Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cookies

With my brother-in-law's upcoming birthday, I thought for a while about what to make him. Luckily, he is an equal opportunity sweet-eater so I knew he'd like pretty much anything. I decided on making a new cookie, one that was recommended by my friend, Natalie.

These cookies were a decent amount of work, but they were SO worth it! They are really delicious and peanut buttery. Can't beat that! These were also my final baking product before our big kitchen renovation. For the next few months, I'll be relying on the toaster oven, microwave, and outdoor grill. Wish us luck! "Before" pictures will be posted soon....

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

- 1/2 tsp. baking soda

- 1/2 cup white sugar

- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar

- 1/2 cup butter, softened

- 1/4 cup peanut butter

- 1 tsp. vanilla extract

- 1 egg

For Filling:

- 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

- 3/4 cup peanut butter

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, blend flour, cocoa, and baking soda. Mix well until blended.

2. In a large bowl, beat both sugars, butter, and 1/4 cup peanut butter, until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and egg, beat. Stir in flour mixture until blended. Set aside.

3. To make filling: Combine confectioners' sugar and 3/4 cup peanut butter. Blend well.

4. Roll filling into 1" balls. For each cookie, with floured hands, shape about 1 tbsp. of dough around 1 peanut butter ball, completely covering. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten with a glass dipped in sugar.

5. Bake at 375 degrees for 7-9 minutes until set and slightly cracked.

Ireland: Dinner at Gordon Ramsay's Restaurant

When I first booked our trip to Ireland, I was excited about our first Ritz-Carlton experience. I became EVEN MORE excited when I learned that Gordon Ramsay had a restaurant on the 3rd floor of the hotel.We first went into the bar area for a cocktail and were greeted and served by the most professional and helpful server staff that I have ever encountered. With our cocktails, we were served 3 (complimentary) different amuse bouche selections. Each was delicious and unusual - battered mushroom risotto cake, a phyllo dough square filled with pesto, and one that was topped with the yolk of a quail egg.

Upon arriving to our table, we were served (complimentary) mini, deconstructed versions of French Onion soup. Absolutely delicious. The dinner menu was amazing. The 4 of us each ordered something different - John Dorey; Pork chop, cheek, belly served with delicious mashed potatoes; Sea bass with roasted eggplant; and my dish - Braised Halibut with saffron risotto and crab and sesame seed croquettes. We also received sugar snap peas and green beans in a light pesto; and a creamy potatoes au gratin.

After dinner, we were served (complimentary) pre-dessert which was a parfait with pear and a light chocolate mousse. Being the dessert connossiuer that I am, I ordered dessert (I ordered dessert before I knew there was a complimentary pre-dessert). I chose a sugar-glazed gingerbread option with baked apples and gingerbread ice cream. This was a really tasty and light dessert to finish out the meal. Or so I thought. We were next served a round of (complimentary) petit fours, including mini key lime pies, super chocolately bon bons, chilled banana ice cream coated in white chocolate, and a cordial-soaked cherry surrounded by shortbread. This was an amazing experience and by far the best meal I have ever eaten.

After dinner, we were given a private tour of Chef Ramsay's kitchen. It was the biggest, cleanest, and the most efficient place I have ever seen.

Eating and drinking through Ireland

Well, we made it back to the States safe and sound! What an amazing trip. A week was not nearly long enough to see all that needs to be seen, but we saw some amazing things within the week.

I was a little nervous about Irish food. I had heard and read about horror stories, but surprisingly, it was very good overall. Here's a run down of the good and bad:

The Bad
-To our surprise, Irish "bacon and cabbage" is nothing like the American version of corned beef and cabbage. The "bacon" is more like spiral-cut ham, the potatoes are pureed, and there is a parsley sauce (similar to a white gravy) served on top. Overall, it wasn't terrible, but it was not what I was expecting.

The Good
- Guinness: tastes better in Ireland
- Malt vinegar: I used this on many dishes and really grew to like it.
- Guinness Beef Stew: Jim ordered this. It had a delicious flavor and was served with a puff pastry on top. The beef itself, however, was really fatty.
- Fish and Chips: This is served everywhere and is extremely delicious.
- Shepard's Pie: Perhaps naive, I thought I would be eating beef... turned out to be lamb, which I usually do not eat. Overall, it was delicious though.

The Great
- Jameson and Ginger Ale: In the land of Jameson, I found a way to really enjoy this delicious Irish whiskey. Some would say it should not be mixed... oh well!
- Bulmers Cider: The most delicious and refreshing alcoholic drink I've ever had. It's called Magner's in the States. This will be a summertime staple!
- Tartar sauce: Every pub/restaurant made their own.. it was so fresh and tasty.
- Baked brie: This appeared on many pub menus. Big fan.
- Tea: I already loved tea before the trip, but I loved the wide variety of options served everywhere - even at the pubs!
- Dinner at Gordon Ramsay's Restaurant: Review in a separate blog entry...

Sorry for the lull in posts!

Things have been crazy at home lately, and often, we forget to take pictures of our masterpieces prior to stuffing our faces. Hopefully I'll start being a better blogger in the weeks to come!

My husband and I leave for Ireland March 10th. We're staying for 7 days at the Ritz Carlton, Powerscourt. At the Ritz, there is a Gordon Ramsay restaurant, and I really hope we have the opportunity to eat there. I will be sure to post about our eating experiences in Ireland!

When we return to the US, we will also be starting our kitchen renovation! I will be sure to snap some 'before' shots so that you can see the massive changes that we will be undertaking.

See you in about a week, Blog World! Sláinte!