Teddy Graham Trail Mix

The Super Bowl is coming! It’s almost here. There will be parties, food, drinks, screaming, yelling, crying (maybe), food…did I mention food? Don’t forget the kids when you plan your game day parties! They’ll be happy that you thought of them. This is great to bring to a party if your hosts have kids, too. You’ll score big points, for sure.

It’s an easy mix of Teddy Grahams, cereal, pretzels, and a few sweets, too. Also, completely versatile! Use what you can find--don’t feel limited to what I’ve used here. When my son was in preschool, I made this when it was my turn to supply the Friday snack. The kids LOVED it. Got a long car ride coming up? Pack some of this!

Confession. I love this, too. And I can’t keep Billy out of it! He’s asking me to give it all away because he can’t stop snacking on it. For me, I like to throw some nuts in my own serving, but only mine because the kids don’t like nuts.

Speaking of nuts, it may be a good idea to see if any kids at your party have nut allergies, and plan accordingly.

I can’t even call this a recipe--it’s more a guideline. One thing I've found is that dried fruit tends to make the crispy things kind of soft during storage, so that's why I use the yogurt and chocolate covered rasins. If you think it'll all be eaten on the same day you make it, I'd say go for it.

This makes a lot. I didn’t measure it out, but what you see in the photos isn’t even all of it. There’s more backstage, ha!

Teddy Graham Trail Mix

Makes a bunch

1 box (11.3 oz or 7 cups) Peanut Butter Multi Grain Cheerios
1 box (10 oz) Teddy Grahams (I've used chocolate here.)
2 cups mini pretzels
1 bag (12.6 oz or approx. 2 cups) m & m's
1 1/2 cups (10 oz) yogurt covered raisins
1 (3.5 oz) box Raisinets

Mix all of these in a large bowl, store in an airtight container.

Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Cookies

Oh, those sweet lunch ladies back in the day…they had their special lunch lady secrets, didn’t they? Billy and I still talk about the fabulous soft, chewy peanut butter cookies we used to get at school. What made them so special? Are we just imagining how good they were? Let's face it, nearly every kid would be thrilled to get cookies with their lunch, right? Maybe we were over thinking it, making it all up in our heads. But--he and I didn’t go to school together at all. He moved around when he was a kid, and went to different school districts, and still had those old school peanut butter cookies on his mind.

I don’t think we were imagining it. No, I don’t. I think there’s a Lunch Lady Secret Society, like the Masons or Skull and Bones. I think they’re sworn in, given their hairnets and plastic gloves, and then sworn to secrecy. Secrets that they will take to the grave.  Secrets that can only be passed from one lunch lady to the next, in the cloak of darkness, at school cafeterias all over the country. Leaving us all to wonder…”What the heck did they DO to make those cookies so good?!”

Or…maybe if I’d had asked, they would have shared their secret. While I tend to believe the latter, I really like to imagine the former. It’s more fun that way!

I talked before on the blog about cracking the lunch lady PB cookie code. I thought I had. Silly me, I should have known it couldn’t be that simple. Well, it is actually simple--I just didn’t have it quite right. Right after posting those cookies, a long time reader (seriously, like from the beginning of my blog!), Jen B. contacted me and told me she had the secret. When she asked if I was interested, I almost thought we’d have to meet in secrecy, for fear of retaliation from the Lunch Lady Secret Society. Would we need disguises? Should I change cars every so many miles? Have I been watching too many movies?

No. Turns out none of that was necessary. Jen said she’d email the recipe to me when she got home from work. So yeah, too much TV for me, I guess. Haha! It turns out that Jen went to school not too far from where I did, and her school district published a cookbook. It seems everyone wanted Velma Houle’s (Jen calls her the “Queen of School Lunch”) PB cookie recipe.

Are you ready for the secret? Ok. Lock your doors, and close the curtains. Be sure no one is reading over your shoulder. Here goes:

14 lbs peanut butter

5 lbs Honey

3 lbs butter

From the school lunch program 1950 – 1985  Velma Houle, retired food service director.

That’s it! Jen assured me that yes, there are only three ingredients. How simple is that? She said they also used that mixture for pb and grape jelly sandwiches, and another treat I’m going to make and share with you later.

I scaled it down and mixed the three ingredients together. It was a lot looser than I expected, but I’m guessing it was because I used an organic peanut butter instead of a major brand. So I used the mixture in my favorite peanut butter cookie recipe. I fully intend to try this again using just the three ingredients. I’ll be sure to report back to you how it goes!

Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Cookies

Makes about 75 (3 inch) cookies, or a lot of smaller ones.

5 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups butter, room temp
1/2 cup shortening, room temp
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups brown sugar
4 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
Peanut butter mixture (see below)
1 (10 oz) bag Mini Reese's Pieces

Peanut Butter Mixture

16 oz peanut butter (I used an organic peanut butter)
4 oz (1 stick) butter, room temp
1/4 cup  honey

Heat oven to 350 degrees. You can go ahead and mix up the peanut butter mixture first, then set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, set aside. In a standing mixer or large bowl, cream the 1 1/2 cups of butter, the shortening and both sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, beating well after each one, then add the vanilla and the peanut butter mixture. Add the flour mixture by the cupful and beat at low speed until fully mixed.

At this point, it's a lot of dough! Billy wanted some w/out Reese's Pieces, so I took some of the dough out of the bowl to set aside for that, and it made it easier to mix in the candy. This really *does* make a lot of dough, so the larger the bowl, the better.

Line your baking sheets with parchment paper. I used a 2 inch scoop to make these cookies, so they're a good size, but not huge. Place about 2 inches apart on your baking sheet. Very important!! BAKE FOR 11 MINUTES ONLY! Any more than that, and they'll be overdone. The cookies will still be pale, maybe just a touch golden brown on the bottom edges. As long as your oven is running at the correct temp, this is all the time the cookies need. Remove from the oven and let them sit on the baking sheet for 1 minute, then remove to a cooling rack using a spatula. Even though they’ll look doughy and soft, they’ll set up perfectly, I promise! Let cool completely (yeah, right!) and then store in an airtight container.

• I made these on Saturday, and now, on Tuesday, they're still as rich and chewy as the first day. The whole family loves these cookies!
• I did some with cross hatch marks with a fork, and I don't recommend it. They came out too thin and fell apart when stored in the container. The ones you see in the photos have held up beautifully!
• If you overcook these, they won’t be nice and chewy. I’m serious, folks-only 11 minutes in the oven. Trust me.
• I know I've said it before, but you actually CAN bribe people with these cookies. Try it.
• And finally, thank you so much, Jen!

Flourless Peanut Butter Toffee Cookies

And not just any peanut butter, either.  These are made with Peanut Butter & Co. Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter.  Yes!  No flour, no extra butter or oil--just two cups of rich, chocolaty peanut butter.  Plus a few other things, of course.  Simple as heck, and so dreamy--these will have any chocolate or PB lover eating out of the palm of your hand.     

If you haven’t tried any of the Peanut Butter & Co’s peanut butters, what are you waiting for?  They’ve taken peanut butter to places we’d only imagined.  You can even buy online if they’re not in your area yet.

Also, if you haven’t tried flourless peanut butter cookies, again--what are you waiting for?  They’re super easy to make, and the results are rich, flavorful cookies that will be appreciated by anyone in your vicinity.   I know this, trust me.

My husband took one bite and said “Finally!  Peanut butter cookies like the ones we used to get in school!”  Yes, seriously, I’ve been trying to find a PB cookie like the ones we used to get with school lunch when we were kids.  I don’t know what those lunch ladies did, but man--those were some freaking fantastic cookies!  Side note?  If anyone actually has that recipe?  I’ll love you forever and ever.  I’m talking 1980’s here, kids.  What was their secret???  Did they hide recipes under their hairnets?  I need to know!

The kids loved these, too, by the way!  Enough to be fighting over the last ones.  So that’s eight thumbs up from them alone. 

These are crispy on the outside, and chewy in the center.  Just the way I like them!  I’ve also added Heath Toffee Bits and some roughly chopped Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chocolate Chips to these--because I felt like it.  There’s even a touch of espresso powder to enhance the chocolate. 

If you can’t find the Dark Chocolate Dreams peanut butter, feel free to use your favorite.  The toffee bits and chocolate chips would be just as good with regular peanut butter cookies, of course!  Fun for the holidays, or any time of year.

Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Toffee Cookies

In this case, the recipe made:
12 large cookies (with a 2 inch scoop) and
15 smaller cookies (about a tablespoon each)

2 cups Dark Chocolate Dreams Peanut Butter or your favorite PB
3/4 cups brown sugar
3/4 granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp espresso powder
2 cups Heath Toffee Bits 
1/2 cup Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chocolate Chips, roughly chopped

Heat oven to 350 F.  In your standing mixer, or in a large bowl, mix all ingredients except for the toffee and chocolate bits.  When that's mixed well, fold in the toffee and chocolate.

I used a 2 inch scoop to make the first 12 cookies.  Drop them on a parchment lined sheet, and slightly flatten them with the bottom of a glass.  Bake for 14-16 minutes (See NOTE below).  Remove from oven, let them sit on the hot cookie sheet for 1-2 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack using a thin spatula.

I made the last 15 by just taking about a tablespoon of dough, then rolling into balls.  Place the dough balls on the sheet and again, slightly flatten.  Bake these for 10-12 minutes, and let them sit for 1-2 minutes on the sheet, then remove to a cooling rack. 

NOTE:  These were perfect the first day--crisp edges and chewy centers, but got more crispy the second day.  Still delicious, but I'd try the lower baking temps first next time to see what the texture was like the second day. 

Got Bananas? Then you’ve got the easiest ice cream!

My local grocery store sells spotty brown bananas.  They take them out of the bins when they start getting those tell-tale brown spots that all bakers covet--the ones that mean those bananas are bursting with sweet.  They package them in nice big bunches for a steal--less than one dollar for about 10 bananas on average.  Do your stores do this?  If not, they should!  Make sure you ask the produce guy/girl about it.  Maybe they can start setting some aside for you.  Even if you don’t need them at the time, they freeze well.  I usually peel and smush them, then freeze them flat in Ziploc bags.  Hello, banana bread!

A couple of weeks ago, my store didn’t have any brown bananas out for sale.  I asked the nice produce guy, and he said he’d go pack some up for me.  I’ve gotta love this guy.  Five minutes later, he brought out 2 large bunches--about 17-20 bananas total--all for just over one dollar.  “Is this too many?” he asked me.  Truthfully, I didn’t need that many, but how could I say no?  He took the time to package them up just for me.  I knew I could find ways to use them, so I said “No way is that too many, thanks so much!”

I made banana breads.  We used some in smoothies.  The kids ate a couple.  Still, we had brown spotty bananas, and they were getting spottier by the day.  I hit Google and typed in bananas.  I looked at all kinds of recipes.  But only one hit me like a pack of brown bananas.  How To Make Creamy Ice Cream with Just One Ingredient!  from the kitchn.   Amazing website, and if you haven’t seen it yet, get your butt over there and immerse yourself in it’s awesomeness!  Well, after you read this first, that is.  I always find the coolest things there--it never fails.

One ingredient ice cream?  I know what you’re thinking!  Insert sarcasm here --> “Yeah, right.  That must be great.”   You also need a food processor.  Unless you have a Vitamix.  (I don’t, but my gosh, they’re the coolest things ever!  I’m always available to review one, you know, just in case the Vitamix people are reading this. hehe!) A regular blender just won’t cut it with this recipe. 

Move over heavy cream and dairy!  Go away, ice creams with a gazillion calories and fat grams!  (Well, at least for this post--you can all come back later.  Please?)  This banana ice cream, at first, is like creamy soft serve.  Put it in the freezer for a while, and it’s like premium, creamy dreamy ice cream.  I’m not kidding!   Keep it simple with just bananas, or get creative, take a look in your pantry, and add some stuff in!

So I made a batch (the step by steps are here!) and it blew my mind.  I kept it pretty simple and added organic honey and organic peanut  butter.  The kids?  They loved it, too!   That night, I sat down with a little bowl of it.  I felt so guilty!  Like I really shouldn’t be eating this creamy, rich ice cream.  I actually had to remind myself that it was just bananas, honey and peanut butter! 

 

I told a few twitter friends about it.  First, Renee at Flamingo Musings.   Go see the delicious creations she came up with!  Then Heather, at He Cooks, She Cooks, We Cook.   She mentioned she was making ice cream that weekend, so I forced her to make this one, too.  (Her post will be up later today, so check it out!)  Soon, Kathy at A Good Appetite was on board, and then we dragged  Barbara at Vino Luci Style along for the ride. 

I only had time to make two more batches that weekend.  Not because it’s time consuming, because it sure as hell isn’t.  My kids were on Spring Break, and we had tons of fun to squeeze into the weekend before it was back to school on Monday.   Poor kids! 

I decided to add more fruit to one batch, just to see what kind of texture I’d get.  Frozen pineapple and frozen strawberries were the lucky fruits!  You know, like banana split-ish.  I processed the banana, then added the other frozen fruit till it was smooth and creamy.  I also added a bit of agave, since the pineapple and strawberry weren’t very sweet.  Chopped chocolate stirred in at the end, and that’s it--you’re done!

Banana Split Ice Cream, below.  This one’s really fresh tasting and also reminds me of a smoothie.  It’s not as creamy--I guess because strawberry/pineapple are sort of watery?  Bananas are creamy and have trace amounts of fat that give you the creamy texture you want in an ice cream.

The second batch was not my favorite.  I added toasted coconut, chunks of graham cracker, and some cinnamon.  No exact measurements, I just eyeballed it.  In theory, it sounds good, but in reality ehh, not so much.  

Imagine making this ice cream for your vegan or lactose intolerant friends!  They’ll love you forever.  Heck, even if you just make it for yourself, think about a creamy ice cream that you can indulge in and not feel guilty about.  Your kids will love it, too!   And the possibilities?  They’re endless.  Chunks of fruit, chocolate, nuts, nut butters, extracts, spirits, cookies, candy chunks--you’re only limited by your imagination.  Try this!!!

Peanut Butter Ice Cream with Candied Bacon

Peanut butter.  Bacon.  Ice cream.  Chocolate.  All four are incredibly tasty treats on their own.  And for some people?  The Four Food Groups.  I mean-seriously, you wouldn’t have to twist my arm to eat any of those.  

My friend Nick, author of the awesome all peanut butter--all the time blog, Peanut Butter Boy, is currently having The Great Peanut Butter Exhibition #8-Delectable Duo.   The idea behind delectable duos is to pair any ingredient of your choice with--you guessed it--peanut butter!  He’s got a very cool prize package to award to the winner, courtesy of Peanut Butter & Co.   Go check it out!  You’ve got until noon (EST) on Monday, April 12th if you want to submit an entry.

I thought for a while about what I’d like to pair with peanut butter…the usual things kept coming to mind--like chocolate, chocolate, and um…chocolate.  I know!  What can I say?  That’s a perfect pairing!  Then peanut butter and bacon entered my train of thought, and that lead to candied bacon, which I’ve been hearing a lot about, but never tried. 

--Look at that gorgeous piece of candied bacon there!

So that was the basis for this ice cream.  I love using my ice cream maker and just don’t get to as much as I’d like to.  Which, as it turns out after making this ice cream, is probably a good thing.  Why?  Because it’s just so good!  It’s super creamy peanut butter ice cream, which has been graced with the addition of sweet/salty/crunchy/chewy candied bacon and chopped peanuts. 

--And more candied bacon. It’s a candied bacon explosion!

The sauce on the ice cream?  Was supposed to be salted caramel.  That just didn’t work out.  I made two batches and burned them both.  I was totally off my game when making that, I guess.  Or just really suck at making caramel sauce!  My friend Heather came to my rescue, though, and suggested I make Dulce de Leche and just get it over with.   I was a little nervous, because, you know--exploding cans and all that.   Guess what?  No explosions--it was easy as can be!  Like, “the easiest recipe you’ll ever make” easy.  Can you believe I’ve never had Dulce de Leche?  It’s true!  Now I know what I’ve been missing.  Heather has created a monster.  I wasn’t satisfied with just the caramely sweet goodness.  I split the batch in half, and made Salted Chocolate and Peanut Butter Chocolate Dulce de Leche.  Someone please send help.  I may eat all of it.  In one sitting.  Then make more.  And dip stuff in it.  Like cookies and fruit.  And cookies.  And my face.

--Various stages of Dulce de Leche…just after opening, adding the chocolate, salt and butter, the PB version, and last-the velvety salted chocolate version.

Peanut Butter Ice Cream with Candied Bacon
adapted from a Ben & Jerry's recipe
makes a little more than 1 quart

Make the candied bacon and set it aside to cool.  Click here for the recipe.

2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup half and half or milk
1/3 cup peanut butter (I used a natural organic pb)
1/2 cup roughly chopped peanuts
1/2 cup crumbled candied bacon

For the Dulce de Leche:

1 can sweetened condensed milk
3 oz bittersweet chocolate
1 TBSP butter
generous pinch of salt
2 generous spoonfuls of peanut butter (super creamy if you want smooth sauce. I used an organic pb with teeny little peanut pieces in it)

Whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl for 1-2 minutes.
Add the sugar a little at a time, whisking after each addition, then continue to whisk for about a minute more.
Pour in the cream and half & half or milk, whisk to blend.
Pour 1 cup of the cream mixture into a separate bowl and add the peanut butter.  Carefully whisk until it's all incorporated, then add this back to the rest and mix to combine.
Keep this mixture cold until you're ready to use it.

When you're ready to make the ice cream, and really, why wait?  Set up your ice cream maker and follow manufacturers instructions.  Add the peanuts and bacon in the last 5 minutes or so of the churning process.   Continue churning until the ice cream is ready.
Transfer to a container and store in the freezer.

For the Dulce de Leche, here are Heather's instructions that I collected from her tweets:

"Can of condensed milk. Stock pot of water. Put can in pot, covered by at least a inch of water and bring to a boil.
Boil for 90 minutes for a nice loose caramel. I let it go as long as 3 hours for a firm caramel you can slice.The can is sealed. If you let the can be exposed to the air it can blow. Never had this happen however.
When I do it I do it at a pretty good boil. Not a turmoil boil that will knock over the can but not a wimpy one either..."

It’s that easy!  I let mine go for 2 hours--it was perfect.  OH!  Very important!  Let the can cool for at least an hour or so.  I don't want to know what a boiling hot sweetened condensed milk burn looks like.

After it's cooled, open the can and pour out the sauce.  Well, you can't really pour it, because it's so thick and rich.  So get your rubber spatula and transfer the sauce to 2 separate bowls.  Or use it as-is (velvety caramely goodness!)  and leave it one bowl. 

To make Salted Chocolate:  Add the 3 oz chocolate, butter and salt, and microwave in 30 second increments, stirring after each time--until it's all velvety chocolate goodness.   I'll look away while you eat it with your hands.

For the Peanut Butter version:  Add the peanut butter and follow the same microwave instructions. 

That’s it!  Amaze your bacon/peanut butter/ice cream loving friends with this, and they’ll be your slaves forever.  You could rule the world with this ice cream!!  It’s true.