They say opposites attract, and if you need any proof, look no further than my husband and me. He's Italian and I am Jewish. He loves sports and I...well, I don't. He likes action movies and I love romcoms. He loves Discovery Channel and I love TLC. He loves meat and I would be happy to never eat it again. Actually, that's really where our differences end.
After more than 20 years together, we have meshed into 2 halve of a whole, and the truth is that our differences serve a purpose - we compliment one another. Carlo LOVES sweets; I don't. I LOVE baking sweets; he doesn't. Together, we are the perfect fit - I bake, and he eats!
Recently, a friend from Norene's Kitchen posted a recipe for peanut butter cookies. Carlo LOVES peanut butter cookies. So, of course I have been plotzing (exploding with excitement) to make a batch of these cookies for him!
This past Sunday the timing was finally right. I managed to spend a quality hour and a half with Mom, Dad and Davie, then had a luxurious stroll through No Frills - you may think I am kidding but I'm not, I love my grocery shopping time and look forward to it - and came home. Carlo had a beautiful fajita waiting for me, we unloaded and washed everything up and there was still time for me to whip up a batch of cookies.
I usually ask the kids what cookie they feel like, and alternate between them, but this time I decided that it was Carlo's turn. So I gathered the ingredients, got myself organized, and then decided to double the recipe so I could freeze a batch of pre-rolled cookies. If there is one thing I love to do, it is to simplify my life by doubling recipes and freezing half. Mom taught me this and lived by this rule herself. It makes sense - the clean up is the same, the increased effort is negligible, but the benefits - well they are obvious! Easy access to fresh, home cooked/baked treats.
But, to quote Sophia on Golden Girls, "I digress". The recipe is so easy, and the batter is thick but not too sticky - a pleasure to work with. I made a couple dozen, and rolled another 5 dozen for freezing. They were barely out of the oven when Sara came in and tried one - delish! Then the big test: Carlo. He LOVED them! Hurray! (Otherwise I would have been in big trouble with an extra 5 dozen in the freezer!).
I want to thank Marion Kaplan for allowing me to share her recipe with my readers. Without further adieu, here is a pictorial step by step of The Making of Marion's Peanut Butter Cookies.
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Mix ½ C each of white & brown sugars
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Add ½ C margarine or shortening
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| Cream sugars and margarine |
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| Add 1 egg & 1 tsp vanilla |
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| Y Mom's Sifter Y |
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| First, mix dry ingredients separately, then blend dry mixture with creamed sugars |
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| Blend ½ C peanut butter, roll into 1/2 tbsp balls, bake for 10" at 375° for 10 minutes, cool for 2 minutes and transfer to cooling rack |
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| I always try to double recipes & freeze a batch for freshly -baked cookies on a moment's notice |
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| The finished product - family approved! |
MARION'S PEANUT
BUTTER COOKIES
INGREDIENTS
- ½ C shortening or margarine
- ½ C white sugar
- ½ C brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 ½ c. sifted flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- pinch of salt
- ½ tsp vanilla
- ½ C smooth peanut butter
- 12 oz. package peanut butter morsels (optional)
METHOD
- preheat oven to 375° F
- spray cookie sheets or line with parchment
- cream shortening (or margarine) with white & brown sugars at medium speed for approx 3 – 5 minutes
- Add egg & beat well
- gradually add sifted flour, baking soda, salt, vanilla and peanut nutter
- MIX WELL on low speed
- hand mix peanut butter morsels (optional)
- batter will be THICK, roll into 1¼” balls by hand (or scoop if desired)
- flatten each cookie with the tines of a fork
- bake at 375° for 10 minutes (for chewier version bake at 300° for 15 minutes)
- cool on cookie sheets for 2 minutes, then remove & cool completely
- Cookies will be a light golden color with a light brown edge
- Yields 6 dozen 2” cookies
Can Splenda Brown Sugar blend and Splenda white sugar be used?
ReplyDeleteI don't see why not Naomi :) Let me know how it works!
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