Teacher Appreciation Week

Lucky for the K is for Kitchen readers (which is probably only a handful, lol), this coming week is Teacher Appreciation at the kids pre-school. What does this mean for the website? Well, it means LOTS of posting. I will be cooking every day so I will have lots and lots of recipes to share. Wednesday I am catering a lunch at the school and then Thursday I am hosting a lunch on my home for the teachers. I will be very busy this week!

On the agenda tomorrow is goodies for the teachers. We hope to have lots of stuff for the teachers to much on. I heard one of the teachers say that they really only like Peanut Butter Desserts, so I figured I'd give a few recipes a try.

The first I tried was Peanut Butter Brownie cupcakes. Not a novel idea, but something that I knew everyone would like. I tried one and WOW. Sometimes simple = VERY YUMMY!

Peanut Butter Brownie Cupcakes
adapted from Paula Deen

1 package chewy fudge brownie mix (I used Duncan Hines)
36 miniature peanut butter cups

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 3 mini muffin pans. Prepare the brownie mix according to package directions. Fill the cups 3/4 full with brownie batter. Press 1 peanut butter cup into the batter in each muffin cup until the batter meets the top edge of the peanut butter cup. Bake for 12-14, or until the cupcakes are set. When they can be handled safely, remove them from the muffin tins and let cool completely on wire racks. Store in an airtight container.

I also have a recipe for Peanut Butter Sandwich cookies that I cut out for the kids a while ago. I thought I'd give it a try!

Peanut Butter Sandwich cookies

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, divided
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
Creamy Peanut Butter Filling

Preheat oven to 375°. Lightly grease 2 cookie sheets. Beat together first 3 ingredients and 1/2 cup granulated sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Stir in egg and vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl. Slowly stir flour mixture into peanut butter mixture until fully incorporated. Scoop dough onto prepared cookie sheets, 1 rounded tablespoonful at a time, about 2 inches apart. (Dough should yield about 24 cookies.) Press cookies flat with the back of a fork dipped into remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Sprinkle cookies with any remaining sugar, if desired, and bake 12 minutes or until golden brown around edges. Remove from oven, and cool 5 minutes on pan; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Spread about 1 tablespoon Creamy Peanut Butter Filling onto flat side of 12 cookies, and top each with another cookie, flat side down, to make a sandwich.

Creamy Peanut Butter Filling

2 (3-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
5 tablespoons powdered sugar

Beat all ingredients until smooth.