peanut butter cookies. = D

soooo....finally back and settled in my place. seriously, there's nothing like having an oven. and a microwave. and a place to wash dishes. uh, ultimately, there's nothing like having a kitchen, i guess. = )

and how does this little paralegal/barista celebrate being back in her place? does she whip up a culinary masterpiece consisting of complex flavors, seasonings, and spices which make tastebuds dance, sing, and swoon?

nah.

she makes peanut butter cookies. ::shrug:: haha. enough 3rd person gibberish. i was in a cookie mood. leave me alone. =)


peanut butter chocolate chip cookies are fun to make and eat. you can't really go wrong with peanut butter, unless you absolutely hate it. the trick is to not use too much...did that once, and ended up with super greasy, kinda clay-like cookies. A touch of cinnamon and chocolate chips compliment the cookies quite nicely. I would imagine toasted, chopped peanuts would be a great addition...but i'll leave that for you to try on your own time and experimental procedures.

::gathering my raw materials::

Ingredients:

1 stick of unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar (I used a 1/4 cup white sugar, 3/4 cup brown sugar mix)

1 large egg

1 cup flour

1 dash of cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

dash of salt

1/2 cup creamy (or crunchy!) peanut butter

1/2 cup semi-sweet (or bittersweet) chocolate chips...or chunks. mmm...


Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy.


Add egg and continue to beat. Sift dry ingredients together (flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt) in a separate bowl. Slowly incorporate flour into wet ingredients and continue to beat @ a low speed.



(hmm...notice the sudden change from plastic white bowl, to metal bowl and slightly different lighting. recycled pictures, ftw!) ahem...

Once fully incorporated, switch to a wooden spoon and add your peanut butter. Mix, then add in the chocolate chips.




Roll into small balls and place on a cookie sheet with at least 1.5 inches in between each ball, for cookie expansion room.


Now this is the fun part with pb cookies. Not exactly sure why this is done (i dare not question tradition), and it's entirely optional, but always a nice finishing touch to do the fork/waffle pattern thing. Grab a fork and press it on the top of your dough ball in a cross-hatch pattern.



Yay! Now pop into the oven @ 350 for 12-15 minutes, longer for crispier cookies. Remove when browned nicely. When cooled, enjoy! (or enjoy slightly warm...whatever you prefer) = )