Chocolate-Covered Peanut Butter Cookies

Soft peanut butter-y cookies meet dark chocolate-y goodness. 

These cookies are off the charts!

Perfect for an after-school snack, teacher gifts, or just to enjoy yourself. You can't ever go wrong with a peanut butter + chocolate combination.

I came across this wonderful recipe when I ordered my new Nordic Ware Baking Sheets. My husband loves Peanut Butter cookies and I love sweets. So with much anticipation I was ready to put my new baker's half sheet to work - and try this new recipe. Just like the baking sheet, these cookies did not disappoint. 

Chocolate-Covered Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, chilled
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped peanuts (divided)
• 10 oz dark chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, mix butter and peanut butter on medium speed until well combined

Add 3/4 cup flour and next 5 ingredients (through vanilla extract) and mix until smooth

Add remaining flour and mix to combine

Stir in 1/2 cup chopped peanuts

Place level scoops of cookie batter on baking sheet

Flatten with a fork

Bake for 7 - 9 minutes, or until lightly brown on the edges

Remove from oven and let cookies completely cool on a wire rack

Melt chocolate over low heat. Once melted dip each cookie into chocolate and place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and refrigerate cookies until chocolate is set.

Enjoy!

Mix Batter until Smooth

Place even scoops onto cookie sheet. Flatten with a fork before baking

Cool cookies and let chocolate set

I hope these cookies get your week off to a great start! 

Sweet 'n' Salty Raspberry Kisses {Valentine's Day Treats}

Have you heard?

Valentine's Day is right around the corner....

That's right, Friday is the big V-day.

So let's make something you can share with your loved ones, co-workers, friends, and, of course, your lover.

These fun and delicious little Raspberry Kisses are the perfect treat.

Spread some love, treat yourself, and enjoy all that is Valentine's Day. 

These are SO great! A little sweet. A little salty. AND only 3 Ingredients (+ sprinkles)

Here's what you'll need

For these Sweet 'n' Salty Raspberry Kisses you'll need:

• A bag of pretzels (I like the square ones)
• A small bag of White Chocolate kisses
• A small bag of Raspberry MnM's
• + fun sprinkles of your choice (optional)

Here's what you do

Kisses topped Pretzels

Lay a few pretzels on a microwave safe dish.

Place one kiss on top of each pretzel (pictured above).

Melted Kisses

Place the dish in the microwave and begin microwaving the kisses and pretzels in 20 to 30 second intervals.

Once they are beginning to melt remove from microwave (they will look like the picture above).

BE CAREFUL!!!! when removing from microwave -The plate may be HOT!

Next, top each Kiss/Pretzel with one M'n'M and smush it down while the chocolate is still warm.

Top with sprinkles.

Let them cool as you make your next batch. 

Cooling Treats

After the treats have cooled, pack them up in a fun tin or box and let them cool over night in the fridge. 

Pass them out and make someone's day!!

Easy, fun, and just lovely.

Wishing you all a wonderful Valentine's Day, and sending each of you lots-of-love!

I hope you have as much fun making these as I did.

Enjoy,

Amanda 

{Five} Faves: FRIDAY

So I decided to start something new. Heck, it's a new year, why not??
Each week, I'd like to share with you my top 5 favorite things from the past week.

Things related to cooking, working in the kitchen, gardening, products and recipes I love, or whatever else seems to pop into my brain at that moment. 

Image via//Sweetness In Starlight

Are you ready?? 

Me too!!

1.  Food Chopper by Pampered Chef - Holy Smokes, do I ever love this thing or what?! It is by far one of the best inventions, EVER! You can use this handy little device to chop-up veggies & fruits. You can use it to dice up pretty much anything, which is awesome and saves you a lot of time! For example, bawling your eyes out when dicing onions can now become a thing of the past. It also works great for chopping nuts, and other hard foods like candy. Best part: It's 100% dishwasher safe! I love love LOVE it! This bad boy is an absolute kitchen must-have. 

Image via//Pampered Chef

2.  ABC's The Taste {Television Show} - Eeeek!!! I'm squealing with excitement! I'm so so so HAPPY ABC's The Taste is back for season 2. The first season was so much fun to watch - we didn't miss a single episode. Last night {Thursday}, the show premiered with contestants trying their best hand {or shall I say, bite} to be chosen as a chef in one of four judges' kitchens. I'm a huge fan of Anthony Bourdain & No Reservations, and think he's all around fantastic! Needless to say, we were immediately drawn to this show. This season looks like so much fun, and I am glad chef Marcus has joined the other judges. I've already got my top picks... I may or may not be rooting for  Food Blogger, Audrey Johns. "High-Five! Whoop! Whoop!" to all the home cooks out there!!

Image via//ABC

3. THE Blue Spoon - If you're following me on Instagram, you might have seen this post about the beloved blue spoon. I am not too sure where this spoon came from but I must say, it's a keeper! I use it religiously in the kitchen for anything from mixing, stirring, to scooping. But most importantly, its shinny blue color, speckled with confetti-like dots just makes me smile every time I look at it. And, I know that it helps me cook my dishes too, I just know it does. Maybe my love for the spoon possibly spills over into making the food - therefore, food made with love? Yes, that must be it.

4. Ole Smoky Apple Pie Moonshine - This stuff is almost too good, and I mean that in the best possible ways. Mix up this Moonshine with some fruit juice, especially some Apple Juice, pour it over some ice, serve it chilled... sip it up.. and WHOOOIE!! Or if you'd prefer, or just plain eagar, you don't even have to mix or serve it. You can just drink it right out of the jar if you please. Husbands especially love it... and wives especially love the nice big mason jar when said husbands finish it off. Winning and Winning.

BUT please BE CAREFUL {and legal}, it's the strong stuff.

and last, but definitely not least...

5. Skinny Cow's Peanut Butter Creme filled Chocolates - Okay, seriously y'all, you gotta hear me out on this... First let me just say, I am NOT one for skinny, lite, fat-free anything. Mainly because, well, it usually taste fat-free, or sugar free, or made with some other sweeter that's not sugar. And I know all that fat and sugar stuff is not so great for ya, but I am telling you, it's great for my taste-buds. Okay, now let's back to the topic at hand here... These, these right here -THESE. ARE. SO. DANG. DELICIOUS!! Image a fancy peanut butter cup (3/pck) and each pack contains only 130 calories and 7 grams of fat! I know what you're thinking... but I'm telling you they DO NOT taste anything like they only contain 7 grams of fat or 130 calories, especially split among the three of them. AND, unlike some other chocolate & peanut butter treats which only contain two per pack, these Skinny Cow Chocolates are nearly half as many calories and grams of fat per serving! Yeah, they are pretty amazing! 

You can grab a box full of 6 packs (which will allow you to share, in case you're feeling friendly) at your local grocery store. Please do, go pick some up, you and your friends will thank you. Oh, and they also have Caramel (OMG!) filled chocolates too! Hats off to you Skinny Cow!

Image via//Queen Be Coupons

Note: I received this product complimentary from Influenster, however all content and opinions expressed here are 

my own. 

So there ya have it, my first ever top 5 favorites post from this week!

What about you guys?

Do you have any top faves from your week? 

I'd love to hear them!