PP&J Cookies

This recipe is so simple that kids can even do it.  The ingredients are simple - peanut butter cookies and jelly, preserves or jam.  Yep that's it.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Simply make up your favorite recipe for peanut butter cookies (you can even use refrigerated rolls or store mix).  Form your cookie dough into 1" balls.  Spray the tins of a mini muffin pan.  Place the cookie dough balls into the bottom of the tins.  Press down to cover the bottom of the tins and a little up the side.  Press a dent in the center (this can be done with your finger if you don't have long nails but it needs to be round.  Just be careful and don't go all the way through.  Next, add about 1/2 tsp. of your favorite jam, preserves or jelly to each dent.  Bake 10-12 minutes.  Let cool in the pan for about 5-10 minutes.  Using a large spoon, carefully run around around the edge of your cookie to loosen and lift out.  Place on a rack to cool completely.

These turned out so delicious!  You can actually do this with just about any cookie - chocolate (not with chips), sugar, etc.  You can use any flavor jelly/jam/preserves - whatever happens to be your favorite or your child's favorite or do some of both.  You can also do as I did and fill some of them with chocolate chips.  My food testers all loved these.  One said she simply couldn't quit eating them and ended up eating all 7 that I brought her.  This is a fun recipe to do with the kids, especially for the holidays.

Snicker Pie

5 Snickers cut in pieces or 18 small bars

2 regular size pastry shell baked

12 oz cream cheese

½ cup sugar

2 eggs

1/3 cup sour cream

1/3 cup peanut butter

2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place Snickers in bottom of the cooked pie shell.  In a mixing bowl beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth.  Add eggs, sour cream and peanut butter; beat on low speed just until combined.  Pour into pie shell over Snickers.  Bake  for 25-30 minutes or until set.  Sprinkle with chocolate chips as soon as they come out of the oven.   Refrigerate overnight or for several hours.

Comments:  This recipe came from a friend of mine and I finally decided to give it a try.  She used the 5 regular size snickers but to cut cost I bought a bag of the individual size and ended up using 9 bars in each shell.  She also used just 1 shell which apparently was a deep dish.  I had the regular shells so I used 2.  The only other difference between mine and her pie was the chocolate.  She melted the chips were I cut down the prep time by sprinkling the chips over the top of the hot pie.  Baking time may varies by the shell.  With me using the 2 shells I found 30 minutes to be perfect.  I determined the pie was done when a toothpick in the center didn't come out wet.  If you use the 1 deep dish shell you might want to add 10 minutes to your baking time.  But don't overcook or your pie will become hard.  

Candy Bar Pie

5 Snickers cut in pieces
1 pastry shell, deep dish, baked
12 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup peanut butter
2/ cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 Tbsp. whipping cream

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Place Snickers in bottom of pie shell.  In a mixing bowl beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth.  Add eggs, sour cream and peanut butter.  Beat on low speed just until combined.  Pour into pie shell.  Bake 35-40 minutes.  Cool.  In a small saucepan melt chocolate chips with cream over low heat until smooth.  Spread over cooled pie.  Refrigerate over night or for several hours.

Comment:  This recipe came from a friend who does some catering on the side.  I'm not a chocolate lover but the response I've received from everyone who was lucky enough to try this, it was delicious.  I did make one mistake.  I melted my chips in the microwave.  Actually I made 2 mistakes.  I used chips that I had in the pantry for a while.  Yes, chips do get old and don't melt as well as fresh.  But I still used them as a crumble over the top of the pie.  I also used the Almond Snickers and Almond Butter so I sprinkled my pie with sliced almonds.  I think this would be a fun dish to make with other candies too.

Peanut Butter Bars

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped
1/4 Tbsp. light brown sugar
1 stick butter, melted
1 pkg (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup regular sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup Peanut Butter Bars, crushed (about 20)
8-10 Peanut Butter Bars, crushed and set aside
Glaze (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a med. bowl mix flour, nuts, brown sugar and butter.  Press into the bottom of 9 x 13 x 2" baking dish.  Bake about 10-21 minutes or until slightly browned.  In another bowl using a mixer blend cream cheese and sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Stir in 1 cup peanut butter bars.  Pour over crust.  Bake 25 minutes.  Remove from oven.  Spread a fine glaze over top and sprinkle with remaining peanut butter bars.  Refrigerate.  Makes about 30 bars.

Notes:  In the picture you'll see the type of peanut butter bars I used.  You can use chocolate coated peanut butter candy instead of the type I used.  This also works well with crushed toffee candy.  For my glaze I used Duncan Hines Amazing Glazes.  I keep a bottle of this in my refrigerator to use when I want a glaze that isn't sticky when cooled.  This works perfect.  You can also use the chocolate glaze for added flavor.