Fluffernutter - from a tasty sandwich to decadent bars...

I had my first encounter with a true fluffernutter sandwich after we got out to the east coast and I bought "true" fluff - not marshmallow creme. After one bite of the sticky and sweet peanut buttery sandwich, I was hooked! Jeff kind of snubbed his nose at the thought, but after he tried one, he quickly changed his mind.

When I was deciding what to bake for Wednesday Treat Day, as we always do on Tuesdays, I was excited when I came across the recipe for Fluffer Nutter Bars. A decadent peanut butter mixture forms the crust to these outrageous bars. The dough was a little sticky for me, so I used some plastic wrap to help press the base into the pan. Once patted down, a multitude of the gooey fluff is spread on. Unsalted peanuts scatter the top, followed by a smattering of bittersweet chocolate chips. This is baked until the fluff starts to puff up and has an ever-so-light golden hue on top. As it cools, the middle slowly deflates to allow you to see how the sides of the crust explode upwards to leave a dramatic rim around the bars. I was afraid to try and cut these into squares thinking that the marshmallow would ruin the idea of clean cuts - but I was quite surprised to see how easy it was to cut them.

Jeff eagerly jumped to his role of "Quality Control" and proclaimed he was not going to take them in because they were so good. The rich base has a strong peanut butter flavor which help to cut the sweetness of the fluff. Crunchy nuts add texture and another dimension of peanut flavor - and just because the combo of chocolate and peanut butter is so good, how could you not throw on the chips?

When I brought home the corn on Saturday, I knew it would be a few days before I used it. Because corn can quickly degrade from that luscious sweetness to a gummy starch, I went ahead and blanched the ears in boiling water for a couple minutes. After I shocked them in icy water, I cut the kernels off and portioned out what I needed for the recipes this week. I threw them in ziplocs and into the freezer they went until we needed them to try and retain the freshness. I used the second amount for a side to tonight's dinner. Sauteed corn with Chipotle-Lime Butter takes just a few minutes to throw together for a sweet and spicy side dish. The chipotle-lime added just enough of a zesty heat to change things up. While this corn didn't even need butter, the added flavors were a pleasant change to the palate. Such a snap to throw together since the corn was ready to go.

I didn't intend for it to be a big veggie night, but I ended up serving Loaded Twice-Baked Potatoes as well. I coated the potatoes in a touch of oil and coated them with coarse salt before baking. After they were tender, I cut the tops off and scooped out the insides. The potatoes are then stuffed to the gills with a mashed combination of the potato insides, tender-crisp broccoli, sour cream and sharp cheddar cheese. Topped with a bit more cheese, they went back into the oven to warm them back up and allow the cheese to melt. Very filling and definitely hit the spot.

Recipes
Fluffer Nutter Bars
Loaded Twice-Baked Potatoes
Sauteed corn with Chipotle-Lime Butter