Chocolate, Banana and Peanut Butter Shake

This shake is so thick and creamy, you won't notice that there is no ice cream in it! Freezing the banana makes a good substitute for ice cream, the peanut butter gives it extra thickness and chocolate soy milk gives it a silky quality. It makes an equally good breakfast as dessert!

This is also a great way to use bananas that are getting too ripe. Just slice them, lay them out on a plate and put them in the freezer. Once frozen, move the banana slices to a freezer bag and then use them in this shake or other fruit smoothies as needed. 

You will need a blender that can crush ice.

1 banana, sliced and frozen

2 T. peanut butter

1 cup chocolate soy milk

Place frozen bnana slices in the blender. I try to let them sit at room temperature for a few minutes to get the frost off before I turn the blender on. I think this reduces the chance that you'll get a frozen chunk of banana in your shake. 

Add peanut butter and soy milk. Turn blender on high or ice-crushing setting for 20 secnds or until smooth.

Peanut Butter Cookies

Nothing says "I love you" like a giant heart-shaped cookie! When I was growing up, my mom always got us Valentine's Day gifts, and one year she made my sister and me each a heart-shaped chocolate chip cookie using just the recipe on the bag of chocolate chips and her heart-shaped cake pans. I've resurrected this idea from time to time on Valentine's Day, but this year decided to try it with my husband's favorite peanut butter cookie recipe. What makes this recipe his favorite is that we add "extras" to the batter... like chocolate chips, raisins, chopped nuts, or whatever candy or dried fruit we have in the pantry.

Whether you put it in two heart-shaped cake pans or just drop the dough in spoonfuls on a baking sheet, these cookies are full of love!

1/2 cup shortening

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 cup peanut butter

1 t. vanilla

1/2 cup milk

 2 cups flour

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. baking soda

1 1/2 t. baking powder

1 - 1 1/2 cups of your favorite additions (chocolate chips, raisins, chopped nuts, other candy or dried fruit, etc.) - Optional

In a mixer, cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs, peanut butter, vanilla and milk and continue to mix until combined. 

Separately combine flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder. With mixer on, gradually add dry ingredients to wet and mix until combined. Stir in any addtional nuts, dried fruit or candy you'd like. If you want to make one for you and one for your sweetheart, divide the batter in half here and customize the additions. 

Add batter to two greased 9-inch heart-shaped cake pans and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until cooked through. You may need to put aluminum foil on top of them for the last 5 minutes if the tops begin to brown before the cookies are fully cooked.

For drop cookies, scoop out 2 T. of dough at a time onto a greased cookie sheet. You can press them down with a fork to make the traditional peanut butter cookie waffle top. Bake cookies at 350 for 10-12 minutes.

Pots de Creme

On Valentine's Day (or any special occasion), preparing a special meal at home makes can make for a much more romantic evening than going to a restaurant on one of the busiest nights of the year. Instead, make your sweetheart his or her favorite meal and then finish it off with a dessert that is extra special... Pots de Creme!

The name is French for "pots of cream," but it is more like a chocolate mousse. A wine glass (tea cup or any fancy little bowl) filled with this and a dollop of freshly whipped cream on top is the sweetest way to say I love you at the end of a home-cooked dinner.

This recipe comes from my grandma and is one of our family favorites.

1 cup chocolate bits
2 T. sugar
1 pinch salt
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
3/4 cup milk (2 percent or whole)
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 T. confectioners sugar

Heat milk over medium heat just until boiling. While it's heating, place all other ingredients into a blender. Pour milk over ingredients in blender, cover and blend for one minute. Pour immediately into 4 serving dishes. Chill to set (around 2-3 hours). Chill the bowl you're going to whip your cream in. Just before serving, use an hand-held electric beater to whip cream with confectioners sugar until it reaches desired firmness. Be careful not to whip it into butter. Serve pots de creme topped with whipped cream, and maybe a strawberry or raspberry to add some festive color.

Chocolate Muffins

Chocolate muffins -- are they a breakfast treat or dessert? It's up to you... these could be either! The basics for this recipe are ingredients you probably keep on hand. Then change it up depending on the occasion. Add dried fruit and nuts for a healthier version. Add candy and other confections to make them really decadent!

Essential Kitchen Gadgets

• Mixer (stand, hand or the old-fashioned non-electric beaters)
• Muffin pan

Basic Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 Tbsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 6 Tbsp canola oil
• 1 cup of your choice of dry goodies

Today I used chopped up Hershey's candies and raisins. Here are some other suggestions, but use anything that sounds good to you:

• dried cherries and white chocolate chips
• butterscotch chips and mini marshmallows
• dehydrated banana pieces and chopped peanuts

Instructions

Mix flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. If you have a sifter, sift these ingredients together for a smoother batter. Whisk in sugar and set aside.

In mixing bowl, beat eggs on low and add milk and oil. Gradually add in dry ingredients. Once mixed, stir in your dry goodies.

Grease a 12-muffin tray (with or without muffin papers). Use an ice cream scoop to fill muffin cups with batter just shy of the top. Bake for 20 minutes in preheated 400 degree oven, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Remove muffins from tray and let cool on a wire rack. Once cool, store in an air-tight container until ready to serve.

Serving

All you need to eat this is a napkin to catch the crumbs. Makes them great as breakfast on the go or for taking to a picnic, office party, or to the home of a friend who invites you over for dinner!