I’m not sure if this is a cheesecake or a dessert but either way it’s completely delicious. A soft chewy chocolate brownie which would be good enough on its own, layered with a a thick peanut-butter cream cheese layer then topped off with a chocolate and nutella ganache. The saltiness of the creamy peanut layer really helps cut through the richness of the brownie and the topping. If you are a peanut and chocolate lover then this is the dessert for you. The brownie recipe is from David Lebovitz and is considered to be one of the best brownie recipes around. I will definitely be using it again next time I make my brownies.

Ingredients

Brownie

8 tablespoons (115 g) unsalted butter, cubed

2 ounces (60 g) unsweetened chocolate, chopped.

1 cup (200 g) sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup (75 g) nuts, chopped

1/4 cup (25 g) chocolate chips

1/4 cup (35 g) flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

Peanut cheesecake layer

200g of cream cheese

5 heaped tablespoons of peanut butter

200ml of cream (whipped until thick)

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract (optional)

Nutella Ganache

3 tablespoons of Nutella

100g of milk or plain chocolate

100ml of cream

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325ºF (160ºC.) I decided to bake my brownie in the same pan I was planning to serve it in. So line an 8-inch (20 cm) square pan with baking paper, leaving the overhang over the rim of the pan. This is so you can remove the brownie layer after it’s done.

2. In a medium saucepan set over very low heat, melt the butter and the chocolate, stirring frequently, until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar, then mix in the eggs and the vanilla extract.

3. Stir in the nuts and cocoa chips, then the flour and salt. Scrape the mixture in the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until the brownies feel just-set in the centre. Remove from oven and let cool. Once cool, lift the brownies out of the pan by grasping the baking paper. Peel off the paper then put the brownie layer back into your serving dish.

4. Make the cheesecake layer by mixing together the peanut butter, vanilla, and cream cheese until smooth and combined. Then fold in the whipped cream until thoroughly mixed. Then spread this layer over the brownie and pop it into the fridge to set whilst you make the ganache.

5. To make the ganache put the chocolate, cream and Nutella into a glass or metal bowl and set it over a pan of simmering water. Stir until all the chocolate and Nutella have melted and you have a thick glossy chocolate sauce. Take the bowl off the heat then stir for a minute or two to help it cool, then pour over the peanut cheesecake layer. Put the whole think back in the fridge for at least 3 hours to set. When its done, cut into slices and serve or eat it straight from the dish with a big ass spoon a la fat girl. Voilà the peanut butter brownie cheesecake, the deliciousness of two desserts combined into one super dessert.

I love these babies so much, I had to share them with you. They are insanely easy to make and taste just like a Reese’s peanut butter cup, but bigger! I love peanut butter and chocolate combinations, it’s possibly my favourite sweet pairing. I’m pretty sure I could manage to eat peanut butter cups all day long. However here they are just so pricey and hard to find. It’s easy enough to make them yourself but with the double chocolate layers it can take a while to make them. This way they are made in 10 minutes. The only hard part is waiting 40 minutes for the chocolate to set. I love them so much I already finished the entire pan, and have already bought the ingredients to make a second batch, except next time I’m going to add Nutella too! I shall let you know the results.

Ingredients

200g digestive biscuits (called Digest)

226g of butter (2 sticks)

3/4 of a jar of peanut butter

3/4 of a cup of icing sugar

150g of chocolate (I used 3 dove bars)

4 tablespoons peanut butter

Directions

Line a square tin with a layer of grease proof paper and set aside. Crush the digestive biscuits until they resemble fine crumbs. Melt the butter on the stove then stir in the biscuit crumbs. Stir in the peanut butter and icing sugar until you have a golden paste then pour into the tin, and level off with a knife. Put in the refrigerator to chill while you make the topping.

Melt your chocolate in a glass or metal bowl over a pan of simmering water, then stir in the 4 tablespoons of peanut butter. Pour the melted chocolate on top of the peanut mixture and leave to set in the fridge for 40 minutes to 1 hour. You can lick the bowl to help comfort you during the long wait. Pull the paper out from the tin and cut your delicious treats into slices and devour. Voilà peanut butter bars in an hour all from a quick trip to your local Korean supermarket.

This is why I am fat. Recipes like this which I just cannot resist. I’m never going to be slim, I just love food far too much (more than being slim anyhow). The second I saw a picture of these babies I knew I had to have them. I wasn’t sure if the taste would live up to the picture but oh my god these were cramazing (that’s crazy amazing to those of you unfamiliar with my lingo). To be fair though how could they not be, with pedigree parents like the cookie and brownie its pretty obvious that their babies are going to taste delicious too. Throw  a Reeces peanut butter cup inside that baby and you have got food porn of the highest caliber  The best part is they are so easy to make! I made my own cookie dough, but you could totally use one of the pre-prepared mixes. This is baking at its most basic but throwing 3 magic ingredients together to come up with something insanely good.

Ingredients

12 Reeces peanut butter cups (I also tried some with Rolos)

1 pack of brownie mix (Tous le jours brand)

Cookies

1 stick of butter

100g of white sugar

50g of brown sugar

60g of chocolate chips

1 egg

150g of flour

1/2 a teaspoon of baking soda

Directions

To make the cookie dough, preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius. Cream together the sugar and butter until its light and fluffy. Next add the egg  and mix in the chocolate chips. Then Stir in the sifted flour and baking soda. Mix together until the dough has formed. In a separate bowl make the brownie mix according to the instructions on the back. On my box you just add water.

Grease a muffin tin with a little butter. Place a a tablespoon of cookie dough into each section and press down with your fingers so it covers the bottom layer. Place a Reeces peanut butter cup face down. Then top with a tablespoon or two of  brownie mix.

Bake in the oven for about 12-20 minutes or until the brownie is cooked. Allow the brownookies to cool completely before removing from the pan if you want them to stay intact. Enjoy with a cold glass of milk or a scoop of vanilla ice-cream, repeat until your jeans no longer fit you or until they have all gone. Voilà the easiest and tastiest baked treat ever.

Yesterday I went out for a lovely brunch. After said brunch I was in the mood for something sweet and delicious, but nothing took my fancy on the way home. I decided I would whip a batch of cupcakes to satisfy my sweet tooth. However by the time I had finished raiding the Pinoy Mart I had racked up a bill of 40,000. Rather pricey for a bit of cake. Although I now have baking ingredients in abundance.

I love the combination of peanut butter and chocolate so these little beauties really hit the spot, especially if you have a craving for Reeces peanut butter cups. You can make these as regular cupcakes or mini ones. I decided to go for minis as I think they look cuter but the larger ones I made had a  moister sponge. So just go for whatever you fancy.

This mixture will make at least 12 cupcakes or about 30 mini cupcakes. If you are not planning to use that many you can half the recipe or you can freeze the cakes once they are cooked and top them with the buttercream when you want to serve them.

Ingredients

Peanut butter Cupcakes

75g  of butter

8 tablespoons of  peanut butter

250g of brown sugar

1 egg

250g of all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 a teaspoon of baking powder

1/2 a tablespoon of baking soda

180ml of milk

Nutella frosting

250g of icing sugar (powder sugar)

3 tablespoons of butter

2-3 tablespoons of milk

4 tablespoons of Nutella

Directions

Cream the butter and sugar together. Add in the peanut butter and mix again until light and fluffy then mix in the egg. In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients and add a third of this to the butter sugar mixture. When you have stirred the flour in, add half the milk. Add another third of the flour mix and mix again. Add the second half of the milk and mix before adding the last third of the flour. Stir together until you have your cake mixture.

Put the mix into your cupcake cases and bake at around 200 degrees Celsius,  for around 10 minutes for mini cupcakes and 15-20 for regular sized cupcakes. Cooking times will vary so keep an eye on them. They are done when they are springy to the touch and a chopstick or tooth pick comes out clean. When they are ready leave them to cool and cook up the next batch until all of the cake batter has been used.

To make the frosting, cream together the butter and icing sugar. This may be a little tough to begin with so add in the milk to make the process a little easier. You may need more, but just add it in drop by drop. When the mixture has reached buttercream consistency add in the Nuttella and mix again.

When the cakes have cooled they are ready to decorate. If you don’t have a piping bag you can just spread the buttercream on with a knife. Decorate the tops however you like. I used Smarties, Haribo, grated chocolate and Minstrels, but feel free to use whatever you like. Voilà naughty nutty Nutella cupcakes.