Peanut Butter Magic Cookie Bars #AD

In my 2.5 years living in America some years ago, one of the great things I brought back with me (aside from 2 children) was a recipe for 7 layer magic cookie bars. It was a clipping that I'd saved from a Sunday newspaper, with a coupon for condensed milk. The coupons were always for the expensive brands so I rarely used them, but I kept the recipes all the same. In fact I returned home with a box full of recipe clippings and think I still have them somewhere, despite now being able to Google any recipe that I would ever need.

7 layer magic cookie bars were just that - 7 layers, with the magic being how easy they are to make. There's no mixing or rubbing in or blending involved, unless you include the crushing of the biscuits and chopping of nuts. They are pretty effortless though, and totally moreish, and perfect with an afternoon cuppa right before a lockdown afternoon nap.

As the recipe originates from America, the 'biscuits' (that's a TOTALLY different thing in America) were Graham crackers, which are generally substituted in UK recipes with digestive biscuits. The nuts used are generally walnuts or pecans, but as I'm using peanut butter I'm using peanuts. You could use unsalted, but I like a touch of saltiness to balance out all that sugar!

Look at all of those layers of sweet & salty peanutty goodness. Just perfect for National Peanut Butter Day 2021 on 24th January!

The best way to eat them is with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and warm SKIPPY Peanut Butter poured over the top. SKIPPY Peanut Butter is packed full of sweet American peanuts (over 90% in fact), and the Smooth, Extra Creamy variety is so smooth that when it is warmed up it could be mistaken for a sauce, which is perfect poured over puddings in these cold winter months.

Take a look at my TikTok to see how I made them, and scroll down to see the full recipe.

@thecrazykitchen

#SKIPPY Peanut Butter Magic Cookie Bars #peanutbutter #foodtiktok #cooking #cookies #foodporn #fyp #foryou #foryoupage #nationalpeanutbutterday #AD

♬ Coffee for Your Head - Vinyll

Peanut Butter Magic Cookie Bars

75g butter
200g digestive biscuits, crushed
100g SKIPPY Creamy Peanut Butter
397g can of condensed milk
75g dark choc chips
100g salted peanuts
50g desiccated coconut

• Melt the butter and mix with the crushed biscuits
• Pour into a 13" x 9" baking tin or dish, spread out & flatten down a little
• Warm the SKIPPY Peanut Butter in the microwave for around 30-60 seconds and then mix with the condensed milk
• Pour evenly over the biscuits
• Scatter the chocolate chips, salted peanuts and coconut over the top
• Bake in a preheated 170 C oven for approx 25 minutes, or until golden brown
• Allow to cool in the tin before slicing into bars or squares

For an indulgent dessert, serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of warm SKIPPY Creamy peanut butter

Recipe commissioned by SKIPPY Peanut Butter

Bloodied Eyeball Dessert Shots

I can't believe how fast this year is flying by. We're more than halfway through October already, which means that Halloween is fast approaching, followed swiftly by that dreaded C word!

For Halloween this year my teens have requested a party, which came as a bit of a shock as they planned it together, by actually speaking to one another. Wonders never cease.

I've got quite a few Halloween party food recipes on this blog, but before I could start planning the menu for the party of the year I was informed that hot dog sausages resembling creepy fingers wouldn't be featuring on this buffet table, and neither would spooky banana ghost pops. All that would be required are a few bowls of crisps and a couple of cans of cider. How very disappointing!

If you're having your own Halloween party this year I'm sure your guests will appreciate these ghoulish mini desserts, complete with their own bloodied eyeball. Made with SKIPPY® Peanut Butter they have a touch of sweet & saltiness to the creamy filling, which pairs so well with the sharp raspberries. They are like mini cheesecake heaven. 

They are really easy to make, and can be whipped up in just a few minutes and stored in the fridge until you eat them. I found these plastic skull shot glasses in Asda and they're a perfect size for kids. Note that if you're making these for young children you might want to use a lychee or foil wrapped chocolate eyeball instead of the bouncy eyeballs I used, for safety reasons.

SKIPPY® Peanut Butter has been enjoyed by millions of Americans for more than 80 years, and as the Super Chunk and Smooth varieties can be now found in most major UK supermarkets the UK can go nuts about SKIPPY® Peanut Butter too. SKIPPY® Peanut Butter is made only with high quality peanuts from the USA, and is a really good source of protein, providing 22.1g per 100g.

The wide necked jar is a great feature that allows you to get out every last bit of nuttiness too, because nobody wants to waste peanut butter. Some of my favourite ways to enjoy SKIPPY® Peanut Butter are with sliced apple or banana for breakfast, spread with jam in a sandwich for lunch, or added to a curry or stir fry, which is a great way to add additional protein and flavour, as well as acting as a thickener. 

How do you enjoy yours?

The star of the show - SKIPPY® Peanut Butter Super Chunk

This recipe was commissioned by SKIPPY® Peanut Butter. You can find more recipes on their UK website here : www.peanutbutter.uk.com

Cherry Chocolate No Churn Ice Cream

It's been a crazy busy few weeks, with starting two new jobs, as well as getting stuck into my new gym membership. The weather has been great, which means we've been spending more time that usual sitting in pub gardens and socialising with friends.  We've got holidays to look forward to, and then before we know it we'll be in the thick of the pre Christmas build up!

Before all that though, I'm hoping we've still got a good few weeks of Summer sunshine left, with barbecues and al fresco dining aplenty.

Home made no churn ice cream can be the perfect ending to a barbecue, especially as it's simple to make in advance, and if served in a cone there's no additional plates or bowls to wash.

A couple of weeks ago I shared a recipe for Peanut Butter & Pretzel No Churn Ice Cream, which went down extremely well in our household, even with the self confessed peanut butter hating husband.

No churn ice cream made using condensed milk is a simple way to make ice cream, which can be tailored to suit all tastes. To the basic condensed milk and cream base you can stir through your favourite chocolates or biscuits, such as these previous recipes of mine for Chocolate Oreo Ice Cream, After Eight Mint Chocolate Ice Cream and Caramel Ice Cream, or with home grown fruit, such as this Rhubarb Ripple Ice Cream.

This Cherry Chocolate Ice Cream was also extremely to make, made with fresh seasonal cherries, dark chocolate chunks, and a little Nutella.

Once you've made your ice cream you then need to make sure you freeze it at the correct temperature - too cold and you'll need a chisel to serve it, and not cold enough it will begin to thaw.

The arrival of our Samsung American Fridge Freezer from AO came just at the right time for us; in the middle of a heatwave. The large capacity fridge and freezer with all around cooling, means that even when it's full to the brim, all the food is evenly chilled at the correct temperature, without any warmer or colder spots.

The Brita water dispenser is ideal if you want to have cold water on tap without the need for plumbing in your appliance. The  large water container can be easily filled, and once chilled it dispenses cold water at a touch, without the need to open the fridge doors. Perfect for this hot weather! It's also a bit of a looker..

HANDSOME BEAST

I received the product in exchange for an honest review