Peanut Butter & Brownie Chunk Ice Cream

A few weeks ago I made some brownies for part of a dessert I made for a private dinner for two.  Since it would have been more work to calculate the amount of batter needed for a tiny pan than it was to just go ahead and make a normal sized batch, I did the latter.  This also gave me a few brownies for my own consumption.  I tucked those extra brownies into the freezer so I could consume them in a controlled manner…at a leisurely pace.

A few days later I wanted to have one after my lunch…and I didn’t particularly want to wait for it to thaw (so much for control…and a leisurely pace…).  I’m only slightly embarrassed to admit that I ate it while it was still mostly frozen.  And it was delicious—with a nice fudge-y and chewy texture.

I must have been extra hungry because I immediately started thinking about how delicious it would be to fold some of those brownie chunks into some ice cream.  Some peanut butter ice cream…  At that point I pretty much set aside my plans for the rest of the afternoon while I worked out a formula for peanut butter ice cream.  By lunch the next day I was enjoying my first scoop. 

I suppose you could use any brownie recipe for this ice cream.  In general, brownies have so much sugar, that unless they happen to be one of those super-dense brownies, they will tend to have that nice fudge-y and chewy texture when frozen.  I used a favorite from my childhood:  the “Dinah Shore Brownies” I posted many years ago.  You can make the recipe as I posted it (using 70% chocolate), or do as I did for the brownies I put in my ice cream and use unsweetened chocolate (the conversion is in the “note” at the bottom of the recipe). 

The ice cream itself is simply a variation on my standard French custard ice cream.  I just replaced part of the heavy cream with peanut butter.  The ice cream as I made it was very peanut buttery (perfect, in my opinion).  If you would like a slightly less intense version, you can reduce the peanut butter by a third.  And if peanut butter and chocolate isn’t your thing, you can make vanilla…or coffee...or fresh mint…or maybe Bing cherry…and fold your brownie chunks into that instead.  Any one of these will be sure to hit the spot when you start to crave something cool and creamy as the summer heat settles in.

Peanut Butter & Brownie Chunk Ice Cream

1 1/2 c. (363 g.) whole milk

3/4 c. (174 g.) Heavy Cream (see notes)

6 T. (75 g.) sugar

6 (120 g.) egg yolks

1/4 c. (85 g.) honey

3/4 c. (198 g) Peanut Butter (see notes)

300 g. fudge-y brownies, frozen and cut into small cubes (see notes)

Place the milk in a medium-sized, non-reactive saucepan and bring to a boil. While the milk is heating, pour the cold cream into a chilled bowl, set aside. Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until thick and pale yellow. When the milk boils, temper the egg yolks by gradually whisking in about 2/3 c. of the hot milk. Stir the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan and place the pan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the custard is thickened and forms a path when you draw your finger across the back of the spoon. Immediately strain the custard into the bowl of cold cream. Add the honey and the peanut butter and stir until they have melted into the warm custard.  Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

Freeze the ice cream in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions. When the ice cream is the consistency of soft serve, add the frozen brownies and fold in.  Transfer to a freezer container and freeze for an hour or two before serving. Makes about 1 quart ice cream.

Notes:

• This quantity of peanut butter makes an intensely peanut buttery ice cream. If you prefer a lighter peanut butter taste, reduce the peanut butter to 1/2 cup (132 g.) and increase the cream to 1 cup (232 g.).
• If you make “Dinah Shore Brownies” …and cut them into 16 squares…you will need 6 brownies. For this ice cream I made the brownies with 4 oz. of unsweetened chocolate and 1 1/2 c. of sugar (instead of 6 oz. of bittersweet chocolate and 1 c. of sugar) as described in the notes of the recipe.
• When I cut the brownies, I crumbled up a few of the cubes to add varied texture to the ice cream…some large and some fine bits of brownies.

Printable Version

David Lebovitz's Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Granola

I think I have mentioned before that I sometimes share recipes on my blog mostly for my own benefit.  Since I cook so many different things...in so many different places....and under such a variety of circumstances...it can sometimes be difficult to remember what I did on a particular occasion with a particular recipe.  My blog has been a wonderful way to document—not just with words, but with pictures (which are extremely helpful)—what I did and how I did it.  This documentation gives me a reasonably good chance of reproducing something that I particularly liked on a future date.  Today's post is one of those kinds of posts—although, I think anyone who loves peanut butter...and chocolate...and granola...will be happy to know about this recipe.

The recipe is for David Lebovitz's fantastic Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Granola.  When I made it the first time a couple of years ago—and loved it enough to make it immediately again and give it as a gift—I made it exactly as it was written (or so I thought) and shared a picture of my results with a link to Lebovitz's original post on my Facebook page, thinking this would be enough.  But this weekend, when I went to make it again, I found that I couldn't remember a few things....  Old fashioned or quick oats?  What brand of chocolate?  Etc, etc..... 

So...for my own future reference...here are my observations and preferences, in no particular order:

The original recipe calls for maple syrup or honey...your choice.  But since I think granola is better on the sweeter side...and honey is sweeter than maple syrup, I went with honey.  Also...peanut butter and honey sort of belong together.  At least in my mind....

I have only made this recipe with old fashioned oats.  I think they give an addictively chewy and substantial result.  I can only assume that quick oats would give a lighter—and also less clumpy (since the peanut butter goop has to cover more surface area with the more thinly shaved quick oats)—result. 

There were lots of comments and questions on Lebovitz's original post about putting the chocolate chips in the oven...  Wouldn't they melt?  Lebovtiz says that commercial chips are made with baking resistant chocolate so they will be fine.  He goes on to say that if you chop up a bar of quality chocolate instead, you will have some difficulties (i.e.—melting in the oven).  So...even though I was dubious... and even though several commenters had had difficulties with this very thing...I trusted that the chips wouldn't melt.  (In general I think Lebovitz's recipes are accurate and reliable.)  And just like he promised, they did not melt.  I remember that they did seem to want to get soft....but found that if I carefully turned the granola over with a pancake turner—as opposed to vigorously stirring with a wooden spoon or spatula—that the chips maintained their shape and their presence in the granola. 

Because I was in a hurry this time, I didn't look up my old Facebook post to see if I mentioned what kind of chocolate chips I used.  I always keep Nestle's semi-sweet chips on hand, but for some reason I had it in my head that I had used Ghirardelli's Bittersweet (60%) chips (which are my favorite).  It became evident very quickly (when I tried to stir the granola at the half way point) that I had not used Ghirardelli's Bittersweet before.  The chips were visibly melting and I was unable to stir.  When I checked my Facebook post, I saw that I had mentioned that I used Nestle's....  (Now I have it written down in two places...hopefully I'll bother to look before I dive in next time.)

Because I was unable to stir the recent batch of granola, I did discover something useful.  If you happen to be someone who prefers your granola in large, snackable shards (I admit to being one of these kinds of people), then not stirring is the way to go.  You will be able to break the granola up a bit after it cools, but it will still tend to want to remain in large clumps and chunks.  If you like a more free-flowing granola—appropriate for sprinkling over your yogurt at breakfast—make sure you stir once or twice (during the baking process, and as the granola cools).

Finally, I discovered this last time that purchasing dry roasted nuts and seeds isn't as straight forward as one would hope.  Look for nuts and seeds that have just nuts/seeds and salt.  A national brand that shall remain nameless adds all kinds of junk and flavorings (including celery, paprika, onion and garlic flavoring...not things I want in my sweet granola...).  If unadulterated dry roasted nuts are not available you can always purchase raw product and toast and salt them yourself.  Or...simply buy nuts that have been roasted with oil.  Either of these is better than being able to taste garlic...or celery...in your granola. 

This really is a fine recipe...and if you love granola...and peanut butter and chocolate...you should definitely make it.  I do have to admit though, I laugh every time I read one line of the recipe.  Lebovitz tells us that you can "store the granola in an airtight container at room temperature. It will keep for one to two months."  It is of course likely that this is a true statement....but I'm not sure in what universe someone could manage to make a batch of this granola last for longer than a few days.

 

David Lebovitz's Chocolate Chip and Peanut Butter Granola

If you want big shards of granola that you can snack on, don't stir the granola as it bakes.  If you want a more traditional, separated, granola, be sure to stir once or twice during baking...and a few times as the granola cools.

3 cups (300g) old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup (150g) dry roasted (lightly salted) peanuts

3/4 cup (120g) chocolate chips

1/2 cup (70g) sunflower seeds (dry roasted, lightly salted)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt

1/2 cup (130g) smooth peanut butter (regular)
1/2 cup (160g) mild-flavored honey
1/4 cup (60g) packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons water

Preheat the oven to 325ºF (165ºC).  In a large bowl, mix together the oats, peanuts, chocolate chips, sunflower seeds, cinnamon, and salt.

In a small saucepan, warm the peanut butter, honey, brown sugar, and water over low heat, stirring constantly just until the mixture is smooth. The mixture will be barely tepid...don’t get the mixture too hot or it will separate.  (If this happens, stick the pan in a large bowl of ice water and stir until the mixture cools down and becomes homogenous and smooth.)

Scrape the peanut butter mixture into the dry ingredients and mix it in well, coating the oats, peanuts and seeds well.

Transfer the granola mixture to a parchment-lined baking sheet and spread it in an even layer.

Toast the granola in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the granola is a golden brown all over.  If you are going to "stir" during baking (see note above), use a pancake turner-style spatula to flip the granola over in sections...stirring in the traditional sense will smash the softening chocolate chips.  When you stir, make sure you get the granola on the edges moved toward the center and the granola in the center of the pan moved to the edges since the edges tend to darken quicker than the center. Remove from oven and let cool completely.  Makes about 6 to 8 cups, depending on whether you have shards or crumbly granola. 

Storage: Store the granola in an airtight container at room temperature. It will keep for one to two months.

(Recipe from davidlebovitz.com) 

Printable Recipe

Marbled Peanut Butter Cheesecake Brownies

Some of you may have noticed that my blog got a bit of a facelift last week.  Nothing too dramatic…a slightly new color….a gently tweaked layout…  I did add one entirely new feature:  a sidebar that shows the ten most visited posts each week.  As I glanced at this list when it first popped up, I was curious to see what it was that had attracted the most traffic.  The thing that caught my eye was the post hanging out at number ten: a recipe for a favorite brownie…posted nearly five years ago.  I hadn’t thought about brownies in a while, but was of course immediately hungry for one after taking a peek at that post.  Some cravings go away.  This one did not.  It continued to nag me all week.  So, on Saturday morning, I finally gave in.

As it turned out, I didn’t end up making the exact thing that had triggered my craving.  I did make brownies....but it was a different recipe entirely.  Like most cooks I have more than one favorite brownie recipe.  And when I walked into the kitchen I was planning on making one of these other favorites—specifically a recipe originally based on the famed Katharine Hepburn brownies.  I have altered the recipe enough over the years that it isn’t really recognizable as the original.  Still…I always like to give credit when I can.

While gathering the ingredients for the brownies, my plans took an even bigger turn.  First, I ran across a half package of cream cheese that has been taking up space in my refrigerator for a while.  It occurred to me that some marbled cheesecake brownies would be a good home for it.  As I considered this though, I began to feel like 4 oz. wouldn’t produce enough of a cheesecake swirl for even a small pan of brownies.  It then occurred to me that I could augment the cream cheese with a little bit of….peanut butter.  I don’t know what sparked this thought.  But at that point I was ready for a taste of peanut butter cheesecake brownies. 

I think that most brownie recipes—provided the batter isn’t too liquid—can be turned into a marbled cheesecake brownie.  Simply make the basic recipe and spread it into the pan first.  It is best if you choose a brownie that isn’t too deep…but I think even such a recipe could be made to work.  You would just need to choose a slightly larger pan…or maybe increase the total baking time.  I had to increase the baking time for my brownies by almost 10 minutes from what it would have taken for the “plain” version.

As for the cheesecake portion, any basic cheesecake batter should work. For an 8- or 9-inch pan of brownies, just make a batch of batter that only uses 6 to 8 ounces of cream cheese.  Dollop this batter evenly over the brownie batter and swirl in.  

As always, don’t be too aggressive with the swirling—too much swirling and you lose the beautiful look of large blocks of contrasting colors.

I finished my marbled brownies with chocolate chips.  I like the look…and the additional chocolate…  But you could leave this off…or use peanut butter chips….or maybe some Reece’s Pieces…

In the end, these brownies hit the spot.  If you like brownies and cheesecake—and the combination of peanut butter and chocolate…I think you will enjoy them immensely.  Of course, they could never replace the original…which I love.  But it’s nice to have variety…and the option to choose....as the occasion—or the craving—demands.     

Marbled Peanut Butter Cheesecake Brownies

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

3 T.  peanut butter (50 g.)

1/4 c. sugar (50 g.)

1/4 t. vanilla

1 egg yolk

1/4 lb. (1 stick) unsalted butter

4 oz. bittersweet chocolate (I use Ghirardelli 60%)

2 large eggs

2/3 c. sugar

1 t. vanilla

1/2 c. all-purpose flour (55g.)

1/4 t. salt

1/2 c. chocolate chips (optional)

Butter an 8-inch square baking pan.  Line the pan with parchment paper allowing the parchment to hang over the edges on 2 sides.  Butter the paper.  Flour the pan and set aside.  Preheat the oven to 350°. 

In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese and peanut butter together just until smooth and homogenous.  Beat in the sugar and vanilla.  Beat in the egg yolk.  Set aside

In a medium saucepan, over low heat, melt the butter and the chocolate.  Set aside to cool for a moment or two. 

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs just to break up.  Whisk in the sugar and the vanilla just until smooth.  Whisk in the salt.  Stir in the cooled chocolate-butter mixture.  Sift the flour into the bowl and fold in.  

Spread the chocolate batter in the prepared pan.  Dollop the peanut butter mixture evenly over the chocolate batter in 8 or 9 equal portions (a miniature ice cream scoop/cookie scoop works well for this).  Smooth the peanut butter dollops slightly so they are more or less level with the chocolate batter.  Marble the two batters together.  Scatter the chips over the surface if using.  Bake until a toothpick comes out just clean—about 25 to 30 minutes.  Cool completely and cut into small rectangles or squares.  Makes 16 to 24 brownies. 

Note:  If you prefer your cheesecake brownies light and fluffy, store them at a cool room temperature.  For a more dense and fudge-y texture, store them in the refrigerator.

Printable Version

Best Ever Peanut Butter Cookies....(really)....

Peanut Butter Cookies are not something I normally think to make in the middle of summer.  For some reason they seem more appropriate for fall or winter.  But I thought of them this month.  It had nothing to do with the weather...or the current season...but rather my line of vision.  I noticed that a friend had shared a link on her Facebook timeline to a "Best Ever" peanut butter cookie.  Well, since I am already in possession of the best ever recipe for peanut butter cookies, I had to click through and take a look.

I didn't see anything about this 'best ever' recipe that tempted me to switch my allegiance, so I messaged my friend to tell her she really needed to try the recipe that I use.  The next day she did try it...and she loved it. 

This particular peanut butter cookie truly is exceptional.  It is also a recipe for which I can take no credit.  From Rose's Christmas Cookies by Rose Beranbaum (an all around exceptional cookie book, by the way), these cookies were created for the 100th anniversary of Peanut Butter.  Most appropriately for such an occasion, the recipe contains a lot more peanut butter than most recipes (twice as much, in fact).  Not surprisingly, the resulting cookie is intensely peanut-y.  Other versions pale in comparison.  There is also much less flour than is the norm for peanut butter cookies.  It must be this—in combination with the higher percentage of peanut butter—that gives these cookies their unusual texture:  incredibly tender and sandy, with a moist, slightly chewy finish.  They are delicious...  and addictive.....

It has been a while since I made these cookies, but seeing the pictures my friend posted of hers on her timeline made me hungry for them.  So I made a batch....and I thought it would be nice to pass along to others what I think really is the best ever peanut butter cookie recipe.  But I hesitated since they seem a bit "out of season".  Then I heard that July has been dubbed National Ice Cream month (by whoever it is that decides these things).  

And since these cookies are fantastic with Ice Cream (preferably a flavor that includes a little chocolate), I decided it would be a good idea to post them after all.  Clearly peanut butter cookies are something I need to think about making during the summer.  Or at least during the month of July.

Peanut Butter Cookies

 

1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour (5 oz.; 142 g.)

1 t. baking soda

1/8 t. salt

1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 c. smooth peanut butter (9.25 oz.; 266 g.)

1/2 c. light brown sugar (3.75 oz.; 108 g.)

1/4 c. granulated sugar (1.75 oz.; 50 g.)

1 egg

1/2 t. vanilla

Sugar for dipping

Combine the dry ingredients and set aside.  Beat the butter and peanut butter together.  Cream the sugars into the butter/peanut butter mixture.  Beat in the egg and vanilla to the creamed mixture until incorporated.  Stir in the dry ingredients.  Cover and chill at least one hour (or overnight if you have time).

Shape the dough into 1-inch balls.  (I use a level 1/2-ounce cookie scoop to scoop all of the dough, then I go back and roll the cookie scoops between my hands to give the cookies a nice round shape.)  

Place the balls of dough on parchment-lined baking sheets 1 1/2 inches apart.  Using a fork dipped in granulated sugar, flatten the balls using the traditional criss-cross motion. 

Bake in a 350° oven until set and lightly browned around the edges—about 10 to 12 minutes.  Cool the cookies on the sheets for a minute or two (they will fall apart if you try to lift them off immediately).  

Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.  Makes 4 1/2 dozen.

(Recipe adapted from Rose's Christmas Cookies by Rose Beranbaum)

Note:  These cookies are so tender that they can be eaten from frozen...which makes them an especially good choice for making miniature ice cream sandwiches....

Printable Recipe

Ina Garten's Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

A couple of days ago I made Ina Garten's Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies for the first time. I don't know why I have never made them before (I have had Barefoot Contessa Parties! for years).  They are probably the best Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie I have ever eaten.  Crusty and tender, and at the same time pleasantly soft and chewy....without being gooey or dough-y. Perfect. I think more people need to know about them, so today I'm doing my part to spread the word by sharing the (mostly unchanged) recipe on my blog.

The original recipe is available all over the web (simply google "Ina Garten Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk"), so I'm not going to post it again here. Rather, I'm recording here exactly how I executed the recipe in my kitchen. It is only half of the original since that was all I made (I don't particularly need a full batch of cookies in my cupboard).  Because I almost always use weights when I bake, I have given the recipe in weights. Furthermore, since it is my habit when I mix up peanut butter-style cookies to cream the peanut butter with the butter and sugar, that's how I made these (this is only a slight variation from the original instructions). Finally, the original recipe (made in this quantity) would make 18 to 20 large cookies. I don't care for such large cookies, so I made them smaller and got 3 dozen. I have adjusted the baking time and temperature accordingly.

If you like the combination of peanut butter and chocolate, I'm fairly certain this recipe will be one of those that gets tucked into your "keeper" file (if it isn't already there). Enjoy.

Ina Garten's Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

150 grams all-purpose flour
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 stick of unsalted butter, softened
150 grams light brown sugar
75 grams granulated sugar
125 grams creamy peanut butter
1 extra large egg (55 g.)
1 t. vanilla
8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Combine the dry ingredients and set aside. Cream the butter and sugars together, until light...but don't overdo it. Beat in the peanut butter. Beat the egg, followed by the vanilla, into the creamed mixture until incorporated. Fold in the dry ingredients along with the chocolate chips. Cover and chill at least one hour.

Using a 1/2-ounce scoop, place slightly mounded scoops of dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. With floured fingers, press down lightly on the balls of dough (just to create a thick disk of uniform thickness...not to flatten the dough into something that looks like a cookie).

Bake in a 375° oven until the edges are golden and one or two of the cookies have begun to settle (they will puff and then sink slightly as they cool—they should not all have begun to sink while in the oven)—about 10 minutes. Rotate the cookie sheet when the cookies are half done. Cool the cookies on the sheets for two to three minutes until they are set and stable enough to lift. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes 3 dozen.

(Recipe from Barefoot Contessa Parties! by Ina Garten)