Chocolate and peanut butter go great together in these treats

By Cathy Thomas Correspondent I d never considered the pairing as one of the best on the planet But when my grandson Jacob was he offered his opinion in a confident tone He looked me in the eye and proclaimed that peanut butter and chocolate are the best combination of flavors Chosen might argue offering up different sets of two ingredients that work together harmoniously My father unfailingly sang the praises of strawberries and cream my mother would weigh in with apples and cinnamon For me my palate wavers but my favorite ingredient combinations often showcase a few kind of cheese Now in high school Jacob and I have made hundreds of Peanut Blossom Cookies tasty peanut butter cookies each adorned with a Hershey s chocolate kiss The recipe has been around for decades and it s foolproof a great treat to bake with kids The recipe is included here along with a brownie that shows off peanut butter as well as chocolate Also included is a formula for Peanut Brittle Bars a bar cookie that uses chocolate and salted roasted peanuts deviating a smidgen from the peanut butter theme But I couldn t leave them out To my palate they are the best bar cookies imaginable The pairing is a jewel Peanut Brittle Bars My hankering for salty-sweet treats started with my Aunt Lillian s peanut brittle Throughout my childhood every year her nut-laden candy arrived a meager days before Christmas Tightly packed in a pristine coffee can Lillian s crunchy confections disappeared far too swiftly Well into adulthood I discovered Peanut Brittle Bars The crisp squares showcased a topping of salted peanuts along with chocolate chips and caramel Yield bars INGREDIENTS Base cups all-purpose flour cup whole wheat flour tablespoon toasted wheat germ cup firmly packed light brown sugar teaspoon baking soda teaspoon salt cup sticks cold butter cut into -inch slices Topping cups salted roasted peanuts cup milk chocolate chips ounces jar caramel ice cream topping tablespoons all-purpose flour DIRECTIONS Adjust oven rack to middle position Preheat oven to degrees Grease a -by- -by- -inch rimmed baking sheet In a food processor fitted with the metal blade place flours wheat germ brown sugar baking soda and salt pulse to combine about seconds Add cold butter slices pulse until crumbly and butter is cut into dry ingredients Do not over process or mixture will form a dough Dump onto prepared baking sheet Use clean fingers to evenly press into even layer Bake in preheated oven for to minutes or until evenly golden Sprinkle peanuts and chocolate chips over warm base In a small bowl stir together the caramel sauce and tablespoons of flour drizzle over peanuts and chips Bake in -degree oven for to minutes or until golden brown and set Cool hour or until utterly cooled Cut into bars Milk Chocolate and Peanut Butter Brownies My favorite way to serve peanut butter spiked brownies is alongside vanilla ice cream that is sprinkled with peanuts Yield One -by- -inch pan of brownies about servings INGREDIENTS Soft butter for greasing pan and parchment paper ounces sticks unsalted butter cup plus tablespoons smooth peanut butter cup coarsely chopped milk chocolate cup dark brown sugar cup granulated sugar teaspoon kosher salt large eggs teaspoons vanilla extract cup unbleached all-purpose flour cup unsweetened cocoa powder cup semi-sweet chocolate chips see cook s notes Cook s notes I use semi-sweet chocolate chips because they are preferred by my grandchildren but cookbook author Nicole Rucker calls for chocolate chips a darker chocolate with a higher cacao content The choice is yours DIRECTIONS Adjust oven rack to middle position Preheat oven to degrees Lightly grease a -by- -inch rimmed sheet pan and line the bottom and sides with parchment paper Set aside Place sticks of butter in a small saucepan on medium heat Stir frequently and keep an eye on it so it doesn t brown Meanwhile put peanut butter and chopped chocolate in large heatproof bowl When the butter is hot and melted pour over peanut butter-chocolate mixture and stir to combine and melt chocolate Set aside In the large mixing bowl of an electric stand mixer combine brown sugar granulated sugar salt eggs and vanilla Mix on medium speed for minute until the mixture is pale in color and creamy looking Add the melted chocolate-butter mixture Mix at a medium speed until combined Add the flour and cocoa powder mix until just combined so no dry bits of flour remain Transfer batter to prepared pan Using a silicone spatula smooth out batter pushing batter into the corners and making it even Tap lightly on the counter to remove any air pockets Scatter chocolate chips on top of batter gently pressing them down a little Bake for minutes Rotate pan and bake another to minutes or until the sides are set and the center will still appear a bit unset A toothpick inserted in center should come out with very moist crumbs Allow brownies to cool on a wire rack They can be stored airtight at room temperature up to one week Source Adapted from Fat Flour by Nicole Rucker Alfred A Knoff Peanut Blossom Cookies A milk chocolate kiss pressed into the center of these still-hot peanut butter cookies makes them pretty and delicious too When I want to make these cookies with my grandchildren and I discover there aren t any Hershey s chocolate kisses in the house I substitute either Hershey s nuggets or Mini Milk Chocolate peanut butter cups from Trader Joe s Yield About to dozen cookies INGREDIENTS cup stick butter room temperature generous cup peanut butter creamy preferred cup granulated sugar cup dark brown sugar egg tablespoons milk teaspoon vanilla extract cups all-purpose flour teaspoon baking soda teaspoon salt Parchment paper Granulated sugar for rolling ounces Hershey s kisses unwrapped DIRECTIONS Adjust oven rack to middle position Preheat oven to degrees In the bowl of an electric stand mixer place butter and peanut butter Beat at a medium speed until well combined Add sugars and beat until creamy Add egg milk and vanilla beat until well combined In a separate bowl combine flour baking soda and salt stir with a whisk Add the flour mixture in portions to the butter mixture beating between additions to combine Line two baking sheets with parchment paper Shape dough into -inch balls I do this with the aid of a small ice cream scoop Roll the dough balls in granulated sugar to coat Place on prepared baking sheets about -inches apart Bake for to minutes Remove from oven and directly place an unwrapped chocolate kiss in the middle of each cookie lightly pressing it down The cookies may crack around the edges Don t worry Award-winning food writer Cathy Thomas has written three cookbooks including Best Plants on the Planet Follow her at CathyThomasCooks com