Chocolate Pecan Pie

This chocolate pecan pie is my favorite variation of the Southern classic, Pecan Pie. Several years ago when I was a Southern Living at Home consultant one of my hostesses served this pie at her home party and I fell in love! I prefer this over regular pecan pie any day. This is would be a perfect addition to your Thanksgiving feast!

Buon Appetito!

Bourbon-Chocolate Pecan Pie  

• source: myrecipes.com
• yield: 9 inch pie
• calories: 655
• fat grams: 35.9
• 
  
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• 1/2 (15-ounce) package refrigerated piecrusts 
• 4 large eggs 
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 6 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
• 1/2 cup sugar 
• 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar 
• 3 tablespoons bourbon
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 
• 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
• 1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate morsels

1. Fit piecrust into a 9-inch pieplate according to package directions; fold edges under, and crimp.
2. Whisk together eggs, light corn syrup, and next 6 ingredients until mixture is smooth; stir in chopped pecans and morsels. Pour into piecrust.
3. Bake on lowest oven rack at 350° for 1 hour or until set.

Mississippi Mud Cake Lightened

Today I'm going back to my roots, and I am not referring to my natural hair color.  I am talking about where I grew up.  I was born and raised in Mississippi.  Actually, I was born in Memphis, Tennessee but grew up just a stone's throw away in northern Mississippi.  I realize there are many stereotypes about Mississippi, but I wasn't raised in the country or on a farm.  We do wear shoes and must of us have all our teeth.  There are other stereotypes about Mississippi that are true like most people are friendly and hospitable, and we enjoy really great food.  I personally think the South has the best food culture in the country.  Of course, I realize I could be a little biased. 

Mississippi Mud Cake is a traditional Southern dish named after the mud from the banks of the Mississippi River.  It consists of chocolate cake topped with gooey marshmallows, decadent chocolate icing, and often pecans or walnuts.  It is believed that this dish was created by home cooks after World War II because it was made of simple ingredients that could be found at any supermarket and did not require any special cooking tools.  Sounds like a perfect everyday cooking recipe!

It is no secret that I love Southern Living recipes.  This recipe comes from the August 2007 issue.  I don't keep magazines for years, but I do like to keep recipes that look good, but sometimes it takes me a while before I actually make them. 

This cake was good, but a little dry and pretty fattening too.  So I decided to bake it again using the low fat version of a chocolate box cake mix.  It was really moist and much lower in fat and calories than the original.  Also, the cake mix is so much more convenient.  I hope you enjoy this Mississippi delight!

Buon Appetito ya'll!

Mississippi Mud Cake ~ Lightened

source: adapted from Southern Living

yields: 15 servings

prep: 15 minutes

bake: 40 minutes

calories: 441

fat: 16

• 1 cup chopped pecans
• Devil's food cake or chocolate box cake mix (plus ingredients required on box)
• 1 (10.5-oz.) bag miniature marshmallows
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  1. Place pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet.
• 2. Bake at 350° for 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted.
• 3. Mix box cake mix according to directions. Pour in a 9 x 13 inch pan. 
• 4. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, and sprinkle evenly with miniature marshmallows; bake 8 to 10 more minutes or until golden brown. Drizzle warm cake with Chocolate Frosting*, and sprinkle evenly with toasted pecans.

*Chocolate Frosting

yields: 2 cups

prep: 10 minutes

cook: 5 minutes

1/2 cup butter

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

1/3 cup milk

 1 (16 ounce) package powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Stir together first 3 ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat until butter is melted. Cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes or until slightly thickened; remove from heat. Beat in powdered sugar and 1 tsp. vanilla at medium-high speed with an electric mixer until smooth. 

Pumpkin Granola Bars

It's Pumpkin Palooza week here at The Joy of Everyday Cooking!  No need to restrain your excitement :)

I have a confession.  Fall is not my favorite time of year.  I would rather be at the pool soaking up the hot summer sun than bundled up trying to stay warm.  However, fall foods such as pumpkin, apples, soups, sweet potatoes, apple cider, hot cocoa, and pumpkin spice lattes make this time of year tolerable for me.

Last week I got a hankering for all things pumpkin and found this recipe for Pumpkin Granola Bars at www.mybakingaddition.com.  You can customize these bars by adding in whatever nuts, candy chips, or dried fruit that you like.  I baked a batch and made half with white chocolate chips and half with pecans and sliced almonds.  They are so good and go perfectly with a pumpkin spice latte (recipe coming later in the week).

Buon Appetito in Autunno!

Pumpkin Granola Bars

yield: 12 bars

prep: 15 minutes

bake: 35-40 minutes

without add-ins:

calories: 114

fat grams: .9

with pecans and almonds nuts

calories: 168

fat grams: 6.1

with white chocolate chips

calories: 152

fat grams: 3.1

3 cups old fashioned oats*

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1/4 cup applesauce (sweetened or unsweetened, your choice)

1/4 cup honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

optional add-ins:

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, shelled

1/2 cup sliced almonds 

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a 9x9 baking pan with foil allowing for 1 inch overhang on the sides of the pan. Spray foil with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine oats, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together brown sugar, pumpkin puree, applesauce, honey, and vanilla until smooth. Pour over oats and stir until oats are moistened. Stir in add-ins. 

4. Evenly press oat mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Be sure not to underbake. Remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.

5. Optional, if adding in candy chips, melt a small amount in a bowl in the microwave and drizzle top. To make melting easier, I mix in a little oil or shortening with my chips for a smoother, pourable consistency. 

*for gluten free recipe, use gluten free oats

Turtle Cookies

Here's some tantalizing Turtle cookies to tempt you today, which happens to be Tuesday! This post is brought to you by the letter T.

This recipe is a variation of Mom's Famous Cookies. This cookie recipe is so versatile. Simply mix the dough and add in your favorite candy chips like peanut butter, mint chocolate, white chocolate, or butterscotch; pretzels or dried fruit would also be a great addition. Turtles candies and dark chocolate chips added in the dough make for a truly tasty treat.

The dough can be mixed and stored in the fridge until ready to use. I usually make a batch, store in the fridge for up to a week, and then bake a few at a time as needed. This ensures that leftover cookies don't go to waste and also helps with portion control :) To freeze, scoop dough balls onto a cookie sheet or platter and place in freezer for about 30 minutes. Then remove frozen balls and store in the freezer in a freezer bag for up to six months. When ready to use, place frozen dough balls on a cookie sheet and bake for 12 minutes or until done, or you can let the dough thaw and bake for 10 minutes.

Buon Appetito! 

Turtle Cookies

Source: Southern Living 

Prep: 30 minutes

Bake: 12 min

Yield: 40 cookies

Calories per cookie: 155

Fat grams per cookie: 8

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
•  2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups plus 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 (7 oz.) package milk chocolate-caramel-pecan clusters, coarsely chopped 
• 1 (12-oz.) packages dark chocolate morsels
• Parchment paper

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Beat butter and sugars at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until creamy. Add eggs and 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla, beating until blended.

2. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl; gradually add to butter mixture, beating just until blended. Beat in morsels just until combined. Using a 2 Tbsp. cookie scoop or measuring spoon, drop onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets.

3. Bake at 350° for 10 to 14 minutes (I bake them 12 minutes) or until desired degree of doneness. Remove to wire racks, and cool completely (about 15 minutes).

Strawberry Pudding Trifle

I couldn't let another strawberry season pass without sharing this recipe.  This is one of my all-time favorite desserts.  This recipe was created by my sister's mother-in-law who is a fantastic cook.  She served this at my sister's bridal shower, and it was truly love at first bite.  I think I asked her 3 times before the shower was over if I could PLEASE have the recipe.  I am sure she thought I was crazy, but I could not help myself.  I HAD to have the recipe.


Here in Italy we don't have access to all the varieties of food products that are available in the states.  It forces me to be creative or at least attempt to be creative.  This recipe calls for strawberry glaze and chocolate graham crackers.  Neither of which are available at my local Commissary so I had to tweak this recipe a bit.  I made homemade strawberry glaze and chocolate cookies to substitute for the store bought strawberry glaze and chocolate graham crackers.  I also used low fat ingredients for a more figure friendly version. It still turned out great!  These changes are a little time consuming so if you are short on time and the ingredients are available, I would definitely suggest using store bought strawberry glaze and chocolate graham crackers.

Strawberry Pudding Trifle ~ Original Version

Prep time: 30 minutes                                                                             Serving Size 12

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 (5 ounce) package instant white chocolate pudding mix (or cheese cake flavor pudding)

3 cups cold milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

2 (16 ounce) containers of frozen sweetened strawberries

1 carton (16 ounce) strawberry glaze

2 T. cornstarch

Chocolate Graham Crackers, crumbled

1.       In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Beat in condensed milk, pudding mix, cold milk and vanilla until smooth. Fold in ½ of the whipped topping.

2.     Place frozen strawberries in a saucepan. Gradually moisten 2 T. cornstarch with water until it forms a paste. Add enough water to thin this paste to the consistency of buttermilk, stir into berries. Cook and stir until thick. Cool and mix in glaze.

3.      Layer trifle bowl with crumbled chocolate graham crackers, strawberry mixture, and pudding mixture. Repeat twice and top with remaining whipped topping. Chill. Garnish with crumbled crackers and/or strawberries before serving.

Strawberry Pudding Trifle ~ Joy's Version

Prep time: I have no idea                                           Serving Size 12

1 (8 ounce) 1/3 less fat package cream cheese

1 (14 ounce) can fat free sweetened condensed milk

1 1/3 package instant sugar free white chocolate pudding mix

3 cups cold 1 % milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 (8 ounce) container frozen light whipped topping, thawed (I think I used a little more than the recipe calls for)

32 ounces fresh strawberries

16 ounce strawberry glaze (see recipe below)

2 T. cornstarch

Mom's Famous Chocolate Cookies, crumbled (see recipe below)

1.   In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Beat in condensed milk, pudding mix, cold milk and vanilla until smooth. Fold in ½ of the whipped topping.

2.   Place strawberries in a saucepan. Gradually moisten 2 T. cornstarch with water until it forms a paste. Add enough water to thin this paste to the consistency of buttermilk, stir into berries. Cook and stir until thick. Cool and mix in glaze.

3. Bake cookies and allow to cool.

4.   Layer trifle bowl with crumbled chocolate cookies, strawberry mixture, and pudding mixture. Repeat twice and top with remaining whipped topping. Chill. If desired, garnish with crumbled cookies and strawberries.

Strawberry Glaze

adapted from www.recipes.com

2 cups chopped strawberries, washed and hulled

2/3 cup honey

2 T. cornstarch

2 T. water

1. In a saucepan place strawberries and honey. Cook over medium heat until thoroughly mixed and heated through. Remove from heat.

2. In a small bowl combine cornstarch and water stirring to combine. Add cornstarch mixture to strawberry mixture. Return to stove top and cook over medium heat for approximately 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until thickened.

Mom's Famous Chocolate Cookies

Yield: about 5 dozen

adapted from Southern Living All-Time Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

  

3/4 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

 3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

 2 large eggs

 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

 1 3/4 cups plus 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

3/4 cup cocoa

 1 teaspoon baking soda

 3/4 teaspoon salt

 Parchment paper

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Beat butter and sugars at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until creamy. Add eggs and 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla, beating until blended.

2. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl; gradually add to butter mixture, beating just until blended. Drop by tablespoonful onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets.

3. Bake at 350° for 10 to 14 minutes (I bake them 12 minutes) or until desired degree of doneness. Remove to wire racks, and cool completely (about 15 minutes).

Buon Appetito!

Turtle Brownies ~ Oldie but a Goodie

I have had this recipe for about 16 years. It is one of the first recipes that I learned to make and one of my husband's favorites. These brownies are really moist and oozing with gooey caramel chocolaty goodness! Top with a scoop of ice cream for extra deliciousness!

Turtle Brownies

50 caramels

1/3 cup evaporated milk

3/4 cup margarine

1/3 cup evaporated milk 

1 box chocolate cake mix

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup chocolate chips 

Melt caramels with 1/3 cup evaporated milk in large saucepan; set aside. Melt margarine with 1/3 cup evaporated milk in saucepan. Combine with cake mix and pecans in large bowl. Pat half mixture into greased 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 6 minutes. Sprinkle with chocolate chips; spread caramel mixture over chips. Pat cake mix over top. Bake 15 minutes. Cool. Cut into squares.

Black Forest Trifle

Today's post is short and sweet. I am short and the recipe is sweet, ha-ha! Wait! Don't go! I know that was a bad joke. This trifle dessert is worth sticking around for, I promise.

I just love a trifle dessert. They are typically super easy to make and look so pretty. Served in individual glass compotes or wine glasses, this Black Forest Trifle would make a great Valentine's treat for the romantic dinner that I know you are planning for your sweetheart. It makes a lot so you could simply half the recipe if making it just for two.

glass compote

The "made from scratch" pudding layer is really delectable, and worth the extra time it takes to make. Trust me! I couldn't quit eating it. I have tasted "made from scratch" pudding that I didn't think was worth the time and effort, but this pudding is way better than instant.

             

Black Forest Trifle

Recipe Source: Prime Meridian

Serving Size  : 8     

  4 1/2  cups milk, divided
  3- 1 ounce squares unsweetened chocolate
  1/3  cup cornstarch
  1/2  cup sugar
  1/4  tsp  salt
  2 tsp  vanilla
  2 cups cookie crumbs (vanilla wafers, shortbread, or chocolate chip)
  1 can cherry pie filling

1. In a heavy saucepan, combine 4 cups milk and chocolate. Cook over
moderate heat until bubbles form on milk around edges of pan. Remove from
heat. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch, sugar, salt, and 1/2
cup milk. Whisk until well moistened and smooth. Gradually add cornstarch
mixture to hot milk mixture stirring constantly. Return to moderately high
heat, stirring until mixture begins to boil. Boil 1 minute while continuing
to stir. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla.

2. Spoon 1/3 (approximately 1 1/3 cup) mixture into a 2-quart soufflé dish
or trifle bowl. Top with 1/3 (2/3 cup) cookie crumbs. Set Aside 1/2 cup pie
filing. Gently spoon half of remaining filling onto crumb layer. Repeat
layering with another 1/3 chocolate mixture, 1/3 crumbs, remaining pie
filling and remaining chocolate mixture. Spoon remaining crumbs around top
edge of bowl to form a border. Place reserved pie filling in center.

3. Refrigerate covered 5 to 6 hours or until pudding is well chilled.

I know the pics are not great. Obviously I took them and not my hubby :)

Buon Appetito!

From Mess to Success: Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake Balls

This post doesn't include a recipe, but I hope it encourages you that with a little creativity what starts out as a cooking mess can turn into a cooking success.

This story began a couple of weeks before Christmas.  It has become a tradition that I make chocolate peanut butter balls every year during the holidays. The balls are made by mixing together peanut butter, melted butter, and powdered sugar then forming into balls and dipping in melted chocolate. This year my hubby wanted to help by making the peanut butter mixture.  Although he didn't need it, I supervised and told him exactly what ingredients and how much of each was needed.  He followed the recipe exactly.  I had the bright idea to mix it in the Kitchenaid mixer instead of by hand.  It must have over mixed the peanut butter mixture, because it would not roll into balls. I normally freeze the mixture before forming the balls, but even after freezing, it still wouldn't work. I even mixed in more powdered sugar thinking that would help to make it thicker, but with no luck. It was a peanut buttery mess, but tasted delicious so instead of  throwing it out I put it in the freezer to use at a later time.  I made another batch and mixed by hand and it turned out perfectly. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pics, but that just gives me a good excuse to make them again soon so I can share the pics and recipe with you.

A few weeks later after the Christmas craziness was over I thought about that peanut butter mixture and decided I would use it to make icing. I mixed in some cool whip and crushed Oreos  (processed in a food processor) until it was the consistency of icing.  Originally I thought that it would be good on a white cake, but as I was getting ready to bake I thought to myself, "Duh, peanut butter, Oreo, cool whip icing would go perfect on a chocolate cake not a white cake!" So I mixed in 1/2 cup cocoa with the white cake mix (from a box) to make it chocolaty and then followed the directions on the box for a two layer cake. Once cooled, I iced it with the peanut butter concoction, and then covered it with more crushed Oreos. It was perty good, and my family loved it.

After a couple of days the cake was a little too dry for me so I decided to try and make cake balls with it. In the past I tried making gingerbread cake balls, but they did not turn out so well. However, I am not easy discouraged and was ready to give the balls another try.

Since cake balls are simply cake and icing, I figured I could use the leftover cake to make them. I mashed the cake and icing until it was blended well and then using an ice cream scoop formed 1 inch round balls and flash froze them (put the balls on a cookie sheet and put in freezer for 30 minutes).  Then using a toothpick, dipped them in melted chocolate chips, drizzled chocolate on them, and then decorated with sprinkles. I was so excited how they turned out. They were fantastic!! My family devoured most of  them. My husband took the leftovers to work and they received rave reviews. From now on anytime I have leftover cake it will be a perfect excuse to make cake balls.

So it goes to show that cooking messes can be turned into successes!! It is true in life too. Even though our lives may seem to be a mess there is always hope for a turn around.  I have learned this in my life and am thankful for God's forgiveness and grace as well as the opportunity to move forward in his strength and become a success.

Even Paul the apostle started out with a mess of a life and through the grace of Jesus his life turned into a great success. Perhaps not by earthly standards but by eternal standards he was a winner.

I Timothy 1:12-14

I give thanks to Christ Jesus our Lord who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, appointing me to the ministry— one who was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an arrogant man. But I received mercy because I acted out of ignorance in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord overflowed, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.


My dad always told me, "It's not how you start. It's how you finish." I am thankful that in everyday life and cooking our messes can become successes and that sounds like joy to me!

Buon Appetito!

All pics were taken by my very talented husband. He loves photography and has been doing all the photography for my blog the past couple of months.  If you have noticed an improvement it is because of him. If you see a not so good pic on the blog, just know I took it :)

Peppermint Palooza

I know that peppermint foods are typically associated with Christmas. However, I love peppermint so much that I cannot reserve it only for the holidays. 

My absolute favorite peppermint treat is Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cookies. I adapted Southern Living's All-Time Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies to create this recipe.

I like sweets. I really do, but I am not usually too tempted to eat what I bake. I get more enjoyment from baking than I usually get from eating. However, I cannot resist these chocolaty delights. They get me every time. I tell myself,  that I am not going to eat any, but when the aroma of warm chocolate and peppermint hits me as I take them from the oven, I can't resist. I end up eating one or two immediately followed by a cold glass of milk. Mmm, mmm good!

Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cookies

Yield: Approximately 40 cookies

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

3/4 cup cocoa

1 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

12 large candy canes or 6 oz. peppermints crushed into pieces (make sure not to crush too much or it will become powdery)

1 (12 oz.) bag white chocolate chips

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Beat butter and sugars at medium speed until creamy.
• Add eggs and 1 1/2 tsp vanilla, beating until blended.
• Combine flour, baking soda, cocoa, and salt in a small bowl; gradually add to butter mixture, beating just until blended.
• Beat in candy canes and white chocolate chips just until combined.
• Drop cookies using a 2 tbsp. ice cream scoop onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets.
• Bake 10-14 minutes ( I bake mine 12 minutes). Remove to wire racks and cool completely (about 15 minutes).

I had about 1/2 of a batch of Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cookies leftover after Christmas so I decided to crumble them (in my brand new Cuisinart Food Processor that Santa brought me for Christmas) to use as a crust for a peppermint cheesecake. I looked through my cookbooks until I found this recipe. 

This Frozen Peppermint Cheesecake is a no bake  recipe. When eaten straight from the freezer it is more like ice cream than cheesecake. You also can remove it from the freezer and let it soften before eating. Either way it is delish!

I couldn't resist this recipe either. I had a piece every day until it was gone.

I think this makes a nice Valentine treat as well.

Frozen Peppermint Cheesecake

Yield 1 (9 inch cheesecake)

Adapted from: Southern Living Little Book of Cheesecakes

 

1 ¾ cups chocolate wafer crumbs (about 25 wafers) I used crushed peppermint bark cookies (for a quicker version, use two ready made chocolate pie crusts instead of using cookies)

¼ cup sugar I didn't add the sugar

¼ cup butter or margarine, melted

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened 1/3 less fat

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk lowfat

1 cup crushed hard peppermint candy

2 cups whipping cream                

·         Stir together first 3 ingredients; press into bottom and 1 inch up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Set aside.

·         Beat cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add condensed milk, beating until smooth. Stir in candy.

·         Beat whipping cream until soft peaks form; gently fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture. Pour into prepared pan. Cover and freeze 6 hours or until firm. Gently run a knife around edge of cheesecake to release sides of pan; carefully remove pan just before serving.

This last recipe for White Chocolate Covered Oreo is one I saw on Pinterest a few months ago. This recipe is so simple. It is just oreo cookies dipped in white chocolate and then sprinkled with crushed peppermints. They are freakin awesome!

 

Buon Appetito!

Peanut Butter Cheesecake with Chocolate Drizzle

I hope you all enjoyed a blessed Christmas season! It was a wonderful relaxing day here at the Hardin household, and believe it or not I didn't even cook Christmas dinner. We went out to eat on Christmas day at the galley on base. I had heard that they served a good holiday meal, and to be honest I was exhausted from a very busy season and just needed a break. So we took a chance and ate at the galley. It wasn't bad, but not near as good as home cooked. I am not complaining since I didn't have to cook or clean after dinner so that made it all worth it. I did make Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls for breakfast so I wasn't a total slacker. These are the most delicious cinnamon rolls I have ever had! I definitely recommend trying them.

As I have stated in earlier posts, I am not a good cook just a good recipe finder.  Sometimes I find the recipes, but sometimes the recipes find me, case in point with this recipe.

A few weeks ago at small group the food theme was a baked potato bar with chili, pulled pork, broccoli, cheese, bacon bits, sour cream, salsa, chives, and butter for toppings. It was a really good spread.

I love baked potatoes and the fact that they are fat free makes me love them even more. When I was in high school and college one of my favorite meals was a grilled chicken sandwich and baked potato from Wendy's. My husband, who at the time was my boyfriend, thought it was so weird that the only thing I would put on my potato was salt and chives. I didn't want the added fat from butter or sour cream, but nowadays I also add light sour cream to my potatoes. Just recently I tried using low fat cottage cheese. I friend suggested I try it and to my surprise it was tasty and even less fat than light sour cream. But at small group, I will admit, I added the chili and a little pulled pork as well.  It was so good. Well, enough about potatoes.  I am sure you are really more interested in the cheesecake than my love of baked potatoes.  One of the men that attend our small group baked this cheesecake and brought it to our baked potato night.  I was so excited and anticipated that I had a new recipe to share with you so I snapped a quick photo before anyone had a chance to cut it.

The cheesecake was amazing and how couldn't it be with peanut butter and chocolate so perfectly matched? Thank you, Chris, for sharing the recipe!!

You will think I have lost my mind, which is quite possible, but lately when I think about peanut butter and chocolate, I think of the song Love and Marriage by Frank Sinatra. 


Sing with me:


Love and marriage, love and marriage
Go together like a horse and carriage
This I'll tell you brother
You can't have one without the other


Love and marriage, love and marriage
It's an institute you can't disparage
Ask the local gentry
And they will say it's elementary


It is a perfect unity just like love and marriage. The union has stood the test of time and will continue to be a culinary delight for many more to come. It is a simple combination, but oh so perfect.

Peanut Butter Cheesecake

Ingredients

• 1-1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup Hershey’s Cocoa
• 1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 3 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
• 1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
• 1-2/3 cups (10-oz. pkg.) REESE'S Peanut Butter Chips, melted
• 4 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE (recipe follows)
• Whipped topping (optional)
• Hershey’s mini-kisses

Directions

1. Heat oven to 300°F. Combine graham cracker crumbs, 1/3 cup sugar, cocoa and butter; press into bottom of 9-inch springform pan.
2. Beat cream cheese and 1/4 cup sugar until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk, then melted chips, until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Pour over crust.
3. Bake 60 to 70 minutes or until center is almost set. Remove from oven. With knife, loosen cake from side of pan. Cool. Remove side of pan. Garnish with CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE. Refrigerate until cold.
4. Add mini-kisses before serving.  Whipped topping as desired.
   
   CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE: Melt 2 tablespoons butter over low heat; add 2 tablespoons Hershey’s Cocoa and 2 tablespoons water. Cook and stir until slightly thickened. Do not boil. Cool slightly. Gradually add 1 cup powdered sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, beating with whisk until smooth. About 3/4 cup.