Old-Fashioned Peanut Butter Cookies
I like peanut butter cookies, but I hardly ever add them to a cookie tray as the aroma (like mint) tends to attach itself to all the other cookies and, before you know it, you have a peanut butter extravaganza.
So, for me, these cookies are a stand-alone favorite, and Betty Crocker seems to do it best. These cookies have a mildly crunchy texture and wonderful peanutty flavor. I was tempted to make a few changes, like chunky peanut butter, mini-chocolate chips, or those highly-addictive peanut butter m&m’s, but simple old-fashioned goodness won out. I followed the recipe exactly, but instead of dipping my fork into sugar before I made the criss-cross pattern, I rolled the whole cookie in granulated sugar and then made the pattern.
Cold milk + two (or more) of these cookies = happy day.
Here’s to another happy day.
“A”
Almond Joy Cookies
I love Love LOVE Almond Joy candy bars. So much so that I buy bags of them every Halloween knowing full well that it’s not a favorite amongst trick-or-treaters and knowing full well that there’ll be a ton left over for me. As candy goes, I can’t think of a more perfect combination…creamy coconut, sweet milk chocolate and whole crunchy roasted almonds. There’s nothing better, really, except this cookie.
Wow. They are packed with coco-nutty flavor and the magical power to turn a gloomy day bright.
I’ve had this recipe for years, and I’ve seen it on the web, but here’s my take:
ALMOND JOY COOKIES
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup Crisco shortening
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon coconut extract
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk chocolate chips
1 cup sweetened coconut
1 cup chopped roasted almonds
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Place 1 cup whole almonds on a baking sheet and toast in oven for 8 – 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool. Cut each almond in half:
Combine dry ingredients; set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together butter, shortening and sugars. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and stir in extracts. Stir in the dry ingredients until well mixed, then stir in chocolate chips, coconut and almonds. (Note: you may have to blend it together with your hands, because the mixture tends to be crumbly).
Form into large rounded balls using a 1 1/2″ diameter cookie scoop. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet, and flatten tops slightly:
Bake for 8 – 10 minutes. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to wire rack. Yield: 38 large cookies.
Give these cookies a go… they’ll make every minute you spend on the treadmill well worth the effort!
“A:
Annual Christmas Cookie Baking Marathon – 2011
The pictures and the story may be a wee bit late, but the cookies were right on time and enjoyed by many.
Our marathon was different this year, as little a and I bid a sad farewell to our treasured baking buddy who moved to a warmer climate. We were fully prepared to carry on as a dynamic duo, but little a came up with the brilliant suggestion to invite her best friend, Khalil Hymore, to join in the cookie chaos.
Besides being extremely talented and kind, Khalil is an associate food editor at Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food magazine, where he helps create scrumptious seasonal recipes. (Sorry, Martha, but today he’s ours!!)
So, which cookie will Khalil contribute? Will he choose one of my tried-and-true favorites, or perhaps one that has been handed down in his family? No. He reaches for this book, instead.
(Surprise, surprise.)
BUT…..see that beauty on the front cover? (I mean the cookie) That’s the one he made! It’s called Chewy Chocolate-Gingerbread and it is really, really good. I admit to being a bit skeptical, as chocolate and gingerbread just didn’t seem a likely combo. (what do I know.) These cookies are deliciously tender and spicy, and they looked just as good!
Khalil was thrilled to bake some traditional cookies and he had lots of creative fun:
And so did his family!!
Scott had fun teaching Norah some cookie-baking basics with homemade gingerbread play-doh, and she was loving every minute:
Here are the recipes:
1. Better Homes and Gardens Spritz
3. Hazelnut Raspberry Almond Thumbprints
7. Susan Branch’s Lemon Squares – this was the first time I added a lemon square to the tray, and it was tasty. I couldn’t stop eating these!
10. Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies
14. White Chocolate, Cranberry, Pistachio Biscotti – this was Martha Stewart’s Pecan Mandelbrot recipe. We eliminated the chopped pecans and threw in a 1/4 cup Craisins, 1/4 cup shelled pistachios and 1/2 cup Nestle’s white chocolate morsels. I especially like this recipe because the biscotti has a soft and tender crumb.
So, this year, a new tradition was born. Thank you, Khalil, for bringing smiles where there might have been tears and for sharing your time, talent and beautiful family with us. We hope you’ll all come back next year! (not that you have a choice ;-)
“A”
1 comment