Chocolate Peanut Butter Shortbread

This cookies are magical. They really do melt in your mouth. I told my friend they are made of fairy dust and moonbeams because of this purely magical quality. So. Good. I could eat a whole batch of them. Also, these cookies are the slice-and-bake kind, so they turn out pretty perfectly round. This worked to my disadvantage when serving them to friends, because everyone thought they were store-bought and they weren't eating them at first! But they seriously are good- and don't taste store-bought. : )

What You'll Need: 

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup peanut butter (natural works fine in this recipe)
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup powdered sugar
Healthy pinch of sea salt
Handful of chocolate chips (mini, regular size, or even chocolate chunks)

How to Make It: 

Cream the butter and peanut butter together in a large bowl. Beat in the vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, powdered sugar, and the sea salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat to combine. Stir in the chocolate chips. Turn the cookie dough out onto a piece of waxed paper and roll it into a log (about the size of a tube of store-bought cookie dough.) Roll the dough up into the waxed paper and twist the ends to seal it up. Put the cookie dough in the fridge for a few hours (you can freeze it for about an hour, too.)

When you're ready to make the cookies, preheat your oven to 325 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the cookie dough from the fridge and slice the cookie dough into disks, between a third of an inch to a half inch thick. You should get about 20 small cookies from this roll of dough. Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes until browned the very slightest. They may look a bit raw still, but they're not! If you overbake them, they won't have the same amazing texture. Cool the cookies in a wire rack for a few minutes or bring to room temperature before serving.

Soft-Bake Brown Sugar Cookies

Better than just plain sugar cookies!

What You'll Need:

For the cookies:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, soft

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup sour cream

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

For the frosting:

1/4 cup (half a stick) butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tbsp milk

1 cup powdered sugar

How to Make It:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and the sour cream. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; gradually add the dry mixture to the creamed mixture and mix well. Drop by spoonfuls 2 inches apart on greased or sprayed baking sheets. Bake for 9-11 minutes, until golden brown. Remove the cookies to wire racks to cool. For the frosting, in a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat; add the brown sugar. Cook and stir 2 minutes. Gradually add the milk. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir in the powdered sugar to combine completely. Cool about 15 minutes, and frost the cooled cookies. This recipe makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Marshmallow Nut Fudge

I think the most genius thing about this recipe is the concept of melting butter and marshmallows together. It sounds like something Paula Deen would do if she had a little too much cough syrup.

What You'll Need:

1 bag marshmallows

2/3 cup butter, cubed

2 tbsp water

12 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped

1 tsp vanilla

1 small bag chopped walnuts (I wouldn't blame you if you put a little less in there)

How To Make It:

Line the bottom of an 8x8 or 9x9 pan with heavy duty foil. Butter the foil. In medium to large saucepan, melt the marshmallows, butter, and water, stirring occasionally. Add the chocolate, vanilla, and nuts. Stir until completely mixed and chocolate is melted and smooth. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. When the fudge has cooled to room temperature, move the pan to the refrigerator. When you're ready to divvy up the fudge, remove the foil from the pan and slice. This fudge is pretty sticky so you may need to rinse the knife occasionally.

Chocolate Truffles

These truffles are easy, but super messy. There is no clean way to make a truffle, unless you want to wear latex gloves, I guess. But who wants to eat glove-flavored truffles?

What You'll Need:

12 oz semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 tbsp butter

1 tbsp shortening

How To Make It:

Melt 6 oz of the chocolate over low heat in a double boiler, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat. Stir in the butter and cream until smooth. Refrigerate this mixture 10-15 minutes, or until you can handle it. Shape the mixture into balls* and place on a cookie sheet. Freeze about thirty minutes. Melt the shortening and the remaining chocolate in the double boiler and stir to combine completely. Dip the cold truffles in the melted chocolate and return to the cookie sheet. Refrigerate until the candies are set.

*There is no dainty way to do this. I tried a melon baller for a while, which gives you a good sized hunk of ganache, but then you have to scoop the ganache out of the melon baller somehow. You can try scooping some up with a spoon and rolling it between your palms, but I hate that- I have to wash my hands between each truffle. No matter now messy they are to make, the point is, they're delicious. Make some, put them in a little candy box from your local craft store (filled with super cute mini-muffin liners) and give them to a friend. Or eat them all yourself, I don't care. :)

Marbled Peanut Butter Fudge

If chocolate fudge and no-bake cookies had a baby.

What You'll Need:

4 cups sugar

1 12 oz can evaporated milk

1 cup (2 sticks) butter*

1 7 oz jar marshmallow creme

3 cups chocolate chips (about a bag and a half)

1 tbsp vanilla

1 cup creamy peanut butter

How To Make It:

Combine sugar, evaporated milk, and butter in a large heavy saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat; cook 8 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the marshmallow creme, chocolate chips, and vanilla and stir until the chocolate melts. Pour half the mixture into a buttered 13x9 pan and dollop with peanut butter. Spoon the remaining chocolate mixture over the peanut butter and swirl with a knife. Be sure to swirl the knife deep enough so you don't have random globs of peanut butter floating through the fudge! Cover the pan and chill until firm; cut into 1-inch pieces. Store this fudge in the refrigerator.

*Margarine is great for baked potatoes, toast, and macaroni out of the box, but if you're going to cook something and you want it to taste good, go with real, honest-to-goodness butter. Your desserts will taste even better, trust me!