Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Deliciousness

WARNING: There’s a very good chance that you will gain weight simply by reading this post. Proceed with caution and a full stomach. And maybe a shake weight or two.

Rick’s birthday was last week, and he loves peanut butter and chocolate like I love cats. Except I don’t usually eat cats. Keeping this in mind, I asked him if he wanted chocolate peanut butter cookie dough cupcakes for his birthday dessert. He said yes. So I made them, following this recipe from Gimme Some Oven that I found on Pinterest.

I didn’t take pictures of my own cupcakes. They weren’t this pretty, anyway.

The best part was the eggless peanut butter cookie dough “frosting.” You’ll just have to trust me when I say that it tastes way better than it looks based on my food photog skillz.

Note to self: use this dough at the next baby shower where they want to play the guess-what-delicacy-is-in-the-diaper game.

We had a whole bunch of the dough leftover, so I decided to freeze it into tiny dough balls so that we could make our own peanut butter cookie dough ice cream. Because I love chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, and, really, why hasn’t anyone invented peanut butter cookie dough ice cream? Maybe I will market it and make millions. I need to work on how my peanut butter dough balls look, though, because nobody wants to eat things that look like turds. Except me, obviously. But that goes without saying.

Yum, turds.

Are you a chocolate-peanut butter fan? What’s your favorite flavor of ice cream? Who wants me to market my peanut butter turd dough ice cream?

Dining Room Chairs a la Downton Abbey

My life includes a long history of joyful oblivion. This is partially because I am biologically predisposed to be the last person my age to get my period and partially because I live under a very nice rock. For example, I only last week figured out why those stupid Make 7/Up Yours t-shirts were banned from school.

To be fair, though, it was really the first time I had thought about that particular piece of attire since being an Adult who knows Things. The last time I thought about it, I was playing with a Tamagotchi and wearing saddle shoes. Obviously that was last month.

Speaking of things that were banned from school.

So it should surprise no one that I didn’t even hear of Downton Abbey until a couple months ago when it had already completed two full seasons, at which point I proceeded to call it DowntoWn Abbey, because, you know, that makes sense, and what the heck is a “downton” anyway. But Rick and I finally hopped on the proverbial wagon and instantly got sucked in, prompting dinnertime conversation regarding whether or not we should move to England so we can watch Season 3 sooner and why Thomas needs to be devoured by a pack of hungry wolves, preferably with the ex-Mrs. Bates stapled to him at the time.

But now we have finished Season Two, and are going through withdrawal. Or something. It’s caused us to do weird things like google pictures of what the characters actually look like in the 21st century (hint, Ms. O’Brien isn’t actually a frumpy old maid) and trying to find a dress like Lady Mary’s.

I even went so far as to buy mismatched shield back chairs that are just like the mismatched ones at Downton.

Actually, I’m not quite that lame. Actually, I acquired those 8 chairs via two separate Craigslist purchases for a total of $150 long before we watched Downton, with big plans to give them makeovers at some point during my life. I did, however, spend several episodes squealing “THOSE ARE OUR CHAIRS!” whenever the Granthams ate dinner, and I also commended Lady Grantham for her excellent taste in people who decorate her home. We are practically twins.

Now I just need to work on my inability to sit around and do nothing. And probably my posture.

-Lady Erin

P.S. Since I haven’t yet been identified as a Grantham heiress, I have to work, and like I mentioned in my last post, I got a new job. Since some of you were wondering, the abbreviated version is: I will now be teaching 7th and 10th grade English at a school just 10 minutes from our house. I have been driving 45, so this is definitely exciting and an answer to prayer!

Pool Boys and My Plot to Own Ducklings

By giving myself a slight bloggy break over the past few weeks, I have managed to accomplish a lot of…absolutely nothing in the way of home improvement. We’ve chosen instead to do all of the following:

• lots of family stuff
• get a new job for next school year (me)
• join the rest of the world in its love affair with Downton Abbey
• pet the cats
• open the pool
• hire a pool boy.

This particular pool boy came with his own pool girl.

Yes, Mr. and Mrs. Mallard have chosen our now-open pool as their private waterfront residence. It’s like the Hamptons, for ducks.

They apparently didn’t get the memo that there is a lake approximately 150 feet away.

This is, of course, an improvement over the black lagoon that we dealt with last year.

But, nonetheless, Rick would like them to stop pooping on the rim around the pool. Gingerbread would like to eat them. I would like them to have babies, and have told them so.

So far, they aren’t complying with any of our wishes.

Have you ever had any unexpected animal guests? Any pool stories to share? Who wants to help me name the ducklings?

Strawberry Raspberry Galette Slab Pie

I know what you’re thinking. What? Erin is posting a recipe? The same girl who proclaims to make brussel sprouts that taste like battery acid? Yes.That girl is posting a recipe—sort of. “Sort of” because it’s not my recipe—it’s Faith’s of The Stirring Place, who generously agreed to guest post over here. Read on for Faith’s drool-inducing berry dessert!

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You and I are about to go somewhere special.
(No, not the Caribbean like our girl Erin, but someplace just as great.)
It's a little place I like to call nostalgia.

See, once upon a time there was a girl who loved berries and summertime.
They were ultimate companions and the berry best of friends. (har har)

One day this girl found an effortless berry recipe whose first bite brought back wistful memories of warm June afternoons.

Let me take you there...

There are a lot of recipes out there that claim ease but leave you flour-dusted and fuming.
This isn't one of them.

Although it gives you results of which Martha Stewart would be proud, it's truly as simple as 5 ingredients.

That's right, FIVE.

Break out that apron girl.

Strawberry & Raspberry Galette (Slab Pie)
slightly adapted from The Family Kitchen

1.5 cups each fresh strawberries and raspberries (total 3 cups)

1 prepared round of pie dough

1 egg white

4 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup sparkling sugar

Place the round of pie dough on a parchment lined baking sheet. Wash and dry the berries, then place them in a heap right in the center of your pie dough. Carefully fold the edges of the pie dough around the berries, pinching it together to keep the edges in place. Melt the butter and drizzle half of it over the berries. Whisk the egg white into the remaining bit of butter. With a basting brush, spread the butter/egg mixture all over the edges of the pie crust, then sprinkle with sparkling sugar. Bake in an oven preheated to 425 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve piping hot with giant scoops of vanilla ice cream.

See, I told you it was simple.

Notes:

1. I used fresh strawberries and raspberries but any combination of fresh berries will work. (Oooh, just think of the lovely color combinations!) Use one kind or three, just make sure to keep the quantity at 3 cups.
2. Buy a good quality pre-made crust. This is important.
3. If you have cracks in your unrolled pie crust use a dab of water and your fingers to pinch the cracks together. You want a completely crack-free dough, otherwise your fruit will ooze out while baking.
4. I divided the butter and let one half cool a bit while I drizzled the other half on the fruit. I wanted it to cool a bit before adding whisking w the egg white (curdling is bad.)
5. I didn't use the entire 1/4 c sparkling sugar. I just covered the crust completely and discarded the rest. *This step is very important though so don't skip it, otherwise your galette will be tart as there's no other sugar in this recipe at all.*
6. I used a pizza cutter to cut and serve my galette as I would a pizza. It worked great. (see above photo)
7. You must, and I repeat MUST, serve this with ice cream (vanilla is my fave.) It takes this dessert from great to AMAZING. Don't skip it.
8. Anyone else like the word "galette" as much as I do? It sounds so impressive and French. I mean you ARE a baking rock-star. No one but us needs to know that fancy can be easy too.
    

Thanks so much Erin! Anyone else as ready for summer as I am now?

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Yes! Summer, I am ready for you! Eight weeks from today is the last day with students. Not that I’m counting, or anything. ;)

What’s your favorite summer-y dessert? I’ve always been a shortcake–with-peaches-or-berries-or-even-both girl, so Faith’s dessert is right up my alley. :)

6.5 Sticks of Butter and a Giveaway Winner

Two days ago, I made cupcakes from scratch. Please know that this is not something I do. I am a baked-goods-from-a-box-all-the-way kinda girl. That is, I was this way until Wednesday, when I realized that 6.5 sticks of butter (plus some other sorta crucial ingredients) can make amazingness. And besides, it's not every day that your husband finally receives his official license to practice pharmacy in New York. (Hooray! He's legal! And employed! God is so good.) :)

But back to those 6.5 sticks of butter. I used them to make two dozen Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes. Yes, you heard me right. I don't remember where I first saw the recipe, but the original recipe hails from Annie's Eats and an easier version with canned frosting can be found here.

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The batter and frosting, both from scratch, both have a hint of cookie dough flavor in them, and the middle is stuffed with (eggless) cookie dough, also from scratch, which meant that this was not a mix-it-up-in-two-minutes-then-stick-it-in-the-oven deal. Not only was the end product totally worth my time in the kitchen, though, it was also sort of fun to make. If I had a cute apron, I would totally have worn it, a la June Cleaver. In fact, I was feeling so domestic as a result that I announced my desire to try making other kinds of cupcakes from scratch. Rick announced that maybe I should try actual meals first, you know, things with fewer sticks of butter involved. Priorities, I tell you. I think dessert should get first billing.

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By the way, my cupcake frosting looked nothing like the one you see directly above. I used this exotic tool called a knife to apply my frosting. Actually, that's not true. All of the knives were in the dishwasher, and of course I didn't wash one, so instead I used the back of a spoon. We are fancy around here. :)

So now that you're all thanking me for this recipe that is delicious in all of its non-healthy beauty, the winner of my thank-you card giveaway is Wendy at Simply Brookes! Thanks to everyone who left a sweet comment. I'm not sure if an Etsy shop is in my near future, but you definitely encouraged me to think about it. :)

Have a great weekend!