BetterBody Foods: PB Fit, Peanut Butter Powder and PB Chocolate Powder #Review Panettone Pound Cake #Tryazon

I have looked at powdered peanut butter but never actually purchased it. I sort of walked around it and wondered how it was when it reconstituted, how it baked when used in recipes, to even how it was when sprinkled over my morning breakfasts.  I even imagined mixing the powder with peanut butter, creating a grilled PB Nutty &J sandwich that would make everyone stand in lines to get their fix.  The BetterBody Foods PB fit is a brand that I saw was preferred mostly and touted as being the “must try” when it came to venturing into Peanut Butter powders.

Powdered Peanut Butter is not just one of those products that is made just so you can see if you can be done! It has it’s applications because I myself sometimes wish I could up the “peanut flavor” without having to add more nuts or even the butter itself. Formulations have doomed me when I cooked recipes or was experimenting and added too much peanut butter that created an unpleasant texture. From too much oil to even producing bake goods that baked up more like a crunchy paste than a bread or a cookie dough. Thankfully, our dog saves us when my PB creations have failed.

The BetterBody Foods PB fit is also a different product all together than what comes out of a jar and no butter knife required. You can easily add flavor and not sacrifice texture. You also have health benefits that come in to play that I had overlooked. The BetterBody Foods company powder offers:

  • A Gluten Free Peanut Butter Powder
  • Lower in Fats, which depending on the variety you buy that can be from 75% to 85% lower
  • 1/3 less calories per serving compared to standard peanut butter
  • Good source of protein and also fiber
  • The Peanut Butter powder is also natural with no artificial ingredients, dyes, or preservatives.
  • Simply Peanuts, Salt and Sugar made from non-GMO ingredients

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Okay, this Peanut Butter is a different nut all together in my book. It’s a cleaner and a more intense tasting peanut, so I opted to make a recipe and using the PB Fit powder because of the lower fat content but not lowered peanut tasting! With the holidays approaching, almond cakes and pound cakes are some of my favorite baked goods. They just go with anything from the seasonal fruits and berries, to just plain with a dollop of whipped cream or a warm sauce. I figured since I was being adventurous, why not make an Panettone Pound Cake and use a combination of products that are nut based.

Let’s Begin….

  • 7 ounces of Almond Paste (grated)
  • 2 sticks of Unsalted Butter (softened)
  • 3/4 cups of White Sugar
  • 4 Eggs (room temperature)
  • 1 drop of Lemon
  • 2 drops of Almond Extract
  • 1 tablespoon of Vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon of Kosher Salt
  • 1 teaspoon of Baking Soda
  • 4 tablespoons of PB Fit Powder (you can use plain or even the chocolate variety.  You can also divide the batch to make a marble cake by using both varieties)
  • 1 cup of Cake Flour
  • 1 cup of All Purpose Flour
  • 1/4 cup of Hazelnut Flour (ground hazelnuts)
  • Zest of one Orange (any variety you desire)
  • 1/2 cup of Milk (room temperature)
  • Optional 1/2 a cup to a cup of nuts like Pistachios to even mini chocolate chips.  You can even add candied fruits, dry fruits (imagine figs) and crystallized ginger in lower amounts.  You can also add slivered almonds on top when 1/4 baked through, and then make sure to cover (with foil) to avoid burning when they have toasted.

Set oven to warm at 325 degrees

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I start by grating 7 ounces of Almond Paste and added it to the butter and white sugar. Blend until creamy.  Add eggs to the butter mixture and blend again until smooth and combined.

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In a separate bowl, add zest of the orange to your dry ingredients (flours, Salt, PB Fit Powder, and Baking Soda) whisk, and set aside.

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Add extracts.  You then grab your dry ingredients bowl and in shifts add some of the dry ingredients and then some of the milk until all ingredients are combined.  Do not over mix, as this produces a dry cake.  You can then fold in the optional ingredients if desired.

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I use a large pound cake pan, but you can even use a cake pan and make two layers with the cake batter.  No rules here because I can imagine making a custard/pudding that would be divine with this cake.  You bake the cake for 60 minutes and if it starts to brown too much on top, cover with foil.  At the 1 hour mark, raise the temperature to 350 degrees and bake until done.  Cool for 5 minutes and then flip the cake on to a wire rack to cool an additional 1 to 2 hours before slicing.

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This cake is like a Panettone in flavor but with a heavier texture to resemble a pound cake, which has a crumb that can withstand more than the airiness you get from a Panettone batter.  You bake it slow to allow the flavors to build, the butter to brown, and to yield a moist pound cake.  Enjoy!

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Verdict:

So, it’s a product with the name PB fit and I made cake (I know)!  Well, I’m a girl that thinks even fit focused products can create magic with what is seen as naughty.  They talk about clean eating, well I think that applies to baking too.  Alienating a product because it carries the word “fit” would just be silly and the BetterBody food company is about making products better for the consumer, and I always say when you use top quality ingredients, you can never go wrong and this cake proves it!  It’s a little of naughty and nice to go with the holiday season.  The holidays are about experiencing flavors from pumpkin to dark chocolates, and peanut butter is no longer seen as just the “poor man’s nut”.  Many companies make exceptional peanut butters that are even considered gourmet creations.  BetterBody Foods, allows the consumer to take a known product that is just not like any peanut butter I ever tasted.  There is that cleaner taste that is more intense and closer to the nut’s true flavor because of the simple process they use that equates to just less processing in the first place!  I can make the powder into a butter by adding water, so don’t think your sandwiches are in jeopardy.  I can’t wait to make a peanut butter cookie because this is the product I have been waiting for!  On Halloween, I added the PB Fit Chocolate powder to crispy rice (cereal) treats and they were different and gone before the evening was over.  It was one of those moments where I was about to add peanut butter and thought I already add mini chocolate chips to the top of the treats when they are cooling, so why not add the powder to the marshmallow and butter mix.  It took just 4 tablespoons to create a flavor that made my treats vanish, and any cook and baker loves that!

Connect with BetterBody Foods and get your PB Fit fix at:

I received the above product(s) free of charge from PB Fit and Tryazon.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

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BzzAgent: Kroger/Ralph’s Supermarket Private Selection Gourmet Cookies

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As a baker and cooking enthusiast, I sometimes will seek out a day off. This means I resort to someone else filling in for me and in the cookie department, BzzAgent and Ralph’s Markets came to my rescue.

In my home the only cookie that usually gets made every other week is my double chocolate chip and chocolate chunk creation, so I am very particular about how a cookie needs to measure up and in came Ralph’s with a wide selection to choose from.

You have:

  • White Chocolate Macadamia Nut – White chocolate chunks meet crunchy macadamia nuts, in nice buttery dough.
  • Ultimate Chocolate Chunk – A large amount amount of rich chocolate chunks in every bite that will make you forget you had a chocolate craving in the first place.
  • Turtle Brownie – A brownie-like cookie, which is loaded with gooey caramel and pecans. You get two desserts in one with this baby!
  • White Chocolate Coconut Almond – White chocolate chunks with sweet coconut and almond slivers. It’s a tropical flavor to get you out of the everyday rut.

In this campaign, I had issues loading my digital coupon for the free product onto my card even though it was registered but after several attempts, Ralph’s finally rewarded me but only after I had visited the store. I head off to the store to hunt for 3 of the cookies I know I will be trying. I make it to my local Ralph’s bakery and unfortunately all that was available was the Ultimate Chocolate Chunk and the White Chocolate with Macadamia nuts varieties, but I buy what they have.

Ultimate Chocolate Chunk Taste Test:
I must admit my curiosity was piqued so I figured I’d try a Ultimate Chocolate Chunk cookie in the car. I may not have milk but I have water! The cookies look soft and gooey but when I opened the box, I could smell the sweetness from all the sugars, but not the chocolate. I see some chunks but they are chunks more described like misshapen chocolate chips, small in size and not even medium in size. I would say these look more like rejected chocolate chips that did not make the cut! I bite and find that the cookie crumbles but it’s because it’s hard……like over baked. Due to the cookie being high in sugar and not chocolate, you get a burned flavor from the fats so I left this ultimate experience to one bite. My Husband bailed on trying the cookie at all after he “saw my face”, so this cookie did not make a good first impression at all! So sad 😦 I had the cookie box on the counter and when anyone tried them, they quickly asked, “where did you buy these”? Let’s say it was not because they were liked and they were seeking to repurchase, but more to avoid getting these cookies themselves.

White Chocolate & Macadamia Nut Taste Test:
I know we are in a drought in California but it seems that includes a shortage on White Chocolate and Macadamia nuts too. Again the package says chunks and the idea is sort of stretched because these are chips all the way…..nothing chunk or misshaped about them. These chocolate chips at least are not from the rejected chip factory like the Ultimate Chocolate chips cookies were. These are from the 2 chips-per-cookie ONLY factory! Yes, we counted and it took some effort with the mealy base the cookie had. The nuts were so chopped up that they seemed to add a “meal” effect versus just tasting and crunching. You get zero crunch and they are sort of soggy in nature. Never had a macadamia nut behave this way so we figured we got the “misbehaved” nuts in this cookie. Not worth the calories, we just put our white flag up and did not pass the 2 bites we had with these cookies.

Price Point: $3.99 for a box of 6 cookies

Cookies can usually be saved and even made into ice cream sandwiches when they go array. These could not! That is saying something because this was always my go-to idea when a cookie met heat for too long or just did not bake up as it should. Both cookies had one thing in common…..super dry and did not taste like the flavor listed on the box, just sweet. Maybe Ralph’s Bakery was having an “off day” but I also noticed the bakery was empty and not super stocked, or moving product as some store are at that hour. I was in the market at peak time but no one was buying the sweet goods from the store. I hope these improve because they sound delicious in description but just did not deliver in taste and texture.

If you would like to connect with the Private Selection Gourmet Cookies, please visit:

  • Facebook– https://www.facebook.com/PvtSelection
  • Twitter– https://twitter.com/kroger

I received the above product free of charge from BzzAgent and Ralph’s Market (a Kroger Company).  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

 

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