chocolate chip, oatmeal, peanut butter, oh my!

I had another oh my moment the other day when I came across this delightful recipe for the best all-in-one snack since the take 5 chocolate bar.

It’s simple, delicious (especially right out of the oven), and perfect for a little chocolate peanut butter pick me up.

~Chocolate chip, oatmeal, peanut butter cookies~

What you’ll need:

• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup semi sweet choco chips

Get your flours in order…

In a separate bowl, mix together the good stuff – the butter, peanut butter, sugar, vanilla…

After about 3 minutes, add your egg.  Mixy mixy…

Use a spoon or spatula to mix in the flour, just until incorporated…

Add the choco chips and oatmeal, lightly mix…

Roll into balls and place on parchment paper about 2 inches apart…

Pop into a pre-heated oven at 350 and bake for about 9-10 minutes…

Make sure you try one as soon as it is cool enough to eat – but not too cool!  The centers are gooey and the melted chocolate is like a party in your mouth.  The peanut butter taste is mild (I think it adds moistness more than anything) and the oats give it a little bite.

Nom nom nom….feeling better already!

parting is such sweet sorrow

Shakespeare, right?

Anyhow, today is my last day working at my job.  I’ve been here for four years, and it’s been…well, let’s just say it’s been a learning experience!

As my first job out of college, I embarked on a very steep learning curve of proper office behavior, time management and most importantly – people management!

I thought it would be nice to leave behind a parting gift so that the last memory of me would be sweet.

~Peanut Butter Cheesecake Brownies~

What you’ll need for the brownie

• 2 oz unsweetened chocolate
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) of butter
• 1 cup of sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2/3 cup of flour
• Chocolate biscuits (I used Tim Tams)

What you’ll need for the cheesecake

• 8 oz softened cream cheese
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/3 cup peanut butter

What you’ll do

• Melt your butter and chocolate in a 3 QT pot over low-medium heat

• Remove chocolate from the fire and add sugar, eggs and vanilla

• Add in the flour

• Next, crumble your chocolate biscuits and layer them in a baking dish

• Then layer your brownie batter

• For the cheesecake, simply mix together the cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk and vanilla

• Add the third layer of cheesecake and use a chopstick to create swirls in the topping

• Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes

And that, my friends, is saying goodbye to the last four years…Man it feels good to move on!