It’s summer and it’s hot.  In my part of the country this means weeks of 100-plus degree weather.  It’s the perfect time for ice cream… And to play with the brand-spanking-new ice cream maker attachment that my wife bought me for my birthday.  The timing couldn’t be better.

I searched the bloggosphere for a few days trying to decide what I wanted to make first.  I really couldn’t decide if I wanted to make ice cream, sorbet or sherbet and it wasn’t easy narrowing down the choices.  There are a ton of great ice cream recipes out there.

Did I want to make this coffee ice cream from Elise at Simply Recipes or should I make David Lebovitz’s Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream?  Was I more in the mood for something lighter like the Very Berry Sherbet from comfy belly or this amazing sounding lime sorbet from Eating Cleveland?  This was going to be no easy decision, but a decision had to be made.

One thing that has kept me from diving headlong into making even basic vanilla ice cream is the custard base.  It’s time consuming and can be difficult. Custard bases also require a lot of attention, which can be difficult in a house full of rowdy kids and a dog who is usually underfoot.

This fear has been lessened by the discovery of a no cook custard base from Kitchen Mage, but I still wanted to start off with something a little less involved and that’s when I came across the recipe for peanut butter ice cream you see here.  Cream, yes! Custard, No.  Perfection.

The recipe was a breeze to make, works well and ends up tasting somewhat like peanut butter sugar cookie dough.  The peanut flavor is pretty intense, even using bargain brand peanut butter.  If you are making ice cream for the first time, this recipe might just be what you’re looking for.

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Popularity: 4% [?]

Ingredients:

• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup white corn syrup
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 6 cups cornflakes cereal
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 2/3 cup peanuts

Method:

In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the peanut butter, corn syrup, brown sugar and white sugar. Cook stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat and quickly mix in the cornflakes, chocolate chips and peanuts until evenly coated.

Press the entire mixture gently into a buttered 9×13 inch baking dish. Allow to cool completely before cutting into bars.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Ingredients:

• 1 cup peanut butter chips
• 3/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• Coatings: crushed graham cracker crumbs, confectioners sugar or crushed nuts

Method:

In a heavy saucepan, over low heat, melt chips with butter. Stir in cocoa until smooth. Add condensed milk and vanilla. Cook and stir until thickened and well blended, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Chill until firm enough to handle. Shape into 1 inch balls. Roll in desired coating. Chill until firm. Store, covered in refrigerator

Makes about 3 dozen truffles

Popularity: 1% [?]

Ingredients:

• 12 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
• 12 oz. peanut butter
• 14 oz. sweetened condensed milk

Method:

In a 1-1/2 quart microwave-proof bowl, melt chocolate and peanut butter on high power for 3 minutes. Stir well. Add milk and stir until well blended. Pour mixture into 8×8 dish lined with waxed paper. Refrigerate to chill.

Makes approximately 42 pieces

Popularity: 1% [?]

Ingredients:

• 36 large marshmallows
• 1-1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
• 2 tbsp butter or margarine

Method:

Line a 9-in. square pan with foil and butter the foil. Arrange marshmallows in pan. In a double boiler or microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter. Pour over the marshmallows. Chill completely. Cut between marshmallows

Makes 3 dozen

Popularity: 1% [?]

More for the chocolate and peanut butter lovers, this time in the form of a close peanut butter cup clone with some graham crackers added for texture.  I’ve had these and I guarantee they are a crowd pleaser!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs
• 1 c. peanut butter
• 1 c. melted oleo or butter
• 1 lb. powdered sugar
• 12 oz. milk chocolate chips
• 1/2 bar paraffin

Method:

Form crumbs, peanut butter, oleo and sugar into balls and freeze. Melt chips and paraffin in double boiler. Dip balls into chocolate mixture.

Popularity: 1% [?]

What could be better than chocolate and peanut butter? Chocolate CHUNKS and peanut butter!  This cookie isn’t satisfied with any wimpy ol’ chocolate chip.  this Time it’s go big or go home!

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup peanut butter
• 1-1/4 cups packed brown sugar
• 1-1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 eggs
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2-2/3 cups rolled oats
• 1 10-ounce package miniature milk chocolate kisses

Method:

Beat butter and peanut butter in a large mixing bowl with an electric
mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar, brown
sugar, baking powder, and baking soda; beat until combined, scraping sides
of bowl occasionally. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. Beat in
flour. Stir in rolled oats with a wooden spoon. Stir in chocolate kisses.

Drop dough from a #50 or #60 scoop, or from a tablespoon, 3 inches apart
onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Slightly flatten dough with your hand, if desired. Bake in a 375 degree F oven about 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Transfer to wire racks and cool. Store in an airtight container or plastic bag at room temperature up to 3 days.

Makes 60 to 72 cookies.

Make-Ahead Tip: Cool cookies completely. In an airtight or freezer
container, arrange cookies in a single layer; cover with a sheet of waxed paper. Repeat layers, leaving enough air space to close container easily. Freeze up to 1 month.

Popularity: 1% [?]

My wife entered a cookie contest last week.  These bad boys won first place in the chocolate cookie recipe category, as best chocolate cookie recipe.  So when I tell you these are more than good, I have a panel of judges to back me up.  These bars are sweet, succulent and definitely something we’ll be making all year long, but they are perfect for a Holiday buffet, so don’t pass this recipe up when you are planning your Thanksgiving or Christmas cookie baking!

This is a simple recipe, an even though I usually shy away from anything that uses a mix, in this case I’ll gladly make an exception.  They make in a snap, don’t cost much and are suited for the novice baker (read: me).  The results are fabulous, the oooh-and ahhhh factor is pretty high on the list.  Just place a pretty pyramid of these on a shiny platter and back out of the way.  But I suggest you make two batches if you want any for yourself!

I could talk forever about these, but I think I’ll just let the recipe speak for itself.  It’s that good!

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Popularity: 12% [?]

Peanut butter cookies may not be a part of every family’s holiday assortment, but they always have been in mine. For as long as I can remember, Christmas time meant the prerequisite sugar cookies, my Aunt Thelma’s tea cookies, chocolate chip cookies, my mother’s famous wrecked fudge and my mother’s famous peanut butter cookies.

This is not my mother’s recipe. It was passed down to my wife by her grandmother, and while they are not exactly the same as the cookies my mother used to make, they are delicious nonetheless. (I’ll post my Mom’s version as soon as I can wrestle it out of my sister.)

These little gems are definitely one of the best recipes for a peanut butter cookie that I’ve ever had, and I haven’t been shying away from the plat of them, either. As a matter of fact, I’m a bit worried that my current trend of losing pounds is about to end, at least for a while. I don’t really think I mind though. These cookies are well worth an extra pound or two. I hope you’ll agree.

Are peanut butter cookies on your holiday must have list? If not, what cookies or confections are always on your Holiday table? I really would love to know.

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Popularity: 2% [?]