speed to medium and beat until everything is combined and the filling is smooth.  Using a large spatula, stir 1/3 of the whipped cream from the fridge into the filling mixture.  

Slice the banana thinly and arrange the slices on top of the Nutella crust.  Pour the peanut butter filling over the banana slices.  Smooth out with a spatula.  Spoon the remaining cream on top of the filling.  Warm the Nutella 'til it melts in the microwave and drizzle over the top of the pie.  If you want to be super neat use a piping bag, if your piping bag supply has run out like mine had just flick it using a knife (I sort of liked the rustic look of this way!) Crumble up Flake and sprinkle it over the top.

Place in the freezer for 3 hours or overnight before serving.

Eat and enjoy!

Easter M&M Cookies 3 Ways: White Chocolate, Peanut Butter & Coconut!

Happy Easter! It's still Easter Monday here in Vancouver so I'm trying to sneak these Easter cookies through just in time! I went to America last week and bought tons of Easter candy, I was so excited to get baking and then Easter just crept up on me out of nowhere! Plus we went on an awesome kayaking and camping adventure up the Indian Arm fjord for the weekend and so there wasn't much time to bake! It has been an absolutely beautiful Easter weekend here, with bright blue skies and so much sunshine! and I just have to show off the beautiful cherry blossom trees that are blooming right outside my house! I love it! After the gloomy and rainy never ending winter we've had here though I feel it's deserved! 

So to make up for my lack of blogging recently, I'm giving you a triple whammy! 3 blog posts in one! They are all M&M Cookies - made with different M&M flavours.  None of these flavours are available in the UK so just swap out ones that are available, or splurge and buy these varieties in specialist American candy stores! 

I had spied these white chocolate M&M pudding cookies a few weeks ago, and immediately pinned the recipe knowing that I would be able to pick up these seasonal M&M's in America (because we don't get them in Canada either, boo hoo!) and I picked up the white chocolate pudding mix there too!

I love how pretty the pastel colours are - they make perfect Easter treats to give away or just scoff yourself! The white chocolate pudding mix gives a subtle white chocolate flavour throughout the cookies without making them too heavy, and you get bursts of real melted white chocolate coming through from the M&M's that tastes amazing! 

White Chocolate M&M Pudding Cookies:

Makes 18

From The Recipe Critic

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup caster sugar

3.4 oz package white chocolate instant pudding mix

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups plain flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups white chocolate m&m's

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F/180 degrees C.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silpat non stick baking mat.

In a large bowl, mix together flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt and white chocolate pudding mix (just the powder).   Set aside.

In an electric mixer, cream together the butter and both sugars.  Add eggs and vanilla extract and mix together.  Add the bowl of dry ingredients.  Beat together until just blended.  Stir in the M&M's with a wooden spoon.  

Using an ice cream scoop, scoop out cookie dough and place 2 inches apart on baking sheet.

Bake for 10-13 minutes or until slightly golden.  Cool for a few minutes on the tray, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  Eat and enjoy!

I also picked up some really delicious egg shaped M&M's that were filled with peanut butter! They were so delicious that my husband and I nearly ate the whole bag and so I didn't have quite as many as I needed to whip up this batch of cookies, so I subbed in some mixed peanut butter and milk chocolate chips as well as the remaining eggs! 

I was quite excited to make these cookies as they involved corn starch and corn starch cookies have got quite the rep these days! 

These were incredibly soft and crumbly and tasty! They had a really good peanut butter zing to them! and I just love the prettiness of the pastel eggs too!

Peanut Butter Egg M&M Cookies:

Makes 18

From Bakerita

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup caster sugar

1 large egg

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups plain flour

2 tsp cornstarch

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/2 cup peanut butter egg m&m's

1 cup milk choc and peanut butter chips

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter, peanut butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla and beat on medium speed until well creamed and fluffy, for about 5 minutes.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the flour, cornstarch, bicarbonate of soda and salt and mix until just combined for 1 minute.  

Fold the M&M's and chocolate chips in with a wooden spoon, do not use the mixer or else they will break.  

Using a medium 2 inch cookie scoop, scoop out the dough and place onto a pre prepared baking tray 2 inches apart.  Flatten cookie dough mounds slightly with your palm, cover the tray in cling film/plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 2 hours.  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/180 degrees C.

Bake for 10-13 minutes, until just set.  Allow cookies to cool on baking tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.  

Eat and enjoy! 

The final cookies I'm sharing with you I made way back in January.  I had picked up some Coconut M&M's (my fave!) in Seattle and I was keen to bake them into some cookies so I adapted Tracey's recipe slightly to make them more coconutty because everything is better once it's been coconut-ified in my opinion! Yes, I'm making up words all over the show today! 

I'm definitely a pudding cookie convert! It produces a softer than usual cookie, and I like it! For all my English followers, boxed instant pudding is not something you'll find on your supermarket shelves so if you want to give these a go you'll have to get some instant jello from a specialist store like The Stateside Candy Co.  I'm not really sure that we have a UK alternative but if anyone has a go with something else then let me know how it turns out!

Coconut M&M Pudding Cookies:

Makes 28

Adapted From Tracey's Culinary Adventures

2 1/2 cups plain flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup caster sugar

1 (3.4oz) package instant vanilla pudding mix

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup coconut m&m's

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1/4 cup milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/180 degrees C.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper of silpat non stick baking mats.  

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt together.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment cream the butter and both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Beat in the pudding mix (just the powder) until combined and then add the eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla.  With the mixer on low, gradually add the dry ingredients, beating until just combined.  Use a rubber spatula to stir in the coconut m&m's, shredded coconut and chocolate chips.  

Using a medium cookie scoop, scoop the dough onto the baking sheets, spacing the cookies 2 inches apart.  Bake for 12-15 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through.  The edges of the cookies should be golden brown.  Leave the cookies to cool on the sheets for 5 minutes and then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.  Eat and enjoy!

Well that was an M&M overload! Hope you enjoyed...and get ready for more regular blog posts around here, my slacking time is over! 

Nutella & Peanut Butter S'moreos

Some recipes grab your attention more than others, when I saw these Peanut Butter Cup S'moreos over at Top With Cinnamon I knew I had to bake some up immediately! After all, only good can come of oreo's, peanut butter and toasted marshmallows! Clearly my immediately wasn't quite so quick...since I'm now here making them a month after I bookmarked them, but considering there's about 1672 recipes on my current 'to bake list' a month doesn't seem too long at all!

If you've never paid Izy's fantastically beautifully blog a visit, I urge you to do it immediately (and right now I'm referring to the same day immediately and not my one month later immediately!).  Not only have I adored her blog for a while, this week she got shout outs from Joy the baker and Call me Cupcake so when the creme de la creme of the baking world are shouting about a blog from the rooftops you know it's going to be good! She has incredible photography skills and awesome videos/gifs, but mostly I love the ingredients and originality of the treats Izy bakes up...plus we also share a love for Oreos, coconut and all things s'mores! oh yeah...and let's not forget - she's only 16!

So I decided to take Izy's treats one step further when I baked them up...and as I'm currently in a serious Nutella phase I swirled some of that in amongst my peanut butter layer! It turned out to be so delicious, I  kind of wished I'd skipped out the peanut butter altogether - I can see these are going to be dangerous because I'm already formulating so many future variations of them in my head! but going back to my Nutella phase...how is it that I managed to spend 25 years of my life without it? Yes, you heard me...after never having eaten it at any point in my whole life I suddenly decided 2 weeks ago I had to buy a jar.  Ever since it has been Nutella everything! Nutella on my pancakes...on my bagels (add some sliced bananas too and you're laughing!) in my ganache truffles, to dip pretzels into and even to dip Kinder sticks...yeah I dip chocolate in chocolate, I clearly don't know the meaning of the word moderation!

Since Valentine's is coming up, and since my sister sent me these awesome heart marshmallows in a package I got this week...I decided it would be super cute to use them for these s'moreos!

I topped one half with white marshmallows and the other half with pink ones...to tie them in even more with the season of love!

I'm also entering them into this months calendar cakes challenge by Dolly Bakes and Laura Loves Cakes, because the theme is love!

Nutella & Peanut Butter S'moreos:
Makes 9
Adapted from Top With Cinnamon

For the oreo base:

24 Oreos, crushed
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp milk

For the toppings:

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter, warmed
1/2 cup Nutella, warmed
24 large marshmallows, halved
2 peanut butter cups, chopped
1/4 cup mixed peanut butter and milk chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F/180 degrees C.
Line a 9" square pan with foil or parchment paper.  I didn't use any oil or butter to grease the lining because the base mixture lets out quite a lot of liquid as it is, and mine pulled away perfectly.

Crush Oreos in a blender until they resemble crumbs, stir in the butter and milk until incorporated.
Scatter the mixture evenly into the pan and press down with the back of a spoon.  Bake for 6-8 minutes.

Whilst the base is baking, warm up the peanut butter in the microwave so it is at a spreadable consistency.  Do the same with the Nutella.

Once you take the base out of the oven, immediately spread the warmed peanut butter over the base.  I didn't warm my Nutella quite as much as the peanut butter so I could drop blobs of it over the peanut butter.  I then used a palette knife to swirl the two spreads together.

Completely cover with the halved marshmallows, placing them cut side down.

Place under the broiler/grill for around 1 minute to toast the marshmallows.  I set mine on low and they took around 3 minutes as I wanted to be safe! They toast super quick on high so watch them constantly and it probably won't take more than 30 seconds.

Immediately scatter the chopped up peanut butter cups and chocolate and peanut butter chips over the marshmallow layer so they melt into it slightly.  (I used peanut butter chips because I had some on hand and they tied in nicely with the pb theme...I know they're not easy to come by in the UK - you could chop up bits of peanut butter Kit Kat or Ferrero's if you wanted to go for an all out Nutella theme! or just stick with regular chocolate chips, I'm also imaging using a whole bar or 2 of Mint Aero in place of the peanut butter could make a tasty mint variety - like I said the possibilities are endless)

You can make more portions if you cut them up smaller, I just chose not to!

Eat and enjoy...and see if you can make your whole pan last for the photo shoot, I know I couldn't! 

Your Tastiest Treats of 2012!

So 2012 is nearly over, and when you read this I will be ringing in the New Year at Whistler! I can't wait! That place has become like our second home this past month, and I couldn't be happier about that because truly it's one of the most beautiful places on Earth!

For now, let's take a trip down memory lane and see the posts which were your favourite this year!

10. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Layer Cake

This was probably my favourite of 2012 (and hopefully Byron's too, since I made it for his birthday!) It's probably the most decadent layer cake I've ever made, and it definitely took the most time but it was SO worth it.  Chocolate chip studded cake, sandwiched with chocolate fudge and raw cookie dough, surrounded in cookie dough flavour frosting and finished off with more cookies - this time baked ones! If you have any cookie lovers birthday's coming up, this is worth the effort!

9. Peppermint Crisp Fridge Tart

You just can't get enough of the South African treats! and despite me having a mishap when removing the base of my springform tin and the side of the biscuit crust caving in it's still a hit! How can it not be when you combine creamy layers of caramel whipped with cream with layers of coconut biscuits and those crystal shards of minty-ness that comprise my favourite chocolate bar - Peppermint Crisps! and the good news is on the bus the other day I saw a South African shop has just opened on West 4th so now I can get my Peppermint Crisp fix in Vancouver too! 

8. S'mores Cupcakes

I made these S'mores cupcakes for our New Year's eve party last year! Graham cracker flavour cupcakes, with marshmallow frosting and cubes of chocolate on top - they were devoured pretty quick! I haven't even had to bake a special treat for this New Year's since we have enough sweet treats left over from Christmas to see us through the next 2 weeks!!

7. Malteser Bunny Cupcakes

If you only make these cupcakes to check out this 'to-die-for' frosting then it will be worth it.  This chocolate-malt frosting turned out to be my most favourite frosting of 2012, I could eat it by the spoonful...and I did! The malt flavour cupcakes are pretty special too, and to top it all off you just have to complete it with mini Malteser Bunnies (if you live in the UK...I'm pretty sure you won't find them elsewhere which is not good news for me...how will I get my fix come Easter!)

6. Chocolate & Peanut Butter Oreo Cupcakes

This was the first time I ever thought about combining peanut butter frosting with crushed up Oreo crumbs - it was a GOOD decision! Combined with my favourite chocolate cupcake recipe, these two made a fantastic pairing!

5. Cadbury's Creme Egg Cupcakes

I made these for an Easter market stall I did.  I made several other flavours alongside these ones but I think these got the most 'oohs and aahs' from people passing by.  Not only does the frosting look like creme egg filling but it tastes exactly like it too!

4. Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry-Lime Frosting

These were a happy little accident that came about because I had loads of fresh pureed strawberry in the fridge just waiting to be used up! We took these to a summer BBQ at a friends house, it was pure blue skies with not a cloud in sight that day (a rarity in Wales!) and these tropical beauties fit right in! The addition of lime in the frosting gave these a totally tropical twist! 

3. Granadilla Fridge Tart

This was a recipe my South African Mom whipped up one weekend, apparently it had been a staple dessert for her growing up.  Why she had been holding out on us for so long I don't know! because this was so creamy and fruity and it's definitely going to be a staple for the Braithwaite's too!

2. Cookies and Cream Oreo Cupcakes

You just can't beat a good Oreo cupcake! Up until I made this, my favourite Oreo cupcake had been a chocolate version with chopped up bits of Oreo in the batter.  However after making this vanilla based Oreo cupcake I realised my chocolate version had been overpowering the Oreo bits...whereas this cupcake lets the Oreo flavour shine through! A new favourite! 

1. S'mores Cheesecake

It pains me that the number 1 most visited recipe on my site this year was the post with the worst pictures!! It was one of those nights where I was rushing, as our dinner guests were waiting for dessert, and I didn't want them to think I was too weird by taking a million pictures of it and making them wait to eat it!! Then I discovered the batteries on the flashgun had run out...and so I had to make do with dark and not so attractive pictures! but I'm glad that didn't put you off because this is one of the most delicious desserts I have ever made.  We all know I love anything s'mores, but this creamy chocolate filling was out of this world and paired with a graham cracker base and a toasted marshmallow topping it is totally dreamy! Of course I'm pretty sure the popularity of this post also had to do with the fact I was doing a cheesecake giveaway too! but if there's one thing you need to make this year it is this cheesecake! and don't forget the chocolate-malt frosting too! They're both going to make you very popular indeed! 

 Thanks to everyone for following along this year, I LOVE when a little email or comment pops up from one of you - it makes my day! and thanks to all you other bloggers for keeping my google reader overflowing with delicious recipes and inspiration! 

Wishing all of you an awesome New Year's and a totally tasty 2013!