The Chocolate Lady Dishes

My mom – Nana Shirley – shares another yummy cookie recipe with us today – and it’s no surprise that it involves her favorite peanut butter and chocolate!

It’s a tradition that I travel to our daughter’s and help “babysit” with grandchildren while their parent’s attend the Home School conference for 2 days.

The responsibilities related to the “babysit” part has changed as the children are growing older, but they still like to eat!

My hubby does not share my love of peanut butter, so this was an ideal opportunity to bake Chocolate-Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies from my “stash” of wanting-to-bake recipes!

I had no marshmallow creme jar in my pantry, but I found a great substitution!  Melting 16 oz marshmallows in 3 – 1/2 Tablespoons white corn syrup in a double boiler equals 1 jar of marshmallow creme! I used the microwave, but stopped & stirred each minute.

The cookies are cake-like. Do put them 2 inches apart to keep the desired shape. The filling could use more peanut butter for taste. Be prepared for some filling strings as you spread it!

This recipe was “Grandkid Taste Tested” – and it passed!

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies
Makes 30 sandwiches

Cookies:

1 12-oz pkg. miniature semisweet chocolate pieces ( I used regular size, except for sprinkling on top)
2 Tbsp. milk
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 – 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp.baking soda
1 tsp.baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 cups all-purpose flour

Filling:

1 cup softened butter
1 cup marshmallow creme
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Set aside 1/4 cup miniature chocolate pieces to sprinkle on cookies.

In microwave-safe bowl combine 1 cup of the chocolate pieces and 2 Tbs. milk. Melt. Set aside.
In bowl beat butter & peanut butter with mixer until combined.

Add sugar, soda, baking powder & salt. Beat. Add eggs, milk, vanilla & melted chocolate. Beat. Add cocoa & flour. Beat. Stir in remaining chocolate pieces.

Drop by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Sprinkle with reserved miniature chocolate bits.
Bake 9 minutes or until tops are set. Cool on sheets 1 minute. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

To assemble, spread flat sides of half the cookies with filling. Top with remaining cookies.

Filling: In bowl beat softened butter, creamy peanut butter, marshmallow creme &  powdered sugar with mixer until combined. If needed beat in the milk until spreading consistency.

My quest to find the perfect chocolate pie recipe continues…

And with my sister and niece coming – I considered it the perfect opportunity to try yet another chocolate pie recipe.

This time I choose a hot fudge sundae pie – a dense rich chocolate pie topped with ice cream and other toppings.

Yummo.

The crowd loved it – declaring it “most definitely a keeper”.

Hot Fudge Sundae Pie

2/3 cup butter
1/3 cup Hershey’s coca
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 unbaked 9 inch pie crust
ice cream – any flavor
ice cream toppings – bananas, maraschino cherries, peanuts, whipped cream, etc…

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add cocoa, stir till smooth. Remove from heat.

Stir together the eggs, milk, and vanilla. Add the egg mixture to the cocoa mixture and stir with a whisk until smooth and slightly thickened.

Add brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, and salt; stir with a whisk until smooth.

Pour mixture into the unbaked crust.

Bake 30-35 minutes until the edge is set (the center will be soft). Cool about 2 hours.

To serve, cut a slice and top it with ice cream and other toppings.

Enjoy!

I’ve linked this post up with Foodie Friday at Design’s by Gollum and at Chocolate Friday over at Stop n Smell the Chocolates.

Okay, let me start by saying that this pie tastes way better than the picture indicates! Trust me !

It’s been a while since I tested a chocolate pie recipe, and decided that my parents’ visit was the perfect excuse to make one.

I wanted something light, and when we found this yummy recipe with marshmallows -we knew we had to try it!

We had a few issues with the pie – beginning with the crust.  The recipe called for an Oreo cookie crust – but since we were out of Oreo’s,  I suggested a graham cracker crust. Then Dagmar wondered what would happen if we added cocoa powder to the graham crackers so it would still be chocolate.

That part worked – it actually tasted wonderful! But our mistake was baking it too long in the microwave.  That crust was hard as a rock.

This became rather embarrassing when we tried to serve it! I was hacking away it at the table and crust pieces were flying everywhere! Good thing it was just family – and they have a good sense of humor! Next time we’ll just pop it in the freezer.

We also didn’t give it enough time to freeze before we served it – which is why – in the picture- the top layer is kind of oozing over the middle layer.

But when I finally got the pie chiseled out of the pan and served – we loved the flavor! It was light and creamy.

We’ll definitely make this one again! Only we’ll follow the directions more carefully!

Chocolate Marshmallow Pie

Filling:

1 cup chocolate chips, divided (we used semi- sweet, but dark would be wonderful, too)
2 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup milk (divided)
1 1/2 cup miniature marshmallows
1-  8 ounce tub of Cool Whip (thawed, divided)

Crust:

Chocolate Graham Cracker Crust:

1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 18 crackers)
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons baking cocoa
1/2 cup melted butter or margarine

or Oreo Crust

1- 1/2 cups finely crushed Oreo cookie crumbs (approximately 20 Oreos)
3 Tablespoons melted butter or margarine

For either of the crusts:

Combine all the ingredients and press into a 9 inch pie pan. Freeze for a few minutes to set.

For the filling:

Microwave 1/3 cup of chocolate chips and 2 tablespoons of milk for 30 seconds at medium. Stir. Repeat at 15 second intervals, stirring at each one, until the chips are melted and smooth. Spread on the bottom of the crust and refrigerate.

Place marshmallows, remaining 2/3 cup of chocolate chips, and remaining 1/4 cup of milk into a saucepan. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly , until marshmallows are melted and the mixture is well-blended.

Place into a large bowl and cool completely.

Stir 2 cups of whipped topping into the cooled chocolate marshmallow mixture. Spread 2 cups of this mixture into the crust.

Blend the remaining whipped topping into the remaining chocolate mixture. Spread this mixture over the surface of the pie.

Cover and freeze several hours or overnight.

Serve with extra whipped topping if you wish and garnish with chocolate swirls.

Enjoy!

Knowing my continuing effort to find the recipe for that perfect chocolate pie I enjoyed this summer at the farmer’s market – my sister sent me this recipe.

At first glance, I was pretty sure that it would not be the recipe I was drooling for – but since it was chocolate, we made it anyway.

Whoa baby! Was I wrong! This was a fabulous recipe! It’s thick chocolate filling was rich and creamy!

Is this the allusive chocolate pie recipe I’m seeking? It just might be. But why end the search so soon – there are still so many recipes to try!

Chocolate Chess Pie

Beat 2 eggs slightly

Mix in:

1 c. sugar
1/4 c. flour
1/4 c. cocoa
1/2 c. melted oleo
1 tsp. vanilla

Pour in unbaked 9 inch crust. Bake 30 minutes or more at 325 degrees.

Serve with whipped cream.

Enjoy!

I love having my kids in the kitchen with me – especially when we create! Buddy was  called upon to help me come up with a dessert using some really ripe bananas.

Not only was the dessert a hit – but he also wrote this blog post to practice writing and his keyboarding skills for school. Now that’s what I call a win-win!

Hi! I’m Buddy. I’m 8.

I like to make dessert. This one was kind of easy.

First you smush 1 sleeve of Oreo cookies. Mix it with 1/4 cup of melted margarine or butter and push it (with your hands or a fork or both!) over the bottom and up the sides of a pie pan. You don’t have to push it up all the way to the top.

Put the crust in the microwave on high for 2 minutes, take it out and let it cool.

Mix one big package of Jell-O Instant Vanilla Chocolate Chip pudding and pie filling (3.91 ounces) with 1 3/4 cups cold milk. Set aside.

Slice 2 bananas and put them in the crust. (You can cut the banana’s in the pan or you can cut them on a cutting board and put them in the crust.)

Then you pour the pudding over the bananas and spread it all over them so that none of the bananas are showing. Put the pie in the refrigerator and that’s it!

We had my pie for dessert on Sunday and everybody loved it!

I hope you like it, too!

Buddy