A nice slice of cake might put the perfect finishing touch on dinner tonight. Or any night, for that matter.
Working on this assumption, then, here’s the last of the peanut butter possibilities. Frequent helper-outer Carol Wilson of Everett shares the how-to and says, “Here’s a recipe from busycooks.about.com for a peanut butter bundt cake that sure looks good to me.”
Or, if the idea of something peanut butter and chocolatey revs you up, but the thought of making a cake doesn’t, Sultan cook Anita Esser gives us her favorite recipe for chocolate-covered peanut butter balls.
“Use a tablespoon to measure,” she says, “and put a little butter on your hands to form them.”
Peanut butter bundt cake
21/4cups flour
1cup brown sugar
1cup granulated sugar
1cup peanut butter
1/2cup butter, softened
1teaspoon baking powder
1/2teaspoon baking soda
1cup milk
11/2teaspoons vanilla
3eggs
1cup chocolate chips
Frosting (recipe follows)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-cup bundt pan (even nonstick pan) and set aside.
For streusel cake: In large bowl, combine flour, sugars, peanut butter and butter and mix at low speed with electric mixer until crumbly. Reserve 1 cup of this streusel mixture and set aside. Add baking powder, baking soda, milk, vanilla and eggs to remaining mixture; blend at low speed until combined, then beat 3 minutes at medium speed. Pour half of batter into prepared pan.
Stir the chips into streusel mixture; sprinkle over batter in pan. Spoon and spread remaining batter over streusel mixture. Bake at 350 degrees 55 to 65 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 15 minutes, then loosen edges and turn pan onto serving plate. Cool completely, then frost.
Makes 1 bundt cake, 16 servings.
For chocolate chip cake: In large bowl, combine flour, sugars, peanut butter, butter, baking powder, baking soda, milk, vanilla and eggs; beat on low speed until combined, then beat 3 minutes at medium speed. By hand, stir in chocolate chips. Spoon batter into pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 55 to 65 minutes until set, brown, and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (except some chocolate might stick to the toothpick). Cool in pan 10 minutes, then loosen edges and turn pan onto serving plate. Cool completely, then frost.
Makes 1 bundt cake, 16 servings.
Frosting
1cup chocolate chips
1/3cup peanut butter
In small saucepan, melt chips and peanut butter. (You can also melt these two ingredients in a small bowl in the microwave for 2 minutes at 50 percent power, stirring until smooth.) Spoon frosting over cake.
Peanut butter balls
3/4cup graham cracker crumbs (5 cracker rectangles, or 10 cracker squares)
2cups powdered sugar
1cup chunky peanut butter
1/2cup chopped nuts (walnuts are good)
1/2cup margarine, melted
1cup chocolate chips
1/4bar paraffin wax
In mixing bowl, combine the cracker crumbs, powdered sugar, peanut butter, chopped nuts and margarine, mixing thoroughly.
Butter your hands and shape mixture into balls, using about a tablespoon per ball. Set aside.
In top of double boiler, melt together the chips and wax; dip balls into mixture and place on waxed paper. Pour some chocolate over the balls to cover completely.
Makes 30 balls.
The next Forum will appear in Wednesday’s Food section.
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