peanut butter Archives | Fake Food Free

Pumpkin White Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls

November 16, 2018

I remember the first time I tried buckeyes. You know, those little peanut butter and chocolate candies.

I thought, oh, those are peanut butter balls without the tops. At our house growing up, we made peanut butter balls. It’s essentially the same recipe, you just dip the entire peanut butter ball in the chocolate versus creating the buckeye look by leaving its top exposed.

I like our version better. I’m not sure if it’s because I like chocolate or because if you google buckeye your first page of search results will be for Ohio State and I went to undergrad at Purdue. Either way, ours are better. I stand by it.

With those peanut butter balls in mind, I was thinking about how I could put a seasonal twist on them and switch them up just a bit.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal with Dates and Banana

July 21, 2016

This creamy, homemade peanut butter oatmeal is naturally sweetened with banana and dates and topped with crunchy chopped peanuts.

I have a problem with oatmeal. It’s not oatmeal’s fault at all. No, this is an — it’s not you, it’s me situation.

Oatmeal is part of my normal breakfast cycle. Meaning, we have an on-again, off-again type of relationship. I crave it and eat it almost everyday for weeks. Then I get tired of it and need a break.

Well, we are on-again. So that problem I have has reared its ugly head.

Maple Peanut Overnight Oatmeal

March 9, 2016

Maple Peanut Overnight Oats Recipe | Fake Food Free

I think we have discussed overnight oatmeal before. Despite it becoming trendy around here, it really isn’t anything new. It’s basically muesli and that’s been around a very long time in other parts of the world.

But while our muesli may not be new, it is definitely delicious. People have come up with some seriously tasty combinations.

Pear and Peanut Butter Yogurt Parfait

November 5, 2015

Half the time I’m very much – YAY breakfast! The other half of the time I’m – bleh, breakfast.

I know. Shame on me. When I was working as a health educator, there is no telling how many times a version of the words, “eat breakfast,” came out of my mouth. But truth be told, some days I wake up excited for it, and other days I’ll pass and go straight to lunch.

I think it has to do with being inspired. Or uninspired, as the case may be.

Maple Peanut Butter Cookies

August 29, 2015

There are times when nothing will do, but a cookie. No slice of cake or pie, no brownie square or fruit tart; only a cookie.

I appreciate that my sweet tooth is selective, but its picky nature sometimes sends me into the kitchen for some baking when I hadn’t really planned on it. That happened this past week.

Pumpkin Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe

October 10, 2012

These pumpkin peanut butter cookies are one of my favorite cookies for the fall! They are chewy and full of pumpkin and peanut butter flavor! When I first made these a few years ago, I used UNREAL Chocolates that were sent to me for review, but you can easily substitute your favorite chocolate candies or simply use chocolate chips.

A couple of months ago I participated in a Twitter tasting party. Yeah, I didn’t know what it was either. I quickly learned that at a Twitter tasting everyone tries samples of a food while they tweet about the products with a group of like-minded folks. I’m not going to lie. It was a lot of fun!

This tasting happened to be for UNREAL™ candy through Kitchen Play. I hadn’t heard of this candy before, and I quickly became intrigued by the information that was sent my way.

First, let me start out by saying – candy is candy. It’s not something any of us should be consuming in mass amounts, but there is a reason I welcomed trying out UNREAL™ products. This candy is proof that you can still enjoy a treat that isn’t loaded with HFCS, artificial colors and preservatives. I was even more impressed to learn that the dairy for their chocolate comes from pastured cows and the colorings for the candies are from plant sources such as beets and red cabbage.

After the Twitter tasting, I thought I might try using the candies in some baking for Halloween. I have to admit that I since we’ve cut out the majority of processed foods from our diet, I do miss using candies in making creative cookies and cakes. That’s not to say I don’t have a peanut butter cup on occasion, but I’m just not comfortable promoting a recipe that uses these things, moderation or not.

UNREAL™ sent me a few more bags of their candy coated chocolates (UNREAL 41 and 54) so I could try out a new recipe. (I love the colors of these chocolates. With the plum, dark green and yellows they are the perfect color profile for fall.)

I set out to make some whole wheat peanut butter cookies, and then added some pumpkin. This took the place of some of the butter, and made the cookies even more ideal for autumn. The chocolates baked up beautifully in the cookies. The result was a soft cookie with bites of rich chocolate that went well with the peanut butter and hint of pumpkin.

Pumpkin Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe | Fake Food Free

Pumpkin Peanut Butter Cookies via @Lori_Rice

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Pumpkin Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe

2015-08-20 07:54:07

Makes: 18 to 20 cookies

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Ingredients

½ cup Demerara sugar (or raw sugar), plus extra for rolling cookies
½ cup mascavo (muscovado) sugar
4 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
½ cup natural peanut butter (unsweetened, but salted)
¼ cup pumpkin puree (mine was from a fresh roasted pumpkin)
1 large egg
¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon fine ground sea salt
2 to 3 1.5-oz packages of UNREAL™ 41 Candy Coated Chocolates

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the sugars, butter and peanut butter for about 2 minutes on medium-high. Add the pumpkin, and blend in the egg with the mixer on low. Add the vanilla.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl. Mix on low just until all ingredients are combined.
Stir in the candy coated chocolate being careful not to break up the chocolates too much.
Spoon out a generous 1 tablespoon of cookie dough and roll into a ball. Roll the ball in raw sugar. (You don’t have to roll the cookies in sugar, but it adds a nice crunch to the baked cookie.)
Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and slightly flatten the cookies with your hands. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the cookies are firm and the edges are browned. Allow to rest on the cookie sheet for about 1 minute and then transfer to a cooling rack.

By Lori Rice

Fake Food Free https://www.fakefoodfree.com/

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Just about everyone I’ve mentioned this candy to is as intrigued as I was about the source and ingredients. If you have any questions, fire away in the comments. I think these candies are a great option for Halloween. You’ll find more product information below.

UNREAL candies contain:

No corn syrup, hydrogenated oil, artificial flavor, GMO’s or synthetic colors.

Responsibly sourced ingredients, including:

Traceable cacao beans from Ghana and Ecuador

100% sustainable and organic Palm Kernel Oil sourced from a sustainable and organic plantation in Brazil

Dairy from free-range cows pasture raised without antibiotics or added hormones

All natural origin colors, coming from plants like beets, red cabbage, etc.

30% less sugar, 60% more protein and 250% more fiber

UNREAL candies are offered at the same price as typical candy bars. Available at major retailers, nationwide, including CVS, Kroger, Staples, BJ’s Wholesale Clubs and many others, UNREAL prices range from $.89 to $1.29 for individual bars and $4.99 for the family sized bags

Disclosure: The candies used in this recipe were sent to me free of charge from UNREAL. I was not required to post about them and received no compensation for doing so. Thoughts and opinions on the product are my own.

Thanks for reading! All images and content are the property of Fake Food Free unless otherwise stated. Please do not republish full recipes and images without written permission. What is okay? Feel free to Pin images, share links to my posts or share the photo in a round up post with the title of this recipe and a link back to the post. Confused about copyright and food blogs? Here is some helpful information on Recipe Attribution. If you want to use a photo or full recipe, just ask. I’m sure we can work something out.

Spicy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies with Curry Glaze

October 29, 2011

It’s been a few years since I made these cookies, but I still love a bit of heat in my dessert baking. They are made with PB & Co The Heat Is On peanut butter that was sent to me to try back then. As expected, I was an instant fan.

Ever since I made Fiery Peanut Butter Cookies with Peanut Butter & Company’s The Heat Is On, I’ve wanted to experiment more with spicy desserts.

Thanks to my minor addiction with Vosges Haut-chocolat, I can’t get enough of sweets with savory spices. So for Halloween I thought I’d try out a new version of cookies. I figure if nothing else you can trick a few people into trying them.

Despite the initial response you might get to the name, I promise after one bite they will want another. The warm heat, rich dark chocolate, nuttiness and curry turn out to be some pretty amazing partners in a cookie.

Happy Halloween!

Spicy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies with Curry Glaze

Makes: About 18 cookies

Ingredients

½ cup Demerara sugar
½ cup mascavo sugar
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup PB & Co The Heat Is On
1 large egg
1 ¾ cups white whole wheat flour
2 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup dark chocolate chips

Glaze
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
2 tablespoons meringue powder
½ teaspoon curry powder
Milk (any variety)

Prep

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. In the bowl of a mixer combine the sugars and butter. Cream on medium-high until light and fluffy. (Note: white and brown sugar will substitute for the sugars listed). Add the peanut butter and continue to mix until all ingredients a combined. Blend in the egg.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Gradually add dry ingredients to the mixing bowl and blend on medium speed just until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Roll into balls about ¾ inch in diameter. They will not spread much during baking, flatten slightly with your hand. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cookies are firm in the center. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.

In a small bowl, combine the confectioner’s sugar, meringue powder and curry. Add milk, a 1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon at a time until the glaze can be poured, but is thick enough to still coat the spoon. Take cooled cookies one by one and dip the tops into the glaze. Place on a cooling rack that has been set over a baking sheet to allow excess to drip on the sheet. Use a spatula to spread glaze if necessary.

Allow to sit untouched for about 15 – 20 minutes for glaze to harden.

Disclaimer: Peanut Butter & Co sent me the peanut butter used in this recipe free of charge. I was not obligated to blog about it and received no compensation for doing so.

Fiery Peanut Butter Cookies

January 24, 2011

I love a bit of heat in my dessert baking. A few years ago I experimented with spicy peanut butter in my cookies and they were a hit. These are made with PB & Co The Heat Is On peanut butter that was sent to me to try back then. As expected, I was an instant fan.

I know what you are thinking – spicy peanut butter cookies?

To that I answer a resounding – YES!

I’m sure you are no stranger to peanuts with a little spice. Chicken satay with spicy peanut dipping sauce, or maybe roasted peanuts coated in seasonings like chili powder. I love the combination and when a touch of sweetness is added, I think it is even better!

A while back I hosted one of Peanut Butter Boy’s Peanut Exhibitions and Peanut Butter & Company sent us a few new products to try. In email conversations with their PR person, I mentioned that I had wanted to try their spicy peanut butter, The Heat Is On, but it wasn’t available in stores around here. I was thrilled when she emailed a while later and told me she had thrown in a jar of it into my box before it mailed.

I had no idea what to expect from it. I knew it would be spicy, but I was also expecting it to be somewhat sweet.

Well, I was half right. The peanut butter contains no cane sugar, just peanuts and savory, fiery spices. Chili powder, cayenne peppers, crushed red peppers and paprika to be exact.

Now, it is super spicy and I like it a lot, but other than a Thai peanut sauce, I wasn’t quite sure what to do with it. Then cookies came to mind.

It seems a little strange at first, but if you like anything sweet and spicy you will love these cookies. I used my favorite recipe from Simply Recipes, but changed the sugars and flour.

As a result you get a slight crunchy texture from the Demerara sugar within a soft and chewy cookie. The first bite is sweet and then it is followed by a slow, building heat on the back of your tongue.

They are way too complex for a cookie! To me, they hold a sense of international flavor with the peanut and spice. Perfect as a snack when you catch up on some travel-inspired reading.

Fiery Peanut Butter Cookies
Recipe adapted from Simply Recipes

Makes: About 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients

½ cup Demerara sugar
½ cup mascavo sugar
½ cup unsalted butter
½ cup Peanut Butter & Co The Heat Is On Peanut Butter
1 large egg
1 ¼ cups white whole wheat flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt

Prep

In a bowl of a mixer, cream together the sugars and butter on medium high. Cream for 3 to 5 minutes to really incorporate the Demerara sugar. Add in the peanut butter, and then the egg. Mix until all ingredients are combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl. Mix just until the flour is incorporated. Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the dough from the fridge and roll into balls and flatten. Mine were about 2 to 2 ½ inches wide. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on a wire rack before serving.

Disclaimer: Peanut Butter & Co sent me this peanut butter free of charge. I was not obligated to blog about it and received no compensation for doing so.

Peanut Butter Wheat Berry Pancakes

September 21, 2009

I love all things peanut butter, so despite first making these peanut butter and wheat berry pancakes several years ago, they remain a breakfast favorite!

There are several things you should know about me when it comes to pancakes. I like a very simple recipe. I know you can add eggs, and oil, and milk and create a nice fluffy platform for rich maple syrup, but what I look for is something closer to a just-add-water mix that doesn’t come from a box.

And speaking of syrup, while I do love the stuff, I often enjoy my pancakes dry. I sweeten the batter a bit, top them with butter, and then maybe some dry, yet sweet toppings. You’ll understand what I mean in a few minutes.

I also like a hearty whole grain pancake. I sometimes add oatmeal to my batter, but given my recent fondness for wheat berries, I thought I would give them their chance to shine once again. And shine they did.

This recipe combines whole grains with salty-sweet peanut butter. The wheat berries lend their chewy goodness and the sparkling water creates a somewhat lighter texture to this filling breakfast. I spread a little butter on the finished product and then made a mixture of ground peanuts and mascavo sugar. Sprinkling this on top gave them all the sweet flavor I needed.

Peanut Butter Wheat Berry Pancakes Recipe | Fake Food Free

Peanut Butter Wheat Berry Pancakes on Fake Food Free via @Lori_Rice

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Peanut Butter Wheat Berry Pancakes

2015-08-20 08:24:15

Makes: 5 small pancakes

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Ingredients

¾ cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon fine ground sea salt
3 tablespoons mascavo sugar
¼ cup cooked wheat berries
¾ cup sparkling water
2 tablespoons peanut butter (any variety)
2 tablespoons chopped salted peanuts

Instructions

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt and 2 tablespoons of the sugar. Stir in the wheat berries. Next, whisk in the water until everything is combined. Add the peanut butter, and stir or whisk until it is evenly distributed into the batter.
Preheat the griddle. Measure ¼ cup of the mixture for each pancake and pour onto a hot griddle. Cook about 2 minutes, or until bubbles begin to form on the surface of each pancake. Flip and cook another minute or two, until the pancake is browned on both sides and cooked through the center.
In a small bowl, stir together the chopped peanuts with the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar. Sprinkle over the pancakes before serving.

By Lori Rice

Fake Food Free https://www.fakefoodfree.com/

peanut butter

Pumpkin White Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls

Peanut Butter Oatmeal with Dates and Banana

Maple Peanut Overnight Oatmeal

Pear and Peanut Butter Yogurt Parfait

Maple Peanut Butter Cookies

Pumpkin Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe

Spicy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies with Curry Glaze

Fiery Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut Butter Wheat Berry Pancakes

Thanks so much for reading!

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