Candy Craving

What could be better than a peanut butter cake with chocolate frosting? One that is sprinkled with crushed Butterfinger candy! I made this special cake for my friend’s birthday last week-the sour cream makes the cake moist and not too sweet.

Peanut Butter-Sour Cream Bundt Cake with Butterfinger Ganache Glaze

Adapted from Lauren Chattman's Recipe

For the Cake

1 cup sour cream

3 large eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder 

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup smooth peanut butter

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

For the Glaze

8 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

3/4 cup heavy cream

1 Butterfinger bar, chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12-cup Bundt pan and dust with flour. Whisk together the sour cream, eggs, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. 

2. Combine the butter, peanut butter, and brown sugar in the mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high until fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

3. Reduce the speed to low; add 1/3 of the flour mixture and beat until incorporated. Add 1/2 of the sour cream mixture. Repeat, alternating flour and sour cream mixtures ending with the flour mixture, scraping down the sides of bowl between each addition. Turn the mixer to medium-high speed and beat for 1 minute.

4. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for  minutes, then invert it onto a wire rack to cool completely.

5. Place the chocolate and corn syrup in a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until it comes to a boil. Add the chocolate to the cream and let stand for 5 minutes. Whisk until smooth.

6. Pour the warm glaze over the cake, letting it drip down the sides. Sprinkle the chopped Butterfinger bar over the glaze. let stand until gaze is set, about 30 minutes. Slice and serve. Store cake at room temperature in a cake keeper for up to 3 days.

Lazy Day Cookies

I love to bake but sometimes I’m too lazy to make a complicated recipe or take a trip to the grocery store. Here's a really simple peanut butter cookie recipe using ingredients you probably already have in your pantry:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon. baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup crunchy peanut butter

In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt, set aside.

In a large bowl, mix the butter and sugar until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until blended.

Using a spoon, stir in the peanut butter and blend thoroughly. Stir in the dry ingredients. Chill for at least 30 minutes, or until firm.  

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spoon out rounded teaspoonfuls of the dough and roll into balls (or, even easier, use a medium sized cookie scoop). Place the balls on parchment lined baking sheets about 2 1/2 inches apart and press flat with a fork that has been dipped in water, making a crisscross pattern.  Bake for 12 minutes, or until lightly colored.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool.    

These cookies hold up well if you'd like to pre-scoop them and freeze so you can bake a few at a time whenever you get a sudden sugar craving.