Everyone loves a little peanut butter and chocolate! Try this delicious Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cake with Cream Cheese and Butterfinger Frosting..yumm

yield: Makes 12 servings

Begin preparing the cake one day ahead.

Filling

• 2 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
• 12 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup old-fashioned (natural) chunky peanut butter

Cake

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup old-fashioned (natural) chunky peanut butter
• 1 pound golden brown sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk

Frosting

• 1 1/2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 cups powdered sugar, divided
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup chilled heavy whipping cream
• Butterfinger candy bars, coarsely chopped
• Glazed peanuts

For filling:
Bring cream and sugar to simmer in saucepan, whisking to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat. Add chocolate; let stand 1 minute. Whisk until smooth. Whisk in peanut butter. Chill uncovered overnight.

For cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter three 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Line bottoms with parchment paper. Sift first 4 ingredients into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter and peanut butter in large bowl until blended. Beat in sugar. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, then vanilla. At low speed, beat in flour mixture in 4 additions alternately with buttermilk in 3 additions.

Divide batter among pans and spread evenly. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool cakes 5 minutes. Turn out onto racks; peel off parchment. Cool cakes completely.

For frosting:
Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese, 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla in large bowl to blend. Whisk whipping cream and 3/4 cup powdered sugar in bowl until mixture holds medium-firm peaks. Fold into cream cheese mixture in 3 additions; chill until firm but spreadable, about 1 hour.

Place 1 cake layer, bottom side up, on 9-inch tart pan bottom. Spread with half of filling. Place another layer, bottom side up, on work surface. Spread with remaining filling; place atop first layer. Top with remaining cake layer, bottom side up.

Spread frosting over top and sides of cake. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome; chill. Let stand at room temperature 2 hours before continuing.) Press candy and peanuts onto top of cake.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chocolate-Peanut-Butter-Cake-with-Cream-Cheese-and-Butterfinger-Frosting-231746#ixzz13kqFjuCk

We're only a week away from Halloween and everyone is getting ready with their costumes, parties and sweet treats! If you are planning a Halloween party/get together, this video will show you how to make cookies into fun little critters that all ages can enjoy!

Here's a Halloween treat that will tickle your funny bone.

Ingredients

• Chocolate-frosted cupcakes
• Mini marshmallows
• Black decorators' gel

• White icing
• Icing bag fitted with a small round tip

Instructions

1. Start with a batch of chocolate-frosted cupcakes. Top each with a mini marshmallow head, using black decorators' gel to create eyes and a mouth.

2. Use an icing bag fitted with a small round tip to pipe on a stick figure, adding a couple of short horizontal lines for ribs.

Here's one for the kids...or the kids at heart!

It looks like a caramel apple doesn't it? Your eyes will play a trick on you until you bite into this delicious treat!

This one is called "Caramel Apple Cake"

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsps cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 2 tsps baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar

• 2 cups unsweetened applesauce
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tsps vanilla extract
• 60 caramel candies
• 3/4 cup walnuts, toasted and finely chopped
• wax paper
• 1 large craft stick

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Grease and flour two 1 1/2-quart oven-safe bowls.

3. Combine 3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/2 teaspoon allspice, 2 teaspoons baking soda and 1 teaspoon salt.

4. In a separate bowl, beat together 2 eggs, 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, 2 cups unsweetened applesauce, 1 cup vegetable oil and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients and beat until well mixed.

5. Pour the batter into the prepared bowls and bake for 60 to 70 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

6. Allow the cakes to cool in the bowls for 10 minutes, then remove them from the bowls and set them inverted on wire racks to cool completely. Once the cakes have cooled, turn them over and use a long knife to even out their flat tops.

7. Topping: Place 60 caramel candies and 2 tablespoons of water in a medium bowl and microwave on high power for 1 minute. Stir, then heat 30 to 45 seconds more until the mixture is smooth and forms a slow, thick ribbon when dropped from a spoon.

8. Layer the cakes (flat sides together) using a few spoonfuls of the caramel to help hold them in place.

9. Pour the remaining sauce over the cake. The caramel will run down the sides of the cake to cover it completely, or you can spread it with a knife while it's still warm.

10. Let the caramel set for about 20 minutes before pressing the walnuts onto the bottom half of the cake.

11. Cover one half of the craft stick with waxed paper and insert the covered end into the top of the cake.

The leaves are FALLing..

Fall is in the air and what better to warm and comfort the chilly air than a nice warm pie!

The two types of cranberries in this recipe create a sweet and tart pie. Gravenstein apples work best because they hold their shape and have a delicious tart flavor. If you cannot find Gravenstein, try Pink Lady, McIntosh, or Braeburn. You'll also need a 9-inch pie pan.

Read more at Wholeliving.com: Apple-Cranberry Pie

Watching what you eat?

Per serving: 324 calories; 3 g protein; 12 g fat; 54 g carbs

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Total TIme: 4 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients:

Makes 8 servings

• CRUST
• Pumpkin Pie
• FILLING
• Juice of 1 orange
• Zest of 1 orange
• 5 cups of peeled, sliced apples (approximately 5 medium apples)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, chopped (if frozen, do not thaw)
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• TOPPING
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons oats
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

To make crust, follow directions for Pumpkin Pie crust. Preheat oven to 400. Roll pie dough out into a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Place dough in the pie pan and refrigerate while you make the filling and topping.

To make filling, mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl. To make topping, mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. The topping mixture should clump when pressed together.

Add filling to cold pie crust and scatter topping all over the filling. Bake at 400 degrees until the juice in the center of the pie is bubbling, about 1 hour. If the crust or topping becomes too dark, cover the pie loosely with foil.

Transfer to a wire rack; cool completely before serving.

ENJOY!

Lollipop, Lollipop oh lolly lolly POP!

Peanut Blossom Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)

1/3 cup light brown sugar

1/3 cup granulated white sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons milk

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Coating:

1/3 cup granulated white sugar

Garnish:

48 milk chocolate Kisses, unwrapped

Line three baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), cream the butter. Add the peanut butter and sugars and beat until light and fluffy (about 2 - 3 minutes). Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat to combine. Beat in the milk. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the peanut butter mixture and beat until incorporated. Cover and chill the batter for about an hour, or until firm enough to roll into balls.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and place rack in the center of the oven. 

Roll the batter into 1 inch (2.54) round balls. Place the granulated white sugar in a shallow bowl and roll each ball in the sugar. Place on the prepared baking sheet, spacing about 2 inches (5 cm) apart.

Bake the cookies for about 8 - 10 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly browned. Immediately upon removing the cookies from the oven, place a chocolate Kiss in the center of each cookie, pressing down until the cookie just starts to crack. Cool completely on a wire rack. 

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Read more: "Peanut Blossom Cookies Recipe With Picture - Joyofbaking.com" -http://www.joyofbaking.com/PeanutBlossomCookies.html#ixzz0BIXPpcOT

*Brooke