Reese's Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake

I only had two layers of cake and one frosting/candy layer in the middle to tone down the sweetness a bit but it's a fun cake. The website has a lot of good looking options- caramel pecan, orange chocolate, and mint chocolate cakes were close seconds.

Chocolate Cake

• 1 cup boiling water
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Peanut Butter Frosting

• 1 cup salted butter (softened)
• 2 cups creamy peanut butter
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar
• approx. 1/3 cup milk

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache

adapted from Smitten Kitchen

• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 4 tablespoons peanut butter
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 4 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Chocolate Cake

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottoms of three 8 inch round cake pans with wax paper; grease the sides of the pans. Bring a small pan of water to a boil and keep it simmering while you mix the other ingredients.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the eggs, buttermilk, oil and vanilla. Beat with mixer until combined.

Add 1 cup of the boiling water and carefully stir until it is mixed in. Beat for 1 1/2 minutes with mixer. Batter will be thin. Pour the batter into prepared pans and bake for 18-22 minutes (until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean).

Peanut Butter Frosting

In a medium bowl, beat the butter and peanut butter with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add the sugar. When it starts to get thick, add the milk a little at a time until frosting is spreadable. (The amount of milk you use depends on the thickness of your peanut butter.) Beat for 3 minutes or until fluffy.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache

Place the chocolate chips and peanut butter in a metal bowl. Heat cream over medium heat. Watch it closely and immediately remove from heat when it starts to boil. Pour over chocolate chips and peanut butter. Let sit for 2 minutes. Slowly stir the mixture until all the chips have completely melted and it is thoroughly combined. Stir in the vanilla and corn syrup. Let the ganache cool if you prefer a thicker consistency.

Assembling your cake:

You need one 12 oz. bag of Reese's miniatures. Eat 2 peanut butter cups, save 12 to garnish the top of the cake, and chop up the rest. Level your cake layers and place one on a cake stand. Spread peanut butter frosting on the first cake layer, then sprinkle half of the chopped Reese's on top. Press them down into the frosting with your spatula. Repeat with the second cake layer. Place your third cake layer on top, then cover the whole cake with peanut butter frosting. Pour ganache on the top of the cake, and smooth it with a spatula. Garnish the cake top with your remaining 12 Reese's minis.

White Chicken Chili

1-2 lbs chicken, shredded

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

1/2 large onion

3 cloves minced garlic

2 cans great northern beans

2 cans green chilies

frozen white corn (I added a few handfuls until it looked right)

1 can cream of chicken soup and 1 can water

1 can evaporated milk

3 tsp lime juice

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp coriander

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 cup chicken broth

Cook and shred chicken (I cooked mine in the Crock pot the morning of in chicken broth and water.) Heat oil in pot (I just did this in the large stock pot that I served the soup in to save on dishes) and saute onion until soft.  When onion is partially done add the garlic and saute it with the onion.  Once onion and garlic are done add everything else.  Serve with sour cream, shredded cheese, tortilla chips, cilantro, etc.

Scotch-A-Roos

1 cup light corn syrup

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups peanut butter

4 cups rice krispies

1/2 package (6 oz.) butterscotch chips

1/2 package (6 oz.) chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet)

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Bring corn syrup and sugar to boil in a pan. Remove from heat.  Add peanut butter to sugar/syrup and mix well.  Pour over cereal (in a greased 9x13 cake pan) and mix well.  Press into pan.  Top with chips (melted slightly in microwave at ten second intervals.) Refrigerate for a short time and cut into squares.

*Recipe courtesy of Jason's Aunt Fran

Chicken Taquitos

3 cups cooked shredded chicken (Rotisserie would work great.  I actually used Kirkland canned chicken and they tasted great. Using canned chicken made it a really easy weeknight dinner.)

6 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup sour cream

1/2 cup salsa

1 + 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 + 1/2 cups chopped baby spinach, stems removed

green onion (the recipe did not call for this but I had some so I threw it in and I thought it tasted great.  I have no idea how much I put in.)

coarse salt and fresh black pepper, to taste

9 - 10 (6-inch) flour tortillas (I used soft taco size)

vegetable or canola oil, for frying

your choice for serving: sour cream, guacamole, salsa, taco sauce, ranch dressing

In a large bowl mix together the chicken, cream cheese, sour cream, salsa, cheddar and spinach. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Working with one tortilla at a time spread 2 heaping tablespoons of the chicken mixture off center and spread out like a log. Roll up and set seam side down on a platter. Repeat until all the tortillas are filled and rolled.

Add enough oil to a large skillet to generously cover the bottom. Heat on medium to medium-low heat, cook tortillas in batches, turning to brown each side. Remove to paper towels to drain.

Serve with your choice of dunking sauce (I didn't think they needed dipping sauce.)

Brown Sugar Toffee Cookies

½ Cup Shortening

½ Cup Butter

1 ¼ Cup Brown Sugar, packed

1 Egg

1 teaspoon Vanilla

2 Cups Flour

½ teaspoon Baking Soda

¼ teaspoon Salt

1 Cup Toffee Bits

Heat oven to 350 Degrees.

Using a stand mixer, beat together the shortening, butter and brown sugar until creamy.  Add the egg and mix well.  Next add the baking soda, vanilla and salt and mix.  Slowly incorporate the flour until combined.  Finally add the toffee bits and mix. 

Use a small, one inch ice cream scoop to form the cookie dough.  Place 2 inches apart onto a cookie sheet.  Bake for 12 minutes.  Remove to cool on a wire rack.  Store in an airtight container. Makes 3 dozen cookies.