Final treat day in Phoenix....

Happy Fourth of July!
Be safe if you are out and about tonight!

We've come to the last baking for the Wednesday Treat Day we started at Jeff's previous office here in Phoenix. It has been a lot of fun trying out new recipes and having lots of great feedback on the outcome! Hopefully Jeff's new co-workers will not mind him bringing in treats - I will probably keep it on Wednesdays as it seems like a great way to break up a long week with something fun.

Today's recipe is definitely made for peanut butter fanatics out there, myself included! Chocolate And Peanut Butter Filled Peanut Butter Blondies is a mouthful for a recipe title and for trying to eat the bars themselves! The bars are like two giant soft peanut butter cookies with a chunky sweet layer of bittersweet and peanut butter chips in the center. I worked hard to savor each bite as the intense peanut butter flavor melded with the rich chocolate from the heat in my mouth.

In the instructions I talk about dropping small dollops of batter on top of the chips - if you try the recipe, be sure to give this a go. The top spreads out as they bake, but they remain bumpy on top with some open areas where you can see the chips trying to poke out. They may be a little tough to test for doneness, so underdone is better than overdone here - you can place them in the refrigerator to firm up, if needed, to make cutting easier.

Dinner tonight, Grits and Sausage Casserole, turned into an interesting way to fix up grits. Quick-cooking grits, which help hasten the prep time, are mixed with sharp white cheddar, parsley, seasonings, and lean turkey breakfast sausage. The interesting part comes in when you gently add in egg whites that have been beaten until stiff peaks. This lightens the mixture, so as it bakes, it slowly puffs up and changes the texture. The grits are not as dense and are almost fluffy. Next time, I might try using some soy crumbles and maybe a different cheese to change the flavor some. This would be a great brunch dish - light, but still filling. Not the easiest thing to take a picture of though!

Recipes
Grits and Sausage Casserole
Chocolate And Peanut Butter Filled Peanut Butter Blondies