Reese's | Just About Baked

Peanut Butter Cookie Cup Minis

If you don’t like Reese’s peanut butter cups, we might be perfect for one another. Because I will totally eat all of yours.

That’s right. You can have all of my Andes mints or Krackel bars. Those don’t rank so high with me. But if you try to get into my Reese’s supply, we’ll probably have words. Heated ones.

These cookies are classic and indisputably a winner. Who could argue with a peanut butter cookie wrapped around a peanut butter cup and baked into a mini muffin tin?

Reese’s Brownies

Last week, Kenny and I had a mini-getaway to Hershey, PA. A lot of people were confused about our choice of location since we went without our kids, but if you know me, it’s not confusing at all.

For one thing, it’s close to home so if there’s a kid emergency, we can get back fast. The resort is super fabulous. I mean, there’s a chocolate spa. And best of all, there is chocolate everywhere.

Salted Chocolate Peanut Butter Eggs

Do you ever go overboard and then regret it?

Of course you do. We all do. It’s part of being human. And unfortunately, a necessary side effect of eating Chinese takeout.

Yesterday, Kenny happened to be near my favorite Chinese restaurant, so we got takeout. That’s pretty rare, since I cook my family dinner almost every night. I got way too excited and ordered much more food than I could actually eat without feeling totally sick in the morning. And sure enough, I think I went one or two pieces of sesame chicken too far.

Ganache-Frosted Peanut Butter Cup Brownies

January 16, 2015
Mir
Bars n' Brownies
22 Comments

How many days can you go without a brownie? Because I can last two days. Then it all falls apart.

There are two desserts in this world that I can never say no to. The first is a chocolate chip cookie. I know very few people who can ever resist one. I even love the Costco ones. They’re processed. They’re huge. They’re delicious.

And then, taunting me always, is a perfectly fudgy brownie. You’d think that there aren’t a lot of good ones out there, but man, is that wrong. There are incredible brownies everywhere. It’s kind of encouraging, really. What kind of world would we live in if good brownies weren’t available on every street corner along with Coke Slurpees and Starbucks?

Peanutty Magic Bars

November 9, 2014
Mir
Bars n' Brownies
6 Comments

I have to love my office the day after Halloween. Teacher after teacher troops in and I watch as each one sighs and drops a bag of leftover candy on the table for people to share. “Gotta get rid of this,” they say, eyeing the candy with great misgiving, “or I’ll eat it all.”

I scoop up the Reese’s and Snickers and Twix and M & Ms, shove them in my desk drawer, and have snacks for the next few weeks. Believe me, I have no qualms about having candy around. It doesn’t bother me at all. Candy was meant to be eaten!

Double-Decker Bars

September 8, 2014
Mir
Bars n' Brownies
22 Comments

Every now and then, I go too far. When that happens, I’m woman enough to admit it. And I have no shame at all.

These bars go waaaaaay too far. And like I said, not sorry. Just be prepared, because you may have to go where other people are not in preparation for the sugar crash that will inevitably come your way if you eat these. It will be worth it. I speak the truth.

Peanut Butter Overload Ice Cream

Everyone else is happily beckoning in autumn, but not me. No way! Because it’s still 90 degrees out and I’m hanging out at all the frozen yogurt shops.

My obsession with fro yo is all in the toppings. You go fill your cup with lots of frozen goodness, but then you can dump whatever you want on top. I do that totally logical thing where I get a bucket full of fat-free yogurt and then proceed to pile on the chocolate. Lots of chocolate. And sometimes brownies or cheesecake, too. It’s like a make your own sundae party, any day of the week!

Peanut Butter Candy Pretzels

August 29, 2014
Mir
Candyland
4 Comments

Do you ever feel like you’ve been hit with a Nyquil stick?

As in, your limbs just get heavier. You’re exhausted. You think about people who sleep later in the morning and you feel nothing but intense envy.

It’s the beginning of the school year. I’ll adjust. In the meantime, when I finally drop into bed, I’m sleeping very well. And I’m also rediscovering the joy of candy to keep me going during those conscious hours!

My Birthday (Cookie) Cake!

August 17, 2014
Mir
C is for COOKIE!, Cakes, Let Them Eat Cake
16 Comments

My birthday cake is kind of a problem every year. You see, I am the family cake baker. So when it comes time for someone to provide a cake for me, there’s usually a debacle of some kind.

This year was no different. My husband tried really hard to get my favorite Baskin Robbins cake, but they now have some non-functioning system where you can only order a cake online, except it doesn’t work. He tried everything. Calling, going in, ordering online. Nobody would let him get a friggin’ cake. So I wound up baking my own. But that’s okay, because then I know it’s perfect!

Magic Middle Cookies

When I was in college, this really eccentric husband-wife team oversaw my dining hall. They looked like a sweet older couple, but he always made really dirty jokes and she would shoot you the evil eye forever if you so much as left a scrap of food on your plate. But they fed me, so I was grateful.

Every now and then, they’d serve the best slice and bake cookies in the universe. No, I’m not exaggerating, so leave me alone. They were really the best. And I’ve hunted them down for years without any luck. It’s so sad!

They were rich chocolate cookies, huge ones, with an amazing peanut butter center that reminded me of a Reese’s peanut butter cup. Can you wonder at all why these were my idea of perfection? Years later, I learned that this kind of cookie is called a Magic Middle. And while they are magical, they can take a while to make with both the cookie dough and the peanut butter center dough. So I made up a shortcut, a cheat, a whatever. And they taste even better than the labor-intensive ones!