Quickie Recipe 3 - Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies

I was having a craving for these and realized that everything I needed was already in my pantry...so this recipe really counts! (For anyone who's keeping track.) I remember cooking these up so many times when I was younger. I was having flashbacks while I was making them just now. They are super simple, delicious and pretty rich. And as always my recipes are for smaller portions. Feel free to double any of the recipes as you see fit.

The ingredients for the Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies:



In a saucepan mix the butter, sugar, milk & cocoa powder together.



Heat until boiling then let it boil hard for about 1 1/2 minutes.



Remove from the heat and add in the peanut butter, vanilla & oats. Stir together until completely combined.



Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. Let cool for about 45 minutes.




Here is the recipe card for this dish:



Enjoy!

cheers!
xo diane
contact: thepantrychallenge[at]gmail[dot]com

Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes

This is probably the simplest & most impressive recipe in my entire arsenal of recipes. It is quick, easy, delicious and always pays off. Whenever you might be trying to impress someone this is the go-to recipe. You can see by the photo that there are only 5 main ingredients to this dish. Plus fresh raspberries (or raspberry sauce) & nuts if you'd like for a garnish. So if you like ooey, gooey chocolate desserts read on.

Ingredients for molten chocolate lava cakes:



Start off by greasing six 8 oz. ramekins with butter & set aside. If you are making these to eat right away preheat your oven to 450F. The great thing about this dessert is that you can make it ahead of time and put it in the fridge to be baked when you are ready. More about that later...



Begin by chopping your chocolate & butter into smaller pieces. I recommend to use at least 70% cacao chocolate & salted butter for best results. In a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the butter and chocolate together, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.





Meanwhile, in a separate bowl whisk together the eggs, yolks, and powdered sugar.



Once the melted chocolate mixture is cool, whisk the egg mixture into it; then whisk in the flour.

Pour the batter into the greased ramekins and bake for 5 - 7 minutes or until the sides and top are dry and they yield slightly to the touch. If you have opted to bake these at a later time, cover with cling film and refrigerate. When you are ready to bake them just increase the time by about 3 - 4 minutes. Do not overbake.



When they are ready remove them from the oven. (You may delicately slide a butter knife around the edges of each cake to loosen them if they seem to be sticking.) Place a small plate on the top of the ramekin and gently invert to release the cake. Dust with powdered sugar & garnish with fresh raspberries or raspberry sauce. I have also served this with toasted almonds on top too.





Just be sure to have plenty of ice cold milk on hand...these are quite rich!

Here is the recipe card for this dish:



Enjoy!

cheers!
xo diane
contact: thepantrychallenge[at]gmail[dot]com

just catching up

I was recently in New York and had such a wonderful time there and did do a bit of cooking for a friend of mine. I made some delicious mushroom risotto using shiitake & cremini mushrooms with italian sausage. Its one of my favorite dishes because its so versatile. Using a basic recipe, you can add just about anything you want. Well, I also like to make a pretty large quantity so that I have some left over to make arancini.

My basic recipe for risotto comes from the Williams-Sonoma risotto book. I've used it so many times, I just don't have to look anymore... (yes, I am bragging a bit here)



I will post the instructions for the arancini which are fabulous "little oranges" that you make using the left over risotto. This all depends on how much you have left over of course. Basically all you do is add a beaten egg, some bread crumbs and more parmesan cheese to the rice mixture. Mix it gently then form into balls about the size of clementines or golf balls. The thing that makes these so good is the fresh buffalo mozzarella cheese that you stuff into the middle. Either cut small cubes or use the bocconcini or perlini. I like to use quite a bit so there's a good amount of oozy goodness coming out the center. You can actually stuff these with just about anything you want...like a beef ragu, more mushrooms etc. Just use what you like.

Once you've made the balls you do a simple dredge into flour, egg wash then into Italian breadcrumbs. Fry them at 350F in a light oil (I use canola) turning them frequently so they don't burn. Once they are golden brown remove them from the oil and place on paper towels to drain.



I serve them on a bed of baby arugula that is dressed with lemon, extra virgin olive oil, coarse salt & pepper. Super simple, and you can freeze the rest of them for later use. You want to freeze the risotto balls themselves without being coated with anything. Be sure if you do freeze them you need place them onto a baking sheet and flash freeze them separately before you put them into a container otherwise they will stick to each other!

Enjoy!

cheers!
xo diane
contact: thepantrychallenge[at]gmail[dot]com