It rained here most of the day on Sunday. In fact we got over an inch and a half. We live in what used to be part of the black swamp. There is a river behind us, a pond beside us and remnants of the Erie Canal across the street. So when it rains we get swampy and I do mean wet shoes, socks and pants leg swampy. Makes going out to the chicken house no fun! So, I spent my Sunday inside sewing and baking, while my dear hubby, metalman to you all, got his new computer up and running. And since he got a new one, so did I! Well, new to me, I got his old one which compared to my old one is practically state of the art.
Since I was in the mood for something sweet, I made some wonderfully sinful peanut butter sandwhich cookies filled with a chocolate ganache. The recipe came from
http://www.preparedpantry.com/. A really neat site filled with free ebooks, r
ecipes and tips. And they also sell mixes, their donut ones are great, and kitcheware.
Just in case you're one of those, "I have to taste it for myself", kind of people here is the recipe. Just a note here, don't skimp on the ingredients. Use real butter and the semi-sweet chocolate you have to chop up. Oh, and let the ganache set up. It becomes nice and thick and makes a wonderful filling. And if you happen to have leftovers, it's great to dip fruit into also. Ask me how I know....
Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies with Ganache Filling
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup peanut butter
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
Directions
1. Cream the butter and sugars together with the paddle attachment of your mixer. Add the salt, egg, and vanilla and beat until smooth. Add the peanut butter and mix.
2. Add the flour and baking soda and beat until combined.
3. Refrigerate the dough for 20 minutes to firm up slightly.
4. Divide the dough into two portions. Using wax paper, roll each portion into logs 1 1/2-inches in diameter. Refrigerate for two hours or until firm
5. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Cut cookies into slices just thicker than 1/4 inch. Place them on a greased baking sheet and bake 12 to 14 minutes or until the cookies just start to brown on the edges. Cool on a wire rack.
For the filling:
Mix 1/4 cup whipping cream, one tablespoons butter, and 2 tablespoons of light corn syrup in a heavy saucepan. Heat until it simmers. Remove the pan from the heat and immediately add six ounces of semisweet baking chocolate chopped into pieces. Stir until the chocolate is melted into a smooth sauce. The filling will thicken as it cools.
This can also be made with one cup of semisweet chocolate chips though the lack of cocoa butter in the chocolate chips will affect the flavor. If you use chocolate chips, increase the butter to two tablespoons.
I also managed to get my Strip Twist top finished. To be real honest, this is the first time I have ever made a scrap quilt. Being a confirmed, hi I'm grandma chicken and I'm a fabricholic, I have always bought fabric for a project. But I'm trying to be more frugal. And frankly, well, I'd rather buy fabric. It always seems that everyone else's scrap quilts are always so pretty and this one turned out eh, ok. Besides, new fabric is like a new car, there's something about the feel and smell of it that just draws you in.
If you're one of the talented ones who make beautiful scrap quilts, drop me a line, I'd love to learn your secret. As for now, I guess I'll just keep my LQS in business.
Till next time.....
