Risotto.  I love to eat it, but I dislike making it.  The last time I tried it (mushroom risotto or primavera risotto with fried egg on top), I went through about a billion pots and pans, spent a long time stirring in small amounts of potential absorbable liquids, and inevitably ended up drinking waaaaayyyyy more of the white wine that went in the recipe than I should have.  But, hey, the end product is always so fantastic.  Creamy, savory, and so satisfying.

But, here’s a sweet and spring-y twist on risotto.  A lighter, rice pudding-ish, and citrusy dessert topped with fresh and ripe strawberries.  And the versatility of this recipe is pretty endless.  I assume a lemon and blueberry combination would be pretty awesome, too.  But, here, I loved the bright flavor of the orange juice and zest with the creamy and rich risotto.  I cut the original recipe in half, so if you are serving more than two people, feel free to double this version.  Pair this with some sparkling wine, and you’ve got yourself a romantic and impressive springtime dessert on your hands.

Sweet Orange Risotto with Strawberries

Servings:2

Ingredients

3 cups milk

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1/2 cup Arborio rice

Zest and juice from one orange

1/2 cup canned coconut milk (I used full-fat, but you can use light coconut milk if you are looking to cut back.)

2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced

Instructions

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk, sugar, and vanilla until simmering, stirring frequently.

2. Decrease the heat to low, cover the pot, and keep warm.

3. Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan, melt the butter over medium heat.

4. Add the rice and cook, stirring constantly, for about two minutes.

5. Add the orange juice and zest, stirring constantly for another 1-2 minutes.

6. Add 1/2 cup of the warm milk mixture, stirring constantly, about 3-5 minutes.

7. Repeat the above step until all of the milk mixture is added and absorbed, about 15 more minutes or so.

8. Remove the risotto from the heat and add the coconut milk, mixing well.  Set aside for 5 minutes.

9. Spoon the risotto into individual serving bowls and top with fresh strawberries.  Serve immediately.

Source: Adapted from Whole Foods.

So..THIS…this dish in particular…is usually on my weeknight menu at least once during the week.  It’s just so easy.  I’m fortunate enough to be able to get fresh mozzarella from this place (in my opinion, the best mozzarella I have tried in a very long time), so it’s just too easy to throw together something as elegant and simple as a caprese.  I’m anxiously awaiting the quickly approaching summer so I can get some tomato plants and basil plants growing.

I usually do a few variations on the Caprese.  You’ve seen this salad.  You’ve also probably seen this eggs benedict version as well.  Or even this sandwich. Some nights I will slice the tomatoes, layer some mozz on top, and set it under the broiler for a few minutes (so the cheese gets all melty and heavenly) and then sprinkle it with some fresh basil and sea salt.

But, I wanted to add a balsamic reduction to the repertoire on this blog. (I know the recipe itself isn’t rocket science.) It’s something every girl (or guy) needs to have in their back pocket.  It’s a snap to throw together, makes your kitchen smell incredible, and a little bit goes a very long way (I had just enough for two large salads here, so if you want leftovers, increase the amount of balsamic).  The reduced balsamic is thick and syrupy, with a sweet tang to it.  It’s definitely worth the wait to use it as a dressing.

Classic Caprese with Balsamic Reduction

Servings: 2

Ingredients

2 large tomatoes, sliced

6-8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced (depending on how much you like)

Handful fresh basil

Drizzle extra-virgin olive oil

Sea salt and pepper

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

Instructions

1. For the balsamic reduction:  In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, bring the balsamic vinegar to a boil.

2. Reduce the heat to low and let simmer, swirling the pan occasionally, until reduced to about half of the original amount (it took mine about 15-20 minutes.) Watch it carefully.  Remove from the heat and set aside.

3. Meanwhile, assemble the salad by layering the tomato, mozzarella, and basil.

4. Lightly drizzle the olive oil and balsamic reduction over the salad and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Enjoy.  It’s almost summer.

Source: A Curvy Carrot original.

Oh, hey there.  Let me introduce myself.

I’m an apple cheddar grilled cheese aka the concoction that gets thrown together in a late afternoon break from intense cleaning/panic mode of “what the heck can I throw together in an effort to avoid running to the store” kind of mood.

This is easy enough. Some bread (preferably sourdough), a random apple from an uneaten packed lunch, some leftover white cheddar, and some homemade honey mustard.  Throw in some lonely shallot (or onion) and a handful of the pre-washed spinach that’s about to go bad…and, well, you get me.  Delightfully cheesy, gooey, and full of intense tangy and sweet flavor that will have anyone glad it’s grilled cheese time.

(Sidenote:  I fully realize now that I missed the boat with April being the official Grilled Cheese Month.  But, take this as my effort to make up for that insane offense…)

Time for a chaotic and beautifully delicious grilled cheese.

Apple Cheddar Grilled Cheese

Servings: 2

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 shallot, sliced thinly

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

4 slices sourdough bread

1 apple, thinly sliced

1/2 cup fresh spinach

1 to 1/2 cups thinly sliced white cheddar cheese (or shredded-however you prefer it)

Instructions

1. Preheat a nonstick frying pan over medium heat.

2. Add the olive oil and heat until shimmering.

3. Add the shallot, and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned and crisped, about 5 minutes or so. Remove from heat; set aside.

4. In a small bowl, whisk together the honey and Dijon mustard until smooth; set aside.

5. To assemble the sandwiches:  Layer the apple, spinach, cheese, shallots, and a layer (amount depending on your personal taste) of the honey mustard between two pieces of sourdough bread.

6. Using the same nonstick frying pan as before, lightly spray the pan with cooking spray or a small amount of butter and grill the sandwiches until lightly crisped and golden on each side (about 2-3 minutes per side) over medium heat.  Serve immediately.

Source:  A Curvy Carrot original.

For whatever reason, I always associate polenta with savory dishes (don’t worry, there will be more of those to come later on…).  I’ve only prepared polenta a few times before in my life, but I had never thought to make it into a sweet, breakfast-friendly kind of dish.

You know those mornings where you wake up and want something warm and comforting and realize (in the efforts to clean out your pantry because you are moving halfway across the country again in 38 days!) that you used up all your oatmeal?  Maybe you don’t have mornings like that, but I do.  Like, I want something in the way of comfort food….now.

The unfortunate thing about polenta, though, is the lack of instant gratification because it does take a while to cook.  Heck, even my rolled oats can get microwaved for two minutes and breakfast is served.  But I also kind of like those mornings where I can make my coffee, open the windows, and busy myself (but also take my sweet time) in the kitchen making a home-style and filling breakfast like this one.

So, polenta CAN be used in sweet dishes.  And it’s pretty tasty, too.  (Well, let’s be honest…anything with mascarpone on top is pretty awesome.)  Feel free to use whatever toppings you have on hand-I like the toasted nuts here for the added protein/fat content.  Just promise me you won’t skip out on that heavenly mascarpone.

Breakfast Polenta with Maple and Mascarpone

Servings: 2

Ingredients

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 and 1/2 cups water, plus more if needed

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup ground polenta

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup mascarpone

1/4 cup nuts, toasted

For serving: strawberries, blueberries, etc.

Instructions

1. In a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the water and the salt to a boil.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the polenta and the milk.

3. Once the water is boiling, slowly add the polenta/milk mixture to the water.

4. Return the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently, for about 2 minutes.  (Be careful here-it has a tendency to bubble up a lot).

5. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, for about 25 minutes or so, adding more water if the mixture gets too sticky.

6. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over low heat, gently warm the maple syrup. (Or microwave it for about 20-25 seconds.)

7. Serve the polenta with the warmed maple syrup, mascarpone, toasted nuts, and any other toppings you like.

Source: Barely adapted from Williams-Sonoma.

I have an unhealthy obsession with sea salt.  It all started a while back when my dad got me a nice pretty package of some expensive kind of sea salt as a gift.  A very nice gift from someone who knows me all too well.

Immediately I was hooked.  The flavor, the dainty little crystalline flakes, the artistic feel of sprinkling them on the end product (and in end product, I mean pretty much everything I eat, hence the unhealthy obsession…..grapefruit, salad, pizza, eggs, anything, really)-all these little things make me happy.  And, oh the taste.  That extra little salty zing dancing on your taste buds.  Sea salt.  I buy it in bulk, have not one, but two containers for easy use-one at the stove and the other on my coffee table/usual dining table.  It can make almost ANYTHING taste better.

So, in my usual Sunday evening craving for chocolate (before sitting down to watch my latest TV show addiction: Game of Thrones),  I came across this recipe…that included not only chocolate (and the word fudge) but also sea salt.  Pretty much my favorite things ever…all in one rich, sinful form.

These brownies are VERY rich, just as a word of caution.  And if you are more of a cakey kind of brownie person, these are more fudgey in consistency.  I also baked them in an 8-inch square pan because I don’t have a 9-inch one (what the original recipe called for), and I DID have to bake my brownies for a significantly longer (about 15-20 minutes longer) time than the stated recipe.  As always, use a tester to check the doneness of your brownies as the most appropriate gauge of their “doneness”.  All oven times/temperatures vary, so use your best judgement here.

Regardless, welcome to heaven.  :)

Sea Salt Fudge Brownies

Servings: about 10 brownies

Ingredients

12 tablespoons (1 and 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, broken into pieces

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

2 cups sugar

3 large eggs

1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt (I use Maldon.)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line an 8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, draping the foil over the edges.
3. Lightly butter or use cooking spray to generously coat the foil.
4. In a large saucepan over low heat, melt the butter with the unsweetened chocolate, stirring occasionally.
5. Remove from the heat.
6. Add the cocoa, sugar, eggs, vanilla and flour to the melted chocolate mixture, mixing until smooth.
7. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
8. Sprinkle the salt evenly over the batter. Using a butter knife, swirl the salt into the batter.
9. Bake the brownies for about 35 minutes (remember, I had to bake mine about 15-20 minutes more-make sure you use a tester to truly check the doneness of the brownies-the tester should come out with very few crumbs attached)
10. Let cool at room temperature in the pan for about an hour, then refrigerate just until they are firm, about an hour.

Source: Food and Wine Magazine.

All right.  Here’s another traditional meat-filled Mexican dish transformed to a vegetarian one.  Score!  Ever since I saw Annie post these taquitos a while back, I have been dreaming about them non-stop.  They made their way around the blog world, but I always wanted to adapt the recipe to a meat-free version.  I actually made these for a Super Bowl party this past year, but since the host is gluten-free, I used a corn tortilla instead (although they were pretty tasty, I prefer the flour tortilla used here because it held up better during the baking process).

So, these are all-together pretty awesome.  Super simple to throw together, easy to make ahead of time, and incredibly satisfying.  I didn’t try freezing any, but I also imagine that these might take to freezing pretty well.  Hello, weeknight dinners!

I also wanted to include a Cinco de Mayo round-up of my favorite Mexican-inspired recipes from the past.  Enjoy!

Yellow-Eyed Bean Nachos

Vegetarian Refried Beans

Lentil Tacos

Layered Taco Dip

Guacamole

Churro Cupcakes

Cheese Enchiladas

Black Bean Tacos

Bean Burritos

Bean and Tortilla Pie

Baked Bean Taquitos

Servings: about 8-10 taquitos

Ingredients

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup fresh salsa

Juice from one small lime

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons onion, chopped

One 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

One 15-ounce can refried beans

1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Flour tortillas (I used 8″ flour tortillas), about 8 or so  (depending on how full you fill them)

Sea salt

For garnish: sour cream, salsa, avocado, etc.

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside.

3. In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, salsa, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, garlic, onion, both kinds of beans, and cheese, mixing until well combined.

4. Place about 2-3 tablespoons of the bean mixture in the center of each tortilla and, starting at one end, roll each taquito up tightly.

5. Place taquitos seam-side down onto the rimmed baking sheet.

6. Generously spray the taquitos with cooking spray and lightly sprinkle with sea salt.

7. Bake the taquitos for 15-20 minutes.  Serve with sour cream and salsa, if desired.

Source:  adapted from Annie’s Eats, as seen on Pennies on a Platter, originally from Our Best Bites.

Cinco de Mayo is almost here.  But instead of doing something greasy and cheese-laden (although I will say I may have added a *teensy* bit more cheese to these bad boys than what was originally called for…oooppps….), I wanted to go with something that had a little more emphasis on protein.

Enter these nachos.

The original recipe calls for black-eyed peas, but, in a last minute decision at the market, I decided to run with these yellow-eyed beans instead (some people also refer to them as yellow-eyed peas).  I had never heard of them before but figured they would do.  I also decided to add in some black beans as well to up the protein content.  I DID buy the yellow-eyed beans dried, so I had to pre-cook them before baking the nachos (I soaked mine in water and boiled them-just cook them according to package directions.)

And, hellloooooooooo…love!  They turned out so well!  I even saved some and reheated them in the oven as leftovers the next day.  Next time I might add in some fresh tomatoes or salsa on top just to add a little more in the way of color, but overall the recipe is pretty amenable to whatever changes/substitutions you might prefer.

Yeah, they’re still nachos and they may not be super food.  But, Cinco de Mayo comes once a year.  Now, where’s my margarita?

Yellow-Eyed Bean Nachos

Servings: 4

Ingredients

1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 cup onion, chopped

2 teaspoons garlic, chopped (about 2 cloves)

1 and 1/2 cups yellow-eyed beans, cooked according to package directions

One 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 teaspoon chili powder

Juice from one lime

Tortilla chips (I used about half of an 11-ounce bag)

8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

One 2.25-ounce can sliced black olives, drained

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

1 avocado, chopped

Sour cream, if desired

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

2. In a sauté pan over medium heat, heat the vegetable oil until shimmering.

3. Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.

4. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or so.

5. Add the beans, chili powder, and lime juice, mixing well.  Cook for additional 2-3 minutes.

6. Meanwhile, spread the tortilla chips evenly out onto a rimmed baking sheet.

7. Top the tortilla chips with the bean mixture and cheese.

8. Bake until the cheese is melted, about 8-10 minutes or so.

9. Top with black olives, cilantro, and chopped avocado.  Serve with sour cream, if desired.

Source: Adapted from Whole Foods.

I’m back.

I’m back from a full-on, soul-searching, up and down, figuratively (and literally) cleaning out of my closets.

You see, I’ve been realizing lately that life sometimes comes full speed at you.  Usually, I like to pride myself of being the one in the driver’s seat, directing the traffic.  I’m a woman who can do it all.  I can manage working 50-60 hours a week in my fellowship, reading 1-2 more hours a night, preparing for conferences, teaching rounds, and various scholarly activities,packing my own lunches, doing my own laundry, cleaning my own apartment, walking the dog, keeping up with friends, maintaining a rapidly growing food blog (which is actually more than a part time job), and trying to get enough sleep to get up and do it all again the next day.  My utmost admiration and respect goes out to those of you who have children.  How do you do it?  You are my heroes.

Recently, though, I was let down pretty harshly by not one, but by a few people, in a very short amount of time.  I have this nasty recurring habit of ignoring red flags and warning signs and just blindly going forward in my Polly Anna way, searching out the very best and actually believing it exists in certain people.  In a solid, yet steady stream of life-changing disappointments in the past few years, a girl can only take so much.  I guess what has hurt the most is that I would never ever treat people in the way that I have been treated.  So, I curled up in the fetal position and let them get the best of me, knowing deep down that it’s not me.  I’ve been through enough in my life to have grown and changed enough to recognize when someone else has work to do.  But, still, it hurts.

I had to force myself back into the kitchen.  Nothing sounded good, nothing looked good, nothing energized me.  Which, if you know me, is dangerous territory.  This blog has been a source of strength for me for almost two years now. And do you know what happened?  Out of the blue, old friends started randomly popping back into my life.  Phone calls, emails, cards, texts.  Unsolicited, and from out of nowhere.  Readers asking where I’ve been.  Dearest friends who see the best in me and just called to remind me of where I come from and who I am. Those people who actually raise me up-the ones I would do anything for.  The ones who really know me.  (You know who you are-thank you.)

So what have I been doing? Literally and figuratively cleaning out my closets.  Getting rid of a lot of clutter and junk that no longer serves its purpose for me. Making way for the new that is rapidly approaching.  Finding my center again, reading, yoga, breathing…you know, all that stuff.  Taking a break.  Taking care of myself and teaching myself that the world won’t stop if I ride in the passenger seat for a while.

Ironically enough, it was while I was cleaning out a closet that I found the waffle maker..that I had used once before in my life, and now it was buried under all the boxes of dishes and props for the blog.  Not to be put away again and forgotten again for an indeterminate amount of time, I broke it out of the box, cleaned every nook and cranny, and made some homemade Belgian waffles from scratch.  A little overly symbolic and sentimental, perhaps, but the gesture didn’t go ignored in my opinion.  So, I’m back.  I’m easing back into things, one at a time, and we all know I couldn’t hold back from baking something with chocolate in it for too much longer.

Thanks for listening.  There are thousands of readers who come here every day, and it means a lot to me that you are here.

Belgian Waffles

Servings: 2

Ingredients

1 cup cake flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs, separated

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 cup milk

Non-stick cooking spray

For serving: powdered sugar, maple syrup, fruit, etc.

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.

2. In another bowl (or the bowl of your standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment), beat the egg yolks and the sugar on medium-high speed until pale yellow and thick.

3. Add the vanilla, melted butter, and milk to the egg yolk mixture and mix until combined.

4. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.

5. In another bowl (I used my hand mixer for this part), beat the egg whites on high speed until thick and soft peaks form, about 1-2 minutes.

6. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the waffle batter, mixing thoroughly.

7. Preheat your waffle maker, according to the manufacturer’s instructions, spraying lightly with cooking spray before adding the batter.

8. Cook each waffle, according to manufacturer’s instructions, until golden and slightly crisp.  Serve immediately.

Source: Food Network.

For a lack of a better name, this was the only title I could come up with for this hearty wrap.  So if anyone out there has a better name, let me know and we can revise.

I made this wrap a few months back.  It was sort of an impromptu thing.  I had picked up yet another brand of faux chicken strips (this time I used Quorn brand…not too bad in my opinion…any thoughts?), had some fresh wraps in the fridge, and a whole lot of random frozen veggies/pantry staples that needed to be used.  That’s the beauty of wraps-pretty much anything can get tossed together, drizzled with a little Ranch dressing (or not, depending on your own preferences), and rolled in burrito-esque form.

I called it Southwestern because of the flavors I used..a little chili powder, some avocado, some lime.  It packed a little heat from the spices, but the addition of lime and a little Ranch cooled it down a bit.  The black beans added in some more protein.  And all the veggies?  Just a little more vitamins/nutrients to sneak in there.  And the best part?  I made enough for about 4 servings, so I had easy re-heatable leftovers throughout the work week.

Anyone out there for a margarita?

Southwestern “Chicken” Wraps

Servings: 4

Ingredients

4 large 10 or 12-inch wraps (I used a whole wheat, but feel free to use spinach, white, etc.)

Olive oil, for cooking (I used about 1/2 a tablespoon)

One 12-ounce bag chicken substitute, thawed

1/4 cup water

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

Juice of one lime

One 15.5-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed

1 cup spinach, chopped

Three green onions, chopped

1 avocado, thinly sliced

1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Ranch dressing, for drizzle, if desired

Instructions

1. In a sauté pan over medium heat, gently heat the olive oil (enough to thinly coat the bottom) until shimmering.

2. Add the faux chicken and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, 1-2 minutes.

3.  Add the water, breaking up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan.

4. Add the black beans, chili powder and cumin, stir to combine, cover the pan and let cook, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.

5. Remove the cover and add the corn, mixing to combine.    Sprinkle the lime juice evenly over the mixture. Continue cooking until heated through, about 5-10 more minutes (most of the water should have evaporated at this point.)

6.  To prepare the wraps: Microwave the wraps for about 10 seconds to warm slightly.

7. Assemble each wrap by placing about 1/4 cup of the chicken/bean mixture, 1/4 cup spinach, 1/4 cup cheese.  Garnish each with green onion, avocado, and a drizzle of Ranch dressing.  Roll each wrap tightly and serve immediately.

Source:  A Curvy Carrot original.

This is another one from the archives…which I cannot believe that I never posted.  Ummm, hello?  Peanut butter sandwich cookies?

I’ve made my fair share of sandwich cookies, but I was a little tired of the soft cookie outside that I kept coming up with.  Instead, I wanted a crispy, almost savory-flavored cookie to hold in some creamy filling.

Enter Cook’s Illustrated magazine, which happened to make its appearance in my mailbox that day.  And, so, with my decision easily made for me, I stepped into the kitchen, bound and determined to come out with a crispy, peanut buttery sandwich cookie.

Since the cookies are made with toasted raw peanuts, they pack a lot of that savory flavor. (On the other hand, though, if you over-toast your peanuts, you could end up with some pretty icky cookies..so be careful.)  The peanuts also add an element of crunchiness to the cookie, so it wasn’t the soft, chewy kind of cookie that I was used to.  And the peanut butter filling? To die for.

Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

Servings: 24 cookies (12 sandwiches)

Ingredients

For the cookies:

1 and 1/4 cups raw peanuts, toasted and cooled

3/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

3 tablespoons whole milk

1 egg

For the filling:

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

Instructions

1. For the cookies: Adjust the oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper; set aside.

3.  In your food processor, pulse the peanuts until finely chopped.

4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

5.  In the bowl of your standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, peanut butter, both sugars, milk, and the egg together on medium speed until smooth.

6. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture,mixing until just combined.

7. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the peanuts into the cookie dough.

8. Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon measure, place 12 mounds of dough onto each baking sheet, gently flattening the mounds into evenly-sized discs.  (If you wet your fingers a little, this makes it easier.)

9.  Bake the cookies until golden brown, about 15 to 18 minutes, switching and rotating the baking sheets halfway through.  Let cool completely before filling.

10. For the filling:  Microwave the peanut butter until melted and warm, about 40 seconds.

11. In a medium bowl, mix together the melted peanut butter, butter, and confectioners’ sugar until smooth.

12. For assembly: Place about 1 tablespoon of the peanut butter filling on the center of 12 cookies.  Place the second cookie on top of the peanut butter filling (right side-up!) and gently press the cookies together.

Source:  Directly from Cook’s Illustrated, March and April 2012 issue.