Browned Butter Peanut Butter Crispy Rice Treats

We are in our fourth heat wave of the summer according to New York City weathermen.  They define a heat wave as a sequence of days with highs over 90 degrees.  I define heat wave as any sequence of days where the high is over 82.  I have been in a perpetual heat wave since May.   I have been told that I need to ‘embrace summer’ and that I am ‘from the South where it is even hotter!’ which are valid arguments except I have never experienced as suffocating a heat as when you are waiting on the D train at Broadway/Lafayette subway station with no air circulation and the only breeze that could possibly exist comes when the train I do NOT need pulls in but is then stifled due to the heat that the multi-ton metal machine exudes in your face before pulling out.  Try to embrace that, I say.

Nevertheless, I am trucking away with our window air conditioning units (thank God for those) and seeking relief by plotting my walks to the subway via routes that include doormen-operated apartment buildings and clothing stores that keep their doors open.  This allows me to stand idly in front of them for three-minute stretches before moving to the next one and eventually heading down into the inferno of the subway platform. 

 

You can imagine how the last thing I want to do then is turn on an oven.   My daily pension for a baked treat is taking a severe beating.  However, I have found these little goodies satisfy me – they are just as basic and warm-fuzzy inducing as a cupcake and have a fancy twist thanks to the browned butter.  And they come from one of my favorite blogger's first cookbook!  

Browned Butter Peanut Butter Crispy Rice Treats

Adapted (moderately) from the Joy the Baker Cookbook

1 stick butter

1 bag mini-marshmallows (10 ounce)

½ cup smooth, natural peanut butter (I used JIF naturals)

¼ teaspoon salt

6 cups of crispy rice cereal

Butter an 8 or 9-inch square pan.  In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt butter until browned over medium heat.  Butter will become foamy and frothy before you notice browned bits on the bottom.  As the browned bits form, stir in the marshmallows, peanut butter and salt.  Stir until the marshmallows have melted and the mixture is smooth and creamy. Turn off heat, remove pan from the heat and add rice cereal.  Stir fast so that the cereal is coated evenly.  Turn mixture into your buttered square pan and, using your fingers, press mixture evenly into the bottom of the pan.  Let cool before slicing. 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

Robbie sent me an email this week with only the words "interesting article on nagging" in the subject line and then a link to this article from the Wall Street Journal. I then spent the next two hours trying to remember when I last nagged him, wondering if this was some passive aggressive way to tell me how I was getting on his case to much. Then I remembered that Robbie is not a girl and only girls would do something like that. So I read the article and had to admit it was interesting. And he assured me that he sent the link only because he knows how much I worry about nagging him too much (sure . . .) and that I am not nearly as bad as the individuals used in the article as examples.

But it got me thinking. It got me thinking at how Robbie and I seem to be doing ok for two people who had very independent lives (read - long-distance for the vast majority of our relationship) until August when we crammed a few of our possessions into a teeny apartment and tried this whole 'married-people-live-together' concept. It also made me realize how incredibly stereotypical coed living is. Yes, Robbie can't find anything in a cabinet/refrigerator/closet even if he is looking right at it. Yes, on trash night, I get super-annoyed when we take the trash out and then Robbie throws away a piece of paper when we Just. Took. The. Trash. Out. I even forced him to not throw a magazine away for an entire night so that we could have a clean trash can for at least 12 hours. But that's not nagging. Crazy, yes. Nagging, no.

Here's another pretty typical moment in the Samuel household. Let me set the scene for you. I am standing about 8 feet from our trash can in the apartment breaking down some boxes (a NYC rule - or maybe a building rule - who knows?). Robbie is standing between me and the trash can reading. (Robbie stands up to do almost everything. I am constantly ducking around him while he is standing up to eat, drink, read, write, etc. It's something I never noticed until I lived in a place with only five square feet of empty space which, when someone stands in it, takes up two square feet of said space leaving three for me and a 20+ pound cat around which to maneuver.) I finish breaking down one box, throw it at his feet and say "Can you throw that away please?" I may or may not have added the please but I find that fact a moo point (Friends fans, you've got that reference*). Robbie doesn't move. In the meantime, I finish breaking down the other box and he still has not picked up the first box and walked the four feet to throw it away. So I storm over with the second box, I'm sure making some combination of a human sigh and a horse's snort, pick up the first box, and throw them both away as if I just had the biggest I-am-a-martyr moment since Joan of Arc. Robbie just looks at me and says "You should've left it. I was going to get it." Which launches me into a discussion on, not his ability to throw the box away, but the fact that he could have done it ten times over again and just done what I asked him to. He claims I have no argument since it didn't inconvenience me that much as I clearly was going to throw the other box away anyway. Oy. Lawyers.

Now, what does this have to do with Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars you say? Nothing. Except, if I keep making these peanut butter and chocolate goodies, Robbie will always be at my mercy. Because I can get my way anytime I'm holding something chocolaty and peanut buttery. MJ - 1, Wall Street Journal - 0.

*The Moo Point - A Friends scene where Joey claims a point someone has made is a "Moo Point" because "It's like a cow's opinion -- doesn't matter."

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

I couldn't remember where I first saw this recipe but I found basically the same recipe here.

1 stick butter, softened

1 cup chunky peanut butter

1 16-oz package powdered sugar

1 1/2 cups Nilla wafers, crushed (about 45 cookies)

1 regular bag of semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup of whipping cream

Beat the softened butter and peanut butter together until well blended. Add the powdered sugar and Nilla wafers until blended. I recommend using an electric mixer here as your arm will get tired otherwise. Press the mixture into a greased 9 x 13 inch dish lined with wax paper. In a medium saucepan, combine semisweet chips and whipping cream. Heat over low heat until melted. Pour the liquid over the mixture in the pan and smooth it out. Put in refrigerator to chill for at least one hour and then cut into squares.

Momofuku Milk Bar Compost Bars

Well it was bound to happen one of these days. I've been at this cooking blog thing for almost a year (anniversary is soon!) and I had my first failed recipe attempt. I hate to fail. In fact, if you know me at all, you quickly pick up on my self-deprecating humor that I inevitably fall back on in social settings which, at the core, suggests that I set the standard pretty low so when I exceed it, everyone around me will be impressed and I will not have - you know - failed anyone.

This uneasiness with failure probably explains why I like cooking and baking. Not experimental cooking and baking -- that could lead to too many errors which could lead to a failed outcome and I just can't have that. So instead I follow the recipes verbatim -- ok, maybe with a tiny change here or there -- and so far, the outcomes have been close enough to perfect for me. (Did you catch that Alabama reference? Great song.)

Enter the Momofuku Milk Bar Compost Cookie. I was so excited because as I mentioned earlier, I visited Ma Peche while in NYC and got to grab dessert from the Milk Bar as well. I was so excited to find this recipe for their famed cookie, complete with detailed instructions and timed mixing cycles perfectly laid out. And lo and behold if they didn't turn out the opposite of large and thick and deliciously salty and sweet. They spread more than I thought cookies could by-definition spread. They were incredibly flat. And they were more salty than sweet. I had to rename them Momofuku Milk Bar Compost Bars instead of Momofuku Milk Bar Compost Cookies. (When I do fail, I try to make it look like I didn't fail by changing the names of things (and sometimes the rules) so that it applies.)

I did everything as it said even refrigerating overnight but I don't know what happened. Maybe I needed a bigger pan. Maybe my baking soda and baking powder were old (I do have the tendency to ignore expiration dates on food) or maybe! Oh! Maybe! It's a conspiracy and they purposefully botched the recipe so you could only get the REAL Momofuku Milk Bar Compost Cookie from the actual Milk Bars! I bet that's it . . . and this way, I only partially failed. But only because I was led down that path by the conniving minds of others. See how I do that? Pretty impressive right?

Momofuku Milk Bar Compost Bars
From The Amateur Gourmet (I'm ignoring the fact his look normal in his pictures.)

Ingredients:

1 c butter (unsalted preferably)
1 c granulated sugar
3/4 c light brown sugar
1 Tbsp corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tsps baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsps Kosher salt (I would drop this down a bit -- mine were pretty salty especially since you use salty snack food.)
1 1/2 c your favorite baking ingredients (options: chocolate chips, Raisenettes, Rollos, Cocoa Krispies. I used Milk Duds thinking they were the size of TicTacs.)
1 1/2 c your favorite snack foods (chips, pretzels, etc. I used Pretzels)

1. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter, sugars and corn syrup on medium high for two to three minutes until fluffy and pale yellow in color. Scrape down the sides with a spatula.

2. On a lower speed, add eggs and vanilla to incorporate. Increase mixing speed to medium-high and start a timer for 10 minutes. During this time the sugar granules will fully dissolve, the mixture will become an almost pale white color and your creamed mixture will double in size.

3. When time is up, on a lower speed, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix 45 - 60 seconds just until your dough comes together and all remnants of dry ingredients have incorporated. Do not walk away from your mixer during this time or you will risk over mixing the dough. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl with a spatula.

4. On the same low speed, add in the hodgepodge of your favorite baking ingredients and mix for 30 - 45 seconds until they evenly mix into the dough. Add in your favorite snack foods last, paddling again on low speed until they are just incorporated.

5. Using a 6 oz. ice cream scoop, portion cookie dough onto a parchment lined sheet pan.

6. Wrap scooped cookie dough tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of one hour or up to 1 week.

DO NOT BAKE your cookies from room temperature or they will not hold their shape. (This is a lie, mine did not hold their shape even though mine were refrigerated for 24 hours.)

7. Heat the oven to 400 F. Take the plastic off your cookies and bake 9 to 11 minutes. While in the oven, the cookies will puff, crackle and spread (no kidding).

At 9 minutes, the cookies should be browned on the edges and just beginning to brown towards the center. Leave the cookies in the oven for the additional minutes if these colors don't match up and your cookies still seem pale and doughy on the surface.

8. Cool the cookies completely on the sheet pan before transferring to a plate or an airtight container or tin for storage. At room temp, they'll keep five days. (This step could also be - 8. Cool the cookies completely on the sheet pan before slicing them into bars and transferring them to a plate . . .)

Raspberry Crumb Squares

January 1^st, 2011. How did that happen? We are already a decade into the 2000s. I officially enter the late-20s on my birthday this year. I graduated from high school ten years ago (which I reminded my husband of and his immediate response was to shout an expletive and put his head down lamenting on how he hasn’t done much in his life). Anyway. Happy New Year!

As comes with every new year, I stayed up till 12:15 am to welcome the year with open arms only to quickly tell it goodnight; I made my promises for this year to myself and my family; and I wrote down my ten resolutions.

One of these resolutions is to blog more. Hollaaaaa! I know, dear readers (all four of you) that this has made your 2011. Or at least the first 20 hours of it. I should probably make a resolution to actually spread the word about my blog a little better, but that will come with time.

Another resolution is to be more healthy and usually, after the onslaught of the holidays and various gorgefests involving cookies, pies and all things sweet, I am ready for this time of cleansing and healthy eating. This feeling wears off just in time for Valentine’s day and the cravings for chocolate to pick back up again . . .

Anywho, in the meantime, if you are looking for a way to ease off the sweets, I recommend this recipe. It looks like a dessert but is actually a buttery, crumbly, not-that-sweet bar that looks pretty and is perfect for a snowy morning. You can trick yourself that it is dessert by topping it with some cool whip. Don’t be alarmed by how much flour is in it. Just remember that I warned you about its not too-sweet taste. Robbie calls it a “gourmet pop tart.” However, pop tarts are quality too so I recommend keeping them both around.

Raspberry Crumb Bars
From Magnolia Bakery Cookbook

Crust:
2 cups unsalted butter, melted
4 cups all purpose flour

Filling:

1 1/4 cup raspberry jam (I splurged with this ingredient and got the fancy schmancy Swiss preserves kind).

Topping:

4 1/2 cup all purpose flour
3 cups unpacked light brown sugar
2 cups softened unsalted butter - cut into small pieces
pinch of salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Crust:
Melt butter over low heat while stirring. Don't use high heat, or you will end up with clarified butter! Combine melted butter with flour in a large bowl. The dough will be soft. Spread dough evenly on an ungreased baking sheet or a jelly roll pan (12 by 18 inch pan). Bake crust for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it cool completely. This could take up to 50 minutes.

Topping:
(A word of warning – I don’t make a good crumb crust. I don’t know if it is because I don’t let the butter soften enough or if I let it soften too much. Or maybe there is too much flour. Who knows? I even used my new pastry blender that I got as a wedding present. That just made my knuckles messy with buttery flour.)
Mix flour, brown sugar and salt. Add softened and cut butter to flour mixture. Mixture should be crumbly. Or, as in my case, mixture should be at the point where you just don’t want to mess with it anymore.

Beat raspberry jam till it is smooth and spread it over the cooled base, leaving 1/4 inch edge all around. This was tricky for me because the jam kept pulling the base up. I would almost add a little more jam to make it easier and probably even yummier. Sprinkle topping generously over the jam layer. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Cool completely before cutting into squares.