Peanut Butter Bars

This is embarrassingly old (from July), but an easy and delicious dessert recipe to try. I was being a major complainer at work and told my friends I would make them whatever they wanted, and this was their choice. Pretty good deal for me - was really easy and doesn't require the oven, which was great for the summertime! I think these kind of taste like Nutter Butters, but better, and VERY rich!


1 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
4 tablespoons peanut butter

In a medium bowl, mix together the butter or margarine, graham cracker crumbs, confectioners' sugar, and 1 cup peanut butter until well blended. Press evenly into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 inch pan.
In a metal bowl over simmering water, or in the microwave, melt the chocolate chips with the peanut butter, stirring occasionally until smooth. Spread over the prepared crust. Refrigerate for at least one hour before cutting into squares.

Original recipe here

Fruit and Nut Truffles

 

This is a really interesting dessert recipe from Moosewood. I thought they were really date-y/apricot-y, so only try this if you like dates and apricots! This makes at least 20 truffles, so be prepared to share or eat these every day. I kept them in the fridge for a long time and ate them for snacks, but ended up throwing away a few because there were so many! (Note: these can be dessert or snack food. I chose snack most of the time.)


1 cup pitted dates
1 cup unsulfured dried apricots
1/2 cup dried cranberries, dried cherries, or raisins
1 cup water
1.5 teaspoons grated orange zest
1.5 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1.5 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup ground toasted walnuts
1/2 cup ground toasted almonds
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/2 cup toasted unsweetened shredded coconut

(I toasted the walnuts, almonds, and shredded coconut in a skillet. I just put them each in a nonstick skillet on medium(?) heat and stirred until toasted. Then I used a food processor to grind the walnuts and almonds.)

Place the dates, dried apricots, dried cranberries, and water in a saucepan, cover, and simmer on medium-low heat until softened, about 10 minutes. Drain, reserving liquid. Puree the cooked fruit in a food processor, adding only as much of the reserved liquid as needed to make a smooth thick paste.

In a mixing bowl, combine the orange zest, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Add the pureed fruit and the walnuts, almonds, cinnamon, cocoa, and confectioners' sugar and mix well. By the tablespoonful, form the fruit and nut mixture into balls about an inch in diameter. Roll each ball in the toasted coconut and arrange the truffles in a single layer on a serving platter.

Chill for at least 20 minutes before serving. With longer chilling, the flavor develops and the truffles become more firm.