Peanut Butter + Something? = PB Coffee Cake

Warning: If you eat peanut butter by the spoon full right out of a jar, this cake will be your weakness.

At First: It was like eating a spoon full of peanut butter, except it was fluffy and it melted in your mouth instead of sticking to the top of it :P This was such a moist cake. I would not use anything but skim milk in this recipe. I can't imagine what results you would get with whole milk. It might also depend on what peanut butter you are using but I'm guessing that almost any brand would have plenty fat to provide for a moist cake (unless you're using an all natural pb). It had great texture, but definently lacked something. Even with the mini Hershey kisses and Reese's Pieces on top there just wasn't any contrast in flavors.. but that didn't stop me from eating nearly a quarter of the pan!!! (yeah, I'll be doing 2-a-days in the gym for the next week for that little slip up ; p )

Next Time: I'll tweak it a little. Sorry, pb fanatics.. I love the stuff too.. but there are so many flavors that pair well with peanut butter it would be wrong not to try kicking it up a knotch. Hmm...maybe some cinnamon in the batter... or maybe a cream cheese swirl... or even fresh berries ( like a pb&j ). I was also thinking instead of making the crumble topping with pb, using Nutella or white chocolate (maybe even Fluff!). Possibly adding some nuts.

Inspiration: When ever I use peanut butter in a recipe I always think in terms of a peanut butter sandwich... the possibilities are endless. My inspiration? French Canadians put maple syrup in almost everything. My father, who is from Quebec, makes an incredible real-deal-maple-syrup-apple-pie. Eaten hot with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream or even better: for breakfast the next morning! So, it makes perfect sense that my favorite pb sandwich as a child was: peanut butter and apple slices with a maple syrup drizzle. Try it if you dont believe me. And although, I'm not sure yet how I would incorporate apples and maple syrup in this cake I'm positive its do-able. With that said, I challenge you to use this pb cake as a base recipe and just add to it! What do you put on your pb sandwich? Let me know how it goes! :-)

Peanut Butter Coffeecake

from Suite101.com

• 1/2 cup brown sugar (I used light brown)
  
• 1/2 cup flour (All purpose)
  
• 1/4 cup creamy or crunchy peanut butter (I used creamy but I would have used crunchy if I had it!)
  
• 2 Tbsp. butter, melted (Use unsalted! the pb has enough sodium)
  
• 1-1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (I used half a bag of Hershey's mini kisses)
  
• 1/2 cup creamy or crunchy peanut butter
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs (at room temperature)
  
• 2 cups sifted flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt (I did not use salt!)
  
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 cup milk (use skim!)
  

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 13x9" pan and set aside. Mix 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup flour, 1/4 cup peanut butter and the melted butter till crumbly; stir in chocolate chips and set aside.

In large bowl, combine 1/2 cup peanut butter and 1/4 cup softened butter; mix together well. Beat in 1 cup brown sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until fluffy.

Sift together 2 cups flour, baking powder, salt, and soda. Add alternately with milk to creamed mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan and top with chocolate chip mixture.

Bake at 375 degrees F. for 30 to 35 minutes, until coffeecake is golden brown and is beginning to pull away from sides of pan. Cool for 30 minutes, then serve warm. Serves 12-16