Double Peanut Butter Cookies

I made baller cookies on a day that I worked a double!!! It’s honestly really unexpected.  

Double Peanut Butter Cookies

Yield: 2 dozen

• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup shortening (Crisco is the only shortening you should even consider using when baking–off-brands make off cookies)
• ½ cup peanut butter, plus extra for filling
• ¼ cup light corn syrup
• 1 tablespoon milk

1. In the work bowl of a stand mixer, sift flour, baking soda, and salt together.  Add in the sugar.  Using the paddle attachment and with the mixer running on low, cut in the shortening and the peanut butter until the mixture resembles a coarse meal, about 2 minutes. 
2. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.  Add in the corn syrup (spray your measuring cup with non-stick cooking spray to help the syrup slide out easier) and the milk.   Beat on medium speed until dough comes together, about 1-2 minutes.
3. Turn out dough onto a piece of parchment paper.  Gather all the crumbs and compress into a  12 x 2 inch log.  Fold the parchment over and around the log and roll the covered log back and forth on the counter-top until the log is a smooth, even, firmly compressed cylinder.  Wrap the dough cylinder up  in the parchment paper like a deli sandwich. Secure with sticky tape (good luck with this–parchment is non-stick for a reason). Place wrapped dough in the fridge for 30 minutes..
4. Preheat oven to 350°. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners.
5. Cut dough into ¼ slices.  Place half of the slices onto prepared baking sheets 2 inches apart.  Put a scant ½ teaspoon of peanut butter in the center of each slice.  Top with remaining slices.  Seal the edges of each cookie with the tines of a fork.
6. Bake for 11-13 minutes, or until just golden around the edges.  Let rest on pans for 5 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

Peanut Butter m&m Cookies

I hardly ever bake peanut butter cookies, even though they are one of my favorites.  Since I share my cookies with anyone who will take them, I’m really afraid that I’m going to one day inadvertently kill someone with a severe peanut allergy.  If you decide to make these (they really are super awesome!!), just do me one favor–please don’t let a little kid with a peanut allergy anywhere near them.  I don’t want to be accused of involuntary manslaughter. 

Peanut Butter m&m Cookies

Yield: about4 dozen

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, browned and cooled
• 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup smooth peanut  butter
• 1 cup peanuts, finely chopped
• 1 cup m&m baking bits

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream browned butter and sugars together on medium speed until combined, about 2 minutes.  Add the eggs,vanilla extract, and peanut butter; beat until smooth.  Adjust the speed to low; slowly stir in the flour mixture. Fold in the chopped peanuts and the m&m’s.  Cover mixing bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 10 minutes (or up to 6 hours) to firm up.
4. Drop dough by rounded tablespoons onto prepared baking sheets about 3 inches apart.  Flatten with the bottom of a juice glass dipped in sugar.  Bake cookies for 13-15 minutes, or until just golden.  Let cookies rest on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Post-Valentines Cookie Cake

You have to hit up your local Target ASAP! They have a lot of valentine’s day baking supplies left over, and chances are they’re marked down quite a bit.  I picked up an awesome heart-shaped cookie cake pan for about 5 dollars, along with pink strawberry flavored marshmallows, Wilton sprinkles, and Nestle Swirled Milk Chocolate and Peanut Butter Morsels.  In hindsight, I should have picked up a second pan, but I was able to make do with just the one.  This epic cookie layer cake has more than enough sugar to get you through the post-valentines day sugar crash in one piece.  Also, it’s sure to please every cookie lover that you know; contained within the chewy layers of this decadent indulgence are chocolate chips, peanuts, and oatmeal!!

Post-Valentines Cookie Cake

Yield: One Epic Cake

Post-Valentines Cookie Cake

For Layers:

• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter, browned and cooled slightly
• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups old-fashioned oats
• 2 cups (1 bag) swirled milk chocolate peanut butter morsels
• 1 cup roasted salted peanuts, coarsely chopped

For Filling:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• ¾ cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons powdered sugar
• 1½ tablespoons milk
• 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla

For Glaze:

• 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.  Spray heart shaped cookie pan with non-stick cooking spray.  Set aside.
2. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl; set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat browned butter and sugars together on medium speed until smooth.  Add in the eggs and vanilla extract; beat until smooth.  Switch the mixer to low; stir in the flour mixture until just combined.  Stir in the oats, chocolate peanut butter morsels, and chopped peanuts.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 10 minutes to firm up (as always, use this interim to clean up the kitchen and pour yourself a perfect margarita).
4. Spread half of the dough into the prepared pan, pressing down evenly with your hands and leaving about ½ inch between the dough and the edge of the pan.  Return the rest of the dough to the fridge.
5. Bake giant cookie on the center rack for 15 minutes, or until golden.  Let cool completely on wire rack before removing from pan and repeating steps 4 and 5 for the second layer (or save yourself the trouble and pick up two pans).
6. Make filling:  Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. 
7. Make glaze:  Place chocolate chips and vegetable oil in the top of a double boiler.  Heat over medium, stirring until smooth.
8. Place bottom layer on serving dish, flat side down (if desired, tuck parchment paper underneath the edges to protect serving dish from spills). Spread filling thickly on top of cookie.  Sandwich remaining layer on top.  Drizzle glaze over the top of the cookie cake with a fork.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwiches

These are very time consuming; I spent about 3½ hours in all baking and assembling these cookie towers. Don’t try and rush through, or you will inevitably make mistakes (such as confusing your 1/3 cup and 1/4 cup measuring cups, resulting in crumbly crackly cookies). You should really try and devote an entire afternoon to their construction.  And maybe watch Amelie while you’re working (I really love that movie).

Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwiches

Yield: 30 Sandwiches

For Cookies:

Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwiches

• 1½ cups flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ¾ cup creamy peanut butter
• ¼ cup peanuts, finely crushed
• 1 egg
• ½ teaspoon vanilla

For Filling:

• ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1½ cups creamy peanut butter
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla

For Glaze:

• 12 ounces best quality chocolate, coarsely chopped

Make Cookies:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.  Line baking sheets with parchment or silicone liners.
2. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small mixing bowl. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter on medium-high speed for 30 seconds.  Add in the sugars and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Add in the peanut butter, crushed peanuts, egg, and vanilla; beat until smooth.  Switch the mixer to low; stir in the flour mixture.
4. Portion out dough by level teaspoons and shape into balls.  Place balls about 2 inches apart.  Flatten by crisscrossing with the tines of a sugared fork.  Bake for 7-9 minutes, or until pale golden on the bottom.  Let cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely (while cookies are cooling, clean up the kitchen-you’ll thank me later).

Make Filling:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on medium high speed for 30 seconds. Add in peanut butter, powdered sugar, milk, brown sugar, and vanilla; beat until smooth.
2. Match up tops and bottoms of cookies by size.  Spread 1 teaspoon of filling on the bottom halves of the cookies; lightly press on the top cookies, flat sides together.  Place sandwiched cookies on wire racks set over parchment paper (or put racks back on silicone lined baking sheets–less cleanup).

Make Glaze:

1. Melt chocolate in a double boiler over medium heat. Spoon a tablespoon of chocolate over the top of each cookie, swirling it around like pancakes and letting it fall down the sides.  Let cookies harden for about an hour before eating. Store cookies in a single layer in an airtight container.

Daredevil Thumbprints

Hooray! There’s another salmonella outbreak, and this time it’s being spread by peanut butter.  You wouldn’t think that peanut butter (and peanut pastes–blech!) could be carriers of terrifying gut-wrenching bacteria.  Tomatoes and toys made in china, yes. But a delicious spread made from innocent legumes ? No way. 

“In pets, as in people, salmonella can cause lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea and bloody diarrhea. Pets also can be carries (spc.) of the bacteria with no visible symptoms…”  These sound like some pretty serious symptoms.  No one likes to poop out blood, so a peanut-butter product recall of over 125 products has been issued.  I just bought four pounds of Skippy from BJ’s.  I am not going to defile the memory of Mr. George Washington Carver and throw out perfectly good peanut butter on the off chance that it could possibly kill me (or at least make me very uncomfortable).

I decided to laugh in the face of danger (or at least giggle a little) by making these delicious peanut-buttery treats.  You too can be as brave/reckless as Evel Knievel.  All you need to do to unlock your inner daredevil is to make these delicious peanut-butter thumbprints.

Daredevil Thumbprints

Daredevil Thumbprints

Yield: 48 Cookies

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
• 2 cups flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup honey
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 cup peanut butter (is there salmonella in there?)
• 2 large eggs 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla 
• Any flavor jelly

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment or silicone liners.
2. In a medium sized shiny saucepan, brown butter over medium heat.  Set aside
3. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.
4. In an stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together brown butter, honey, and sugars on medium speed until well-combined.  Add in the peanut butter, eggs, and vanilla extract; beat until smooth.  Adjust the mixer to low; slowly add in the flour mixture and mix just until incorporated.  Place dough in the fridge for at least 10 minutes to firm up.
5. Spoon out dough by heaping teaspoons, roll into balls. Place dough balls onto baking sheets leaving 3 inches in between each to allow for spreading.  Smush each ball down using a small measuring spoon, leaving an indentation.  Bake cookies for 11-14 minutes, or until golden brown.  Let cookies rest for 5 minutes on baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
6. Spoon jelly (strawberry rocks!) into indentations.  Eat and see if you die of salmonella.

No-Bake Peanut Butter Bites

I first made these cookies when I was in seventh grade.  They rocked then, and they rock now.  

No-Bake Peanut Butter Bites

No-Bake Peanut Butter Bites
Yield: 18 Large Cookies

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2  cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1. Mix sugars, peanut butter and milk together in a medium saucepan. Boil for 2 minutes.
2. Stir in vanilla extract and oatmeal.
3. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto a sheet of parchment paper.
4. Let setup for 30 minutes, while you take a much-needed nap.

Goodnight dear readers, I promise a much more riveting post tomorrow.

Peanut Butter Cookies with Chocolate Drizzle

It’s only January 6, and I’m already so tired of cookies (and baked goods in general) that all I want to eat is raw vegetables. At this point even my iced tea is too sweet for me (and I’m from Texas. That’s like saying that football is boring, the Hill Country isn’t God’s gift to mankind or that the Alamo never actually happened.  All these things are blasphemous).  If I’m going to survive this cookie onslaught with all of my teeth, I’m going to have to find a way to incorporate savory flavors into my baking.  I’ve heard of cheese and spinach scones, but those may qualify more as pastry than cookie.  Perhaps I can make some sort of spicy carroty-raisin oatmeal cookie.  I’m sure it can be done.  If not, I’m just going to make bacon cookies and be done with it.

At least my boyfriend is satisfied with my baking efforts.   Today’s cookie actually stopped his flow of thought. He took one bite and stopped talking. Instead of our usual witty banter, I only heard “nyummm yumm nummy” (which is normally reserved for my lasagna and mocking that soup commercial).  I can’t think of a better recommendation than moans of satisfaction, so go ahead and make these cookies with confidence.

Peanut Butter Cookies with Chocolate Drizzle

Total Time: Less than an hour 

Peanut Butter Cookies with Chocolate Drizzle

 

• ½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
• ½ cup peanut butter
• ½ cup white sugar
• ½ cup tightly packed brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½teaspoon baking powder
• 1 egg
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup turbinado sugar (for coating)
• 3 ounces best-quality bittersweet chocolate, ½ teaspoon vegetable oil (for glaze)

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Cream together butter and peanut butter with an electric mixer on medium-high speed for 30 seconds, or until light and fluffy.  
3. Add in the white sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, and baking powder.  Beat until smooth, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl as you go.
4. Add in egg and vanilla, beat until smooth.
5. Slowly add the flour, ¼ cup at a time, mixing well and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill for 10 to 30 minutes, or until easy to handle.
6. Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Roll each ball in turbinado sugar to coat. Place balls 2 inches apart on parchment or silpat lined cookie sheets. Flatten each dough ball by crisscrossing with the tines of a fork.  Bake for 6-7 minutes, or until bottoms are golden brown.  Let rest on baking sheet for 3-5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
7. Melt chocolate and vegetable oil in a double boiler.  Use a wire whisk or fork to drizzle glaze over tops of cookies as desired.  Place cookies in icebox for 30 minutes to allow the glaze to set-up.