Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

According to my hubby Jeremy, few things are more perfect than the combo of chocolate and peanut butter. So I thought it'd be yummy to take a chocolate cookie base and add peanut butter chips. After tasting these Jeremy said he'd marry me all over again. :) Be advised this is a stiff batter and doesn't spread out much - keep the cookies a full rounded teaspoon size, any bigger and they'll be too gooey inside (although a little gooey is fine with me!).

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER CHIP COOKIES

INGREDIENTS:
1 2/3 cups flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup Reeses peanut butter chips


DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a medium bowl combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl using a handheld mixer, beat butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl and add eggs, one at a time, until well combined. Add vanilla extract and beat until blended. Gradually add flour mixture and beat until combined. Fold in peanut butter chips. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto prepared baking sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes. Allow to cool 2 minutes, then remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Swirl Cake

Boy, I've been on a roll with all the pumpkin recipes lately! This is a pumpkin version of a chocolate cheesecake swirl cake I made earlier. I gotta say this turned out pretty amazing. It's super moist - it tastes like a combo between a pumpkin bread, a pumpkin pie, and a pumpkin cheesecake all in one. :)

PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE SWIRL CAKE

INGREDIENTS:

1 (18.25 oz) package Spice cake mix

1 (15 oz) can pumpkin

1/2 cup applesauce

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup granulated sugar

4 eggs
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl combine cake mix, pumpkin, applesauce, water, 1/2 cup granulated sugar and eggs. Blend with a handheld mixer until combined. Spoon into prepared baking pan.

3. In a medium bowl combine softened cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. Stir until smooth and well combined. Drop by heaping tablespoons across top of cake batter. Use a knife to swirl cream cheese mixture into cake batter. Bake cake for 40-45 minutes until set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

Ahh, I love this time of year! The weather is getting chilly, the holidays are fast approaching, and it's time for pumpkin goodies! This is a pumpkin bread with chocolate chips - might sound like an odd combination if you've never had it before, but the flavors actually work really well together. I made this with applesauce instead of oil and it came out incredibly moist, and I think using mini chocolate chips really makes the chocolate flavor go far throughout the bread.

PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP BREAD

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups granulated sugar
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
3 eggs
1 cup applesauce
1/4 cup water
2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips


DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9"x5"x3" loaf pans.

2. In a large mixing bowl beat sugar, pumpkin, eggs, applesauce and water until well combined.

3. In a medium mixing bowl combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture until just combined - do not overmix. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour evenly into prepared loaf pans and bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center of bread comes out clean.

Chocolate Cheesecake Swirl Cake

aI've been experimenting a lot with cake mixes in an effort to satisfy my hubby's sweet tooth but not ruin our efforts to eat a little healthier. It's interesting finding out that you don't have to have oil and eggs in a cake in order to come up with something yummy. This is a chocolate cake made with skim milk and applesauce (you won't taste the apple, I promise!), with swirls of a light cheesecake batter on top. It turned out great! I would definitely undercook the cake so it's just slightly gooey inside for maximum decadence. :)

CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE SWIRL CAKE

INGREDIENTS:
1 (18.25 oz) package chocolate cake mix
2/3 cup skim milk
3/4 cup applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 (8 oz) light cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup Splenda
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract


DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl combine cake mix, milk, applesauce and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Stir until just combined. Spoon into prepared baking pan.

3. In a medium bowl combine softened cream cheese, Splenda and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. Stir until well combined. Drop by heaping tablespoons evenly across top of cake batter. Use a butter knife to swirl cream cheese mixture into cake batter. Bake cake for 25 minutes until just set - cake is best if slightly underbaked.