I’m talking Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies today. Since I have been home bound due to Covid-19 I have fallen into complete comfort food zone. I need something to cradle me through this tough time, and these cookies definitely are doing the trick. I like using salted peanuts and both milk and semisweet chocolate chips. They crisp up nicely on the outside and keep moist on the inside. The classic combo of peanut butter and chocolate take their love affair to new heights in cookie form and makes staying home a lot easier.

Peanut Butter Shortbread chocolate cookies:

I’m such a sucker for shortbread. Recently I decided my shortbread should be peanut buttered and finished with chocolate. I took this idea a step further and sugared the cookies for a perfectly sweet crusty texture. As I was making the cookies (more…)

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post between Latina Bloggers Connect and The National Peanut Board. However the recipe and all opinions are 100% my own.

I feel like I have been hanging by a thread lately. I’m not complaining… I’m just working hard everyday to meet deadlines and get to all my work in a timely manner. As my workload expands and the needs of my 4 year old son grow,  I find more than ever I need help getting through my day and deep into my night. A fast snack I like to eat: Peanut butter and apple. The peanut butter has 7 grams of energy boosting protein per serving, which helps me get through y day. Or I”l reach for a handful of peanuts to pop in my mouth as I run around. Peanuts or peanut butter really provide a lasting energy, and are so super affordable. I always keep a pouch of peanut butter in my purse or a little packet of peanuts, because I never know when I’m gonna need it especially with the holidays upon us.

Going off the subject a little…. My son has taken a serious interest in my pantry. I can’t tell you how many times a day he pulls out ingredients and makes suggestions of what we can make. He’ll pull out salt, flour, peanut butter, and sugar and ask if we could make a cake or cookies or strawberry pancakes. I love that he is becoming familiar with everything that goes into kitchen recipe making. Most of the time I have to turn down his request because I’m busy with something else. The other day I wanted to indulge his new found interest of the kitchen, and I suggested we make some calavera candy to celebrate Dia De Los Muertos. His cute little eyes lit up and he smiled and said “Do we use peanut butter in it?” I told him sure… we will use peanut butter in it!

Ingredients for Potato Peanut Butter Calavera Candy:

• 1/2 – cup mashed potato (about 1 potato)
• 2 1/2 – tablespoons half and half
• 1 – teaspoon vanilla
• a pinch of salt
• 10 – cups powdered sugar
• 1 – cup peanut butter (smooth)
• chopped peanut pieces

Directions:

1. Peel and chop a potato. Then boil the potato for 15 minutes or until fork tender. Drain potato and mash. Do not add anything to the potato. Let cool completely. 
2. In a mixer add mashed potatoes, half and half, vanilla, salt and powdered sugar. Mix until everything is combined and it becomes a dough like texture. Not sticky to the touch. 
3. Powder a clean work surface and a rolling pin with powdered sugar. Working in quarters roll out your first batch of dough. I sprinkled the top of the dough with powdered sugar as well. 
4. Roll the potato candy out to 1/4 inch thickness. Then with a skull cookie cutter, cut out as many skulls as possible. Re-roll scraps and cut out more skulls. 
5. With a small pairing knife cut out the eyes and nose of the calavera / skull on half of the cutouts.
6. The other half should be placed on a wax paper lined baking sheet and generously spread with peanut butter. 
7. Then take all the calaveras / skulls with the cut out eyes and place them on top of the peanut butter layer. Press in little pieces of peanuts into the mouth area to form the skeleton teeth.
8. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
9. Enjoy! 

I recently started working again and I find  it’s fun getting up in the morning, brewing my coffee, grabbing a piece of toast on the way out the door.  I love morning… driving to work, feeling the nitty gritty of the city, greeting my co-workers, having a little spring in my step…. it’s exciting.  Then once 10:30-ish rolls around, my tummy starts to grumble. It’s not quite lunch time but I need a little something to hold me over, something I could pick at while sitting at my desk.  Sometimes it’s fruit, other times it’s a Toblerone, but today it was my peanut butter banana muffin with hints of mexican chocolate.  I made a slew of them to share with my gals in the office.  It was a hero move and for the rest of the week, I’ll have a small army behind my ideas.  Ahhhh the persuasion of food! 🙂

Ingredients for peanut butter banana chocolate muffins:

1/3 – cup oil

2 – eggs

1/3 – dark brown sugar

1/2 – cup sugar

1/2 – teaspoon almond extract

1/2 – teaspoon vanilla extract

1 – cup mashed banana

1/2 – cup smooth peanut butter

2 – cups flour

1- teaspoon baking soda

1/3 – teaspoon salt

1/4 – cup grated Ibarra mexican chocolate (about half a disk)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.

Ready 11 muffin baking cups on a cookie sheet or line baking cups in a muffin pan.  Set to the side.

In a mixer bowl add oil,eggs, brown sugar, sugar, almond extract and vanilla extract.  Mix on medium for 2 minutes or until combined.

Then add mashed banana and peanut butter.  Mix it on medium until fully incorporated… about a minute or so.

In a small bowl add flour, baking soda, salt, and mexican chocolate.  Mix together then pour into peanut butter mixture all at once.

Mix to combine.  Then take 1/4 cup of muffin batter and fill cups.

Bake for 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Eat plain or frost with a cream cheese frosting sprinkled with grated chocolate.

Ingredients for Cream Cheese frosting:

4 – ounces cream cheese (room temperature)

1/4 – cup butter (room temperature)

1/2 – teaspoon vanilla extract

1 – cups confections sugar (powdered sugar)

In a mixer combine cream cheese and butter, and mix for 2 to 3 minutes.  Then add vanilla and mix till combined.  Last add in confectioners sugar a little at a time till completely combined.

ENJOY!!!!!

All photos taken by: Mando Lopez and Nicole Presley