Braided Garlic-Herb Bread

I spent a lot of years babysitting. From the age of ten, I started watching not just my younger sisters and brother, but also several of my parents' friends children as well as some babies and kids in our neighborhood. I babysat all through middle school, high school, and even college. I like it so much that I still babysit--for free!--for a few of my friends' kids.

One of my favorite babysitting memories is doing the hair of two little girls, Arden and Marin. Each time I came, we'd spend time in front of the television, then catching up on their favorite Disney Channel show while I twisted, curled, and braided their hair in all sorts of creative ways. A hairdresser I am not, but I loved that they let me pretend for a few hours!

I don't do a lot of braiding hair these days. Instead, I've moved on to braiding bread! A few years ago I gave it a try with the whole grain challah and this time it was a garlic herb bread. Braiding dough has proven to be easier than hair--no squirmy kids or flyaway strands....and just like braided hair, braided dough looks pretty darn cute!

Aside from being incredibly easy, this bread was good. It managed to be dense while still tender and the dried herbs were tasted in every bite. This makes a big loaf--I served it to a dinner party of nine and we had a few pieces leftover (that still tasted great two days later!).

Braiding expert or not, this is one homemade bread you'll want to try!

One Year Ago: Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies
Two Years Ago: Golden Grahams S'mores Bars

Braided Garlic-Herb Bread
from Christy's Kitchen Creations

Ingredients:
-4-4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I probably only needed 3 1/2 to 4)
-3 tbsp sugar
-2 pkg quick-rise yeast
-2 tsp dried basil
-1 3/4 tsp dill weed
-1 1/2 tsp salt
-3/4 tsp garlic powder
-3/4 tsp dried rosemary
-3/4 cup 2% milk
-1/2 cup water
-1/4 cup butter, cubed
-1 egg

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups flour, sugar, yeast, and seasonings. In a small saucepan, heat the milk, water, and cubed butter to 120-130F. Add milk mixture to dry ingredients and beat until just moistened. Add egg, beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, to form a soft dough.
2. Turn dough onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (4-6 minutes) [I used my Kitchenaid dough hook for this]. Cover dough and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
3. Divide dough into three equal-sized pieces. Shape each piece into a 15-inch rope. Place ropes on a greased or parchment lined baking sheet and braid, pinching each end to seal. Cover and allow to rise in a warm place for 25 minutes.
4. Bake at 375F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan to a wire rack to cool. 

Get to Know the Blogger...

I'm a little annoyed because I just spent 45 minutes typing this post and the internet decided to malfunction and Blogger decided not to save. Technology, you kill me sometimes.


ANYWAY, I'm changing things up today and doing something a little different instead of posting a recipe. For those of you looking for yummy eats, come back tomorrow! But in case you've been wondering a little bit more about me, the girl behind the blog, today's your lucky day!


Kristen and Abby both tagged me in this "11 Facts" game. I'm supposed to answer their 11 questions and then post 11 random facts about myself. I figure you get random insights into my life all of the time from blog posts, so instead I'm combining their lists of questions and answering 11 of them below...

1.  What’s your best Halloween costume to date?
It's a tie between the Flower Garden (green sweatsuit, craft foam flowers glued all over, and a mask that put my face in the middle of the flower, with a watering can in hand) and the Birthday Present (wrapped box with head, arm, and leg holes, curly ribbons in hair). Yes, they were both as nerdy and adorable as they sound!

2.  If you had to choose one word to describe yourself, what would it be?
Driven. I have a lot on my plate, I always have. I don't envision that changing any time soon. Thankfully I've been blessed with the self-motivation needed to handle it all!

3.  What is your favorite class you’ve ever taken?
Development of the Book, Fall Semester, Junior year of college. It was about as boring and useless as they come, but it's where I met and fell in love with Ryan, so it'll always be my favorite! So many stories from that class to share sometime...

4. Who is your favorite literary character?
Francie Nolan, the main character in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. If you haven't read it, you should.


5.  Are you a napper or can you do without naps?
As much as I like the idea of naps in theory, I rarely take them. I don't let myself sit still and relax for long enough to actually sleep so they only happen about 2-3 times a year (not counting road trips, when I cannot ever stay awake!). Apparently I wasn't much of a napper as a baby either!


6.  Do you have any tattoos or random piercings?
The whole fear of needles thing makes tattoos a non-issue, although I doubt I'd ever get one anyway. I do have my cartilage in my ear pieced. At 17, I HAD to have it and my mom accompanied me to the mall to get it done. I still (not so) secretly love it. My younger sister is 17 and recently did the same so I guess it's an age thing I never grew out of :)

7.  How do you like to spend the weekend?
I'm more than satisfied if my weekend includes 8 hours of sleep (both nights!), a long run on Saturday morning (bonus points if it's with Ryan!), worship at Reliant on Sunday morning, and good food & friends sprinkled throughout!

8.  What’s your favorite dessert?
That's like asking a mother who her favorite child is! I'm an equal-opportunist when it comes to dessert (or I just have an all-inclusive sweet tooth!). Still, when it comes down to it, I'm an ice cream girl. I come from an ice cream family. It's not abnormal for us to spend a few meals on vacation skipping the meal and heading straight to the ice cream shop. I wouldn't have it any other way!

9.  If you could go to any sporting event in the world, what would it be?
There's so many I'd love to witness firsthand...the Superbowl, the NCAA Basketball Championship, Wimbledon. However, if I had to choose, I'd love to go to the Summer Olympics some time, particularly for gymnastics and track & field!

10.  What was your major when you first started college and did you graduate with that same major?
I'm a fairly decisive person, so I'm not surprised that I entered and exited college with the same major: Business Management. That being said, I didn't stick with it for the heck of it, it was definitely the right major for me!


11.  Beer or wine?
Although I was born in Milwaukee, home of Miller, and now live in St. Louis, land of Budweiser, I have zero interest in beer. I can't stand the smell or the taste, much to the dismay of Ryan who insists it can be acquired. No thanks, I'll stick to wine (and cocktails!) thank you!


So there you have it, 11 new things learned about me. Now it's your turn! Pick one of the questions from the list and answer it in the comments or on my Facebook page. I want to learn more about my readers!


One Year Ago: Sweet Potato Hash (one year later and this remains a household favorite! We eat this all.the.time!)

Goat Cheese Pecan Finger Sandwiches

The last time I ate a sandwich cut into triangles, I'm pretty sure I was five and there was peanut butter and jelly between the slices of bread.

Twenty years later, I'm once again eating sandwiches cut into triangles, but the filling is a bit more sophisticated (that being said, I still regularly eat pb&j ;)). These little sandwiches feature a goat and cream cheese mixture, pecans, parsley, and red pepper jelly. Trust me, it's a winning combination. Sweet and spicy all in one, these were a bit hit.

Make them up to 24 hours ahead of time and refrigerate. Slice just before serving and watch everyone indulge their inner five year old, crusts optional!

One Year Ago: Roasted Vegetable Galette with Kalamata Olive Crust

Two Years Ago: Inside Out Buffalo Hot Wings

Goat Cheese-Pecan Finger Sandwiches Recipe

from Southern Living, November 2009

Ingredients:

-4 oz. goat cheese, softened (I used a honey flavored one, but plain is fine)

-3 oz. light cream cheese, softened

-1/2 cup finely chopped toasted pecans

-2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

-1 loaf light white sandwich bread (I used all but the

-red pepper jelly (original recipe called for 1/3 cup, I didn't measure but had about half of an 11 oz. jar that I finished off)

Directions:

1. Stir together goat cheese, cream cheese, pecans, and parsley.

2. To assemble sandwiches, spread cheese mixture on one slice of bread and red pepper jelly on another slice of bread. Place together and cut into four triangles. (Note-my cream cheese mixture wasn't quite soft enough to spread easily so I placed it in the microwave for about 15 seconds).

Payday Cookie Bars

Every year after treat or treating as children, my parents never deprived us of our candy. They let us keep our spoils and put up with the month-long sugar high that the four of us lived all November. Bless them. (Or curse them, for my blasted sweet tooth!)

Though they let us keep our candy, my dad did require us to 'pay taxes' each year. This was my first introduction to the idea of taxes and I've been a little bitter toward the word ever since! Luckily for me, my dad's candy of choice was the Payday Candy Bar and I was happy to hand that over so long as he didn't touch my Reese's Peanut Butter Cups or Whatchamacallit (do they still sell these?!). 

Because my dad always swiped my Payday Candy Bars on October 31st, I don't know that I've ever had more than a bite of when. However, when I saw a recipe for Payday Cookie Bars on Framed Cooks, I was immediately intrigued. Rice krispies, marshmallows, peanuts, and peanut butter chips? Those are flavors I can appreciate! Maybe my dad was onto something...

I don't actually know how authentic these are to the candy bar. My research shows that the candy bar has a lot more peanuts and a solid caramel filling. Similar or not, these were a tasty little dessert bar. The top half of the bar was, unsurprisingly, my favorite part. If I made these again, I might attempt a homemade base. I've also seen variations that use a peanut butter cookie crust (yum!). Using the yellow cake mix was still yummy and very easy, but let me know if you go a different route!

What's your favorite candy bar these days?

One Year Ago: Pesto Quiche with Oatmeal Crust (one of my favorite egg dishes!)

Two Years Ago: Chickpea Spinach Stew

Payday Cookie Bars

from Framed Cooks

Ingredients:

for the cookie layer-

-1 box of yellow cake mix

-2/3 cup butter

-1 egg

for the marshmallow layer-

-2 cups mini marshmallows

for the topping-

-1 bag peanut butter chips

-2 tbsp butter

-2/3 cup corn syrup

-2 cups crispy rice cereal

-2 cups salted peanuts (I used a combination of dry roasted and spanish peanuts)

Directions:

1. Mix the cake mix, butter, and egg until combined. Press mixture into a greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes, until the edges are golden.

2. Sprinkle marshmallows over the baked crust and bake for an additional 5 minutes.

3. To make the topping, melt peanut butter chips, butter, and corn syrup in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until smooth. Remove from heat and add cereal and peanuts. Once combined, spread mixture evenly over the base. Allow to cool completely before cutting into squares (I chilled mine before cutting, which made it easier). 

Spinach, Pear, Pecan, and Cranberry Pinwheels

If you Pinterest, this is a recipe you'll want to pin. Google reader users, star this. Email subscribers, don't delete this email!

I hate to be bossy but trust me on this one! These are my new favorite finger food. They're great little appetizers and I can totally see us bringing these on picnics in the summer. Okay, confession: we don't "picnic" often, but I think we need to start. We have an adorable picnic basket, given to us as a wedding gift, and now we have the perfect food to take on our picnics! I digress...

When I served these, I had at least ten different people approach me to ask what exactly was in them or how I made them. Their enthusiasm says it all--these babies are good! I'm always looking for party foods that can be served cold and are made ahead of time, and this meets both of those qualifications. Don't try to make these and immediately slice them, they won't hold together as well. Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight before cutting and they'll hold together nicely, as you see in the photos.

Enjoy! And let me know if you take them on a picnic ;)

One Year Ago: NO recipe--Happy Leap Year Day! :)

Spinach, Pear, Pecan, and Cranberry Pinwheels

adapted from Veggies by Season

Ingredients:

-1 package pesto-flavored tortillas (6 ct)

-5-8 oz. light cream cheese, softened (depends on how much cream cheese you like on there)

-2 pears, diced small

-1 oz. butter

-pecans, chopped

-2 cups spinach, chopped into small pieces

-dried cranberries

Directions:

1. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add diced pears and saute until softened slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

2. To assemble pinwheels, spread a layer of cream cheese on each tortilla. Sprinkle diced pears, pecans, dried cranberries, and spinach over the top of the tortilla.

3. Roll up each tortilla tightly and place in a container or a large ziploc bag, seam side down. Allow to sit for at least 4 hours or overnight. Just before serving, cut the edges off of each tortilla before slicing off individual pieces.

Quinoa Chowder with Sweet Potatoes, Spinach, Feta, and Scallions

Chobani Giveaway Winner announced at the very end of this post!)

I felt so healthy eating this soup that I saw on Joanne's blog that I felt no shame eating extra dessert that evening! This stew was packed full of nutrients from the spinach, sweet potatoes, and quinoa and a hefty sprinkling of salty feta made for a comforting dinner a few weeks ago.

The week I made this, Ryan was on business travel so I ate it a few days in a row (and consequently ate extra dessert a few days in a row ;)). Reheating soup is one of my favorite easy dinners. While we're still waiting on Spring I urge you to make a few soups to eat throughout the week. If you don't like the idea of eating the same meal multiple days in the row, store individual servings in the freezer to thaw and reheat whenever you need a quick lunch or dinner. The busier we get, the better I get at planning ahead...a little extra work on the weekends is always worth it!

If you decide to give this chowder a try (which you should!), I recommend using chicken or vegetable broth instead of water (or a combination). Cooking the quinoa in the water and using it in the soup was a little blander than I would have preferred. I think some low-sodium broth would've provided the extra boost of flavor that it needed. All in all, a wonderfully healthy meal that I had no problem dining on for a few days!

One Year Ago: Chocolate Chip Reese's Pieces Cookies

Quinoa Chowder with Sweet Potatoes, Spinach, Feta, and Scallions
from Eats Well With Others

Ingredients:
-3/4 cup quinoa, rinsed well
-1 tbsp olive oil
-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
-1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced
-1 tsp ground cumin
-salt & freshly ground pepper
-1/2 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
-1 bunch scallions, including an inch of greens, thinly sliced into rounds
-6 cups baby spinach
-1/4 lb feta cheese, crumbled
-1/3 cup chopped cilantro

Directions:
1. Put the quinoa and 2 quarts of salted water into a large pot. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes. While it's cooking, dice the vegetables. Drain the pot, saving the liquid. Measure the liquid and add water to make 6 cups.
2. Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and jalapeno pepper. Cook for 30 seconds before adding the cumin, 1 tsp salt, and the sweet potatoes. Cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently. Add the quinoa water and half of the scallions. Simmer for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
3. Add the quinoa, spinach, and remaining scallions. Simmer for an additional 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the feta and cilantro. Season with salt and black pepper.

You guys REALLY like your Chobani, as evidenced by the number of comments I got on last Thursday's post. I am so glad I asked the question I did...I loved hearing what everyone was looking forward to for the weekend. I seriously smiled as I read through the comments...people getting ready to have a baby, people celebrating birthdays, people spilling the news about their pregnancy, people pumped to just lay low...so many fun things! I should start asking that question every weekend, it made me so much more excited for my own weekend! 


As for the winner of a case of new Chobani flavors, the lucky one (picked via random number generator) is ChiTown Girl! Send me an email at natalie.mclaury@gmail.com with your address and Chobani will get the yogurt on its way! 

2012 Eat and Repeat: Bacon and Egg Risotto

You may remember that my personal challenge for this year is to visit 6 restaurants on the "Best New Restaurants in St. Louis" list and, on the months I don't visit a restaurant, attempt to recreate something off of the menu. We're calling it 2012 Eat and Repeat. I  oohed and aahed over our January visit to Salt and had no idea which of the fabulous dishes we'd tried I'd end up recreating. Would it be the chocolate brulee? The butternut squash soup? The pig's tongue? Umm no, definitely not the pig's tongue.

In the end, it was the bacon and egg risotto. I've had this dish twice at Salt now and each time was wowed by how such a simple dish could leave me with such a memory. I blame it on the drippy egg yolk, which was the perfect dressing for the creamy risotto with specks of bacon.

I used my basic skills about risotto making and checked out a few recipes online before coming up with this version. I have no insight into Salt's recipe, but this captured many of the same elements: cheesy risotto, salty bacon, and of course the drippy yolk! Mine looks a little reddish in the pictures, I think because I ran out of chicken broth and had to use some beef broth (use all chicken broth as listed in the recipe below). This is a heavy dish--if serving as a side, you can probably feed 4-6 mouths. As a main, more like 2-3, depending on how hungry you are. If you're worried about eating uncooked egg yolks, buy pasteurized eggs!

Looking for other risotto dishes? Try Spring Green Risotto or Creamy Vegetable & Edamame Risotto.


One Year Ago: Split Pea Soup (similar to the Split Pea and Barley soup I just posted, but with bacon!)
Two Years Ago: White Chicken Chili

Bacon and Egg Risotto


Ingredients:
-5 cups chicken broth
-1 1/4 cup arborio rice
-5 slices bacon, diced
-1 cup onion, diced
-1 tsp crushed garlic (I used garlic paste from Trader Joe's)
-1 tbsp butter
-1/4 cup green onions, chopped
-1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
-salt & pepper, to taste
-3 or 4 egg yolks

Directions:
1. In a large saucepan, heat chicken broth until simmering. In a second saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent (4-5 minutes).
2. Add diced bacon to the onion skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until bacon is browned and beginning to crisp. Add garlic and rice and stir for a few minutes to toast the rice.
3. One half cup at a time, add the warmed chicken broth. Stir frequently (you don't need to stir continuously though) until each half cup of broth is absorbed. Repeat until all broth has been added to the risotto and it begins to thicken.
4. Stir in white wine, cheese, and green onions. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.
5. Immediately divide risotto amongst bowls and top with an egg yolk. Carefully break the yolk and mix it in with the risotto.

Yellow Butter Cake with Chocolate Frosting

Cookies and brownies are fine dessert options, but certain occasions call for cake. Celebrations call for cake. A few weeks ago, friends John and Kelly had their son Joshua baptized at our church. It was already my week to bring treats for everyone to enjoy after the service and when I heard Joshua's baptism was that Sunday, I knew a cake was in order.

Although I was tempted to once again make the dark chocolate cake with hot chocolate buttercream, I decided to branch out and go for a yellow cake this time. I'm starting to love making layer cakes--they look so regal and impressive standing tall on a cake plate, perfect for celebrations! I've realized baking cakes from scratch really isn't much more difficult than using a boxed mix and it is always worth the extra effort!

If I'm going to continue making layer cakes, I need to start leveling the layers before assembling the cake. I've had to employ some creative frosting techniques and I'm lucky no cakes have toppled yet ;) I will say that working with frozen cake layers is a lifesaver--I can't imagine trying to frost a warm cake (I don't recommend it...).

Overall this was a solid yellow cake recipe. You can't beat the classic combination of yellow cake and chocolate frosting! The frosting was my favorite part and was incredibly easy to put together--I love when recipes call for melted butter (no waiting for it to soften!).

So readers, I want your thoughts on cake...what occasions do you think call for cake?

One Year Ago: Best of 2011-Five Bistro

Two Years Ago: Schulz's Guacamole Salad

Yellow Butter Cake with Chocolate Frosting

cake from Annie's Eats, frosting from Hershey's

Ingredients:

for the cake-

-2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing pans

-1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting pans

-1 1/2 cups cake flour

-1 tbsp baking powder

-1/2 tsp salt

-1 3/4 cups sugar

-4 large eggs

-2 tsp vanilla extract

-1 1/4 cups milk (I used 2%)

for the frosting-

-1 stick butter, melted

-2/3 cup cocoa

-1 tsp vanilla extract

-1/3 cup milk

-3 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions:

1. To make the cakes, preheat the oven to 350F. Line the bottoms of two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper. Grease and flour the prepared pans, tapping out the excess. Set aside.

2. In a medium-sized bowl, mix the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to blend and set aside.

3. Beat the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the vanilla and mix. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with the milk. Beat just until incorporated.

4. Divide the batter evenly among the 2 prepared cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool on wire racks for 20 minutes before inverting the cakes onto the racks and peeling off the parchment. Allow the cakes to cool completely before frosting (I stuck the layers in the freezer for 30 minutes or so to make it easier to frost).

5. To make the frosting, combine the cocoa and the melted butter. Add vanilla. Beat in powdered sugar and milk, alternating. Add a bit of extra milk if frosting is not thin enough.

6. To assemble the cake, place one of the layers on a serving platter. Top with frosting and spread to cover evenly. Top with the second layer and use remaining frosting to cover the top and sides of the cake. Decorate as desired. Cover and store at room temperature.

Buffalo Wing Hummus

Love buffalo wings but don't want to make a messy batch in your kitchen? Love buffalo wings but your waistline doesn't? Love buffalo wings and need a daily fix? This hummus is for you!

I'm not a die-hard buffalo wing lover, but I do appreciate the flavor. Recently I picked up a few cans of garbanzo beans with the intention of making hummus. You see, I bring my lunch to work nearly every day. I really try to pack healthy lunches because when I'm at work, I have no choice but to eat the serving of vegetables or piece of fruit. By getting some of these nutrients in during the day, I don't feel guilty about eating a cookie (or three) later that evening.

Lately I felt like my lunches were getting boring and I needed a little extra motivation to eat them every day, which is where the hummus came in. From Food Network Magazine, this is a much healthier way to get that buffalo fix. Though this was best with carrots and celery, I bet it'd be really good with crackers or as a sandwich spread as well. If serving it at a party, I'd probably sprinkle some blue cheese on top...I found myself wishing I had some last time!

Looking for that buffalo wing flavor elsewhere? Try any of these:

Buffalo Blue Cheese Dip

Buffalo Chicken Cheese Bites

Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Chili

Inside Out Buffalo Wings

One Year Ago: Cranberry Almond Orange Biscotti

Two Years Ago: Apple Cheddar Turkey Burgers

Buffalo Wing Hummus

slightly adapted from Food Network Magazine

Ingredients:

-1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed (1/4 cup liquid reserved)

-2 cloves garlic

-1/8 cup tahini (you can omit if you don't have, though this is what gives hummus its true taste/texture)

-1/8 cup fresh lemon juice

-3/4 tsp paprika

-1 tbsp barbecue sauce

-2 tbsp hot sauce (I used Frank's buffalo sauce)

-1/2 tbsp distilled white vinegar

-3/4 tsp kosher salt

Directions:

1. Add the chickpeas, chickpea liquid, garlic, tahini, lemon juice, paprika, barbecue sauce, hot sauce, vinegar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Puree until smooth and creamy.

Reese's Fudge Pie

As the oldest of four, I have the tendency to "mother" my younger siblings. There's no denying it, though I still cringe each time they mockingly call me mom. I'm sure once I have my own children, I'll focus my mothering tendencies on them, but until then Julia, Quinn, and Renatta are going to have to put up with it! ;)

Of course, my mothering tendencies have their perks. Now that Julia and I live away from our parents, there is no mom to make us our birthday dinner and dessert of choice. Instead, that task falls to each other...one we've managed quite well the past few years! It's gone both ways...two years ago Julia made my all-time favorite ice cream cake (which deserves a blog post! I'll make it sometime!) and last year she created the ultimate dirt cake (oreo pudding) topped with gummy worms. Never mind that I'm 25 and requesting dirt cake...

When it comes to Julia, she's all about two things: peanut butter and chocolate. Two years ago, it was a heavenly chocolate peanut butter torte. Last year, I tackled my first layer cake and made the chocolate peanut butter cake (we're STILL talking about that frosting!).

This year, I knew I needed an equally decadent chocolate peanut butter concoction and I certainly found it with this Reese's Fudge Pie. Graham cracker crust, a thick layer of chocolate fudge, a cream cheese peanut butter topping, and Reese's peanut butter cups throughout made for one rich dessert!

Break out the glasses of milk for this one--this dessert is not for the faint of heart! Chocolate peanut butter lovers will go crazy for this pie which features both flavors equally prominently.

What's your favorite chocolate peanut butter dessert? It's never to soon to start thinking about Julia's next birthday...

One Year Ago: Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Two Years Ago: Peanut Butter Chip Brownies

Reese's Fudge Pie
from Cookies and Cups

Ingredients:
for the crust-
-9 whole graham crackers, crushed
-1/3 cup melted butter
-1/3 cup sugar

for the fudge-
-1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
-3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (original used a combo of milk choc and semi-sweet)
-1/4 tsp salt
-2 tsp vanilla
-1 (8 oz) bag Reese's minis (reserve a few for the topping)

for the mousse-
-1 cup peanut butter
-1 cup powdered sugar
-8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature (I used 1/3 less fat)
-1 1/2 cups Cool Whip, thawed

Directions:
1. To make the crust, mix all ingredients together and press into a 10-inch springform pan. Bake at 350F for 8 minutes and set aside to cool.
2. To make the fudge, mix all ingredients together over medium low. Stir until smooth and completely melted. Pour fudge over crust, spreading evenly. Press Reese's minis into the fudge (reserve about 10-12 for the topping).
3. To make the mousse, mix the peanut butter, cream cheese, and powdered sugar in a bowl, beating with a mixer until combined and smooth. Fold in Cool Whip. Spread over the top of the pie.
4. Coarsely chop remaining Reese's minis and sprinkle over the pie. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour before cutting into slices and serving.