Peanut Butter Sandwich

My most requested cookie to date! Peanut butter cookies sandwiched with peanut butter frosting. The little neighbor girl said, "I can't stop thinking about those cookies!"

Yield: 5-6 dozen regular cookies, or 2.5 - 3 sandwiches. Unless you like the raw dough, then make that 2 dozen sandwiches.

Source: Our Best Bites website, linked below. My neighbor sent me the link. Thanks a lot, Jen!

Oh joy, oh rapture!! The admittedly un-sophisticated crowd I asked for opinions of this cookie gave it an average score of 12 out of 10. (Most of them were younger than 12 years old.) I have to agree, though; they are seriously amazing.

My friend sent me this link, which is where I found the recipe. You can also find a link to Our Best Bites on my right sidebar. I'll give you the recipe here, too, just for kicks.

1 cup butter flavored shortening

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

3 eggs

2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

3 cups flour

And the frosting:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup creamy peanut butter

4 cups powdered sugar

4-5 T. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

Here's a couple things I learned during the creation of this dough:

First, this isn't my favorite peanut butter cookie recipe of all time. If, I mean when, I make these cookies again, I will use the recipe I used for the Peanut Butter Stuffed cookies, which is my all-time favorite. (Well, all-time favorite for peanut butter cookies. How can a girl really be pinned down to just ONE favorite cookie? :D )

Second, I will admit that I used dark brown sugar in this dough, but only because I had it on hand and had no idea what else to do with it. I really don't think it makes a huge difference though.

Third, I was too lazy to roll the dough into cute little balls and cover them in sugar. I just plopped the dough on the cookie sheet and used the fork to do the cute little cross-hatch pattern that is the signature of peanut butter cookies. I actually wish I had at least rolled them into balls first. I'm sure they would have turned out cuter, closer to actually round, and more professional looking. Mine looked okay, not as bad as a 5 year old making them, but maybe a 10 year old. For example, this cookie turned out a little screwy.

What can you do with a cookie like that?

Maybe just a little bite...

Or two...

The Best Bites author says she made hers small, and baked them at 375 degrees for 6 minutes. They must have been really small! Mine were pretty small, and I had to give them 8 minutes to get them done enough for my liking. I agree with her, though, that it is a huge shot of sugar all at once, and a smaller cookie is probably a good idea.

On to the frosting. This recipe makes enough frosting to feed a small army. Half the frosting would probably have been enough. As you know, I'm not big on measuring things for my frosting. I did measure everything except the powdered sugar this time. I put the sugar in last, adding and stirring until it's a good consistency. I don't think mine had 4 cups in it, though. If I had to guess, I would say it was closer to 2 1/2 or 3 cups. I may have to make oreo cookies now, to get rid of the extra frosting!

Share

Peanut Butter Stuffed

Yield: about 3 1/2 dozen

Source: The Clumbsy Cookie blog, the Cookie Madness blog, and the Pillsbury website. The links are included below.

Oh, how I love a peanut butter cookie. I love peanut butter in just about anything, even (and maybe especially) ice cream. Yum. The other day, I found this fabulous recipe on this really fun cookie blog called The Clumbsy Cookie. All I did was look at the pictures, and I was in love. So, I was pretty excited to try them, I don't mind telling you.

Okay, so I started with this peanut butter cookie recipe, which I found at the above link, but which actually comes from this blog, Cookie Madness.

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup peanut butter, smooth or chunky (less sweet peanut butters work best)
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups sifted flour —if you don’t sift, use 1 1/3 cup

I normally don't keep dark brown sugar around. But, as it turns out, when I went to make the cookies, I didn't have any brown sugar at all around, so I ran to the store. I honestly don't know how much of a difference it makes to have dark brown rather than light brown sugar. I'll let you experiment with that on your own. I can tell you, however, that this cookie dough is amazing. I had to physically stop myself from eating it.

Here is where the cookie gets interesting.

In a bowl, mix together 1/2 cup of peanut butter with 1/2 cup of powdered sugar. It should look (and taste) like a drier, more crumbly, but sweeter version of peanut butter.

Then, chop up a couple big squares of dark chocolate into little bits. I used a nice 70% dark chocolate bar, and 2 squares was enough for about half the batch.

Also, mix together 1 tsp cinnamon with 1/4 cup sugar.

Now that your preparations are made, it's time to get serious. Start by washing your hands. You might want to have a hand soap you love nearby, because seriously, I think I washed mine at least 25 times today. Start with a little ball of dough, and smash it flat in your hand.

Add in the chopped chocolate...

And a little glob of peanut butter/powdered sugar...

And wrap the edges around into a nice neat little package.

Now roll the whole thing in the cinnamon/sugar mixture and place on a cookie sheet for baking.

I have to admit, I was a little leery about the cinnamon and peanut butter together, but as it turns out, there was no need to fear. It's a delicious combination. Those of you who are actually reading through all this and looking at the links might have also noted that I left out the peanuts. The funny thing about that is that while my family is picky about nuts, they do actually eat peanuts. But I don't really like them in the peanut butter cookie. It's a quirk, I know. I say, it's your choice.

The recipe calls for baking at 375 degrees for 7-12 minutes. I think that is quite a large window of baking time. I baked mine for about 10 minutes, and they turned out beautifully. They were slightly crispy on the outside, with all this lovely and gooey chocolaty and peanut-buttery yumminess inside.

I did bake some up plain, without the filling inside, and honestly, I wish I hadn't. What was I thinking? Leaving chocolate out would make the cookie better?

Share

Chocolate Chip

Yield: about 3 dozen

Source: Alton Brown's "The Chewy"

I remember the day my friend told me about this recipe. She urged me to go to Alton Brown's website and find this particular recipe. Being the Alton Brown fan that I am, I found and tried the recipe right away. At that time, the recipe had 525 reviews and 5 out of 5 stars. Today, 661 reviews and still 5 stars. Did anyone rate it less than 5 stars? I doubt it. I personally can't see how they could do it. It is hands-down the best chocolate chip cookie I have ever tasted. And I have tasted a lot of chocolate chip cookies.

Here is Alton's recipe:

2 sticks unsalted butter

2 1/4 cups bread flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/4 cups brown sugar

1 egg

1 egg yolk

2 T. milk

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Alton asks you to sift the flour, salt and soda together, and I rebelled and did not do this step. Actually, the truth is that I don't have a decent sifter and, more importantly, I am lazy. I'll admit it. I just put them in one at a time when it calls for dry ingredients, and I do the flour last. I know, I know... I'll get a sifter someday. No promises, though, about how often I will use it.

Melt the butter and add it to the mixing bowl. I used salted butter, rather than unsalted, because it was what I had in my fridge. If you do that, just be sure to cut your salt down to 1/2 tsp.

Add the sugar and brown sugar and cream on medium speed. Add the egg, yolk, milk, and vanilla, and mix until well combined. Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients until thoroughly combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Isn't it lovely? And dough made with real butter instead of shortening is definitely worth tasting before baking!!

While I'm thinking about it, I should mention that I agree with Alton on the bread flour. I keep a small amount on hand, though I use it only rarely. This recipe is one of the few reasons to keep it in the house at all. He also recommends that you let it chill for a couple hours. When I made them, I was short on time, so the dough only chilled for 45 minutes.

Alton calls for a #20 disher to scoop these onto the baking sheet. I have never been one to scoop cookies with an ice-cream scoop, (and therefore I don't own one appropriate for cookie dishing) so I just used spoons. Boring? Maybe. I do wonder, though, how big the #20 disher is. I suspect it is pretty big, because Alton calls for baking at 375 degrees for 14 minutes. I did mine at 350 for about 10-11 minutes, and they were plenty brown.

This might also be a good time to mention how much I love baking with a stone. The one I use came from Pampered Chef and I have used it for several years. My husband dropped it and broke a corner off, so I can now make only 9 cookies at a time, but I still use it. I love that it cooks evenly, doesn't require parchment paper, and is so easy to clean.

The cookies came out beautifully. They are just a touch crunchy, mostly chewy, with gooey chocolate chips and a wonderful buttery flavor. Perfection, thou art a chocolate chip cookie!! Do yourself a favor and eat one right out of the oven.

Share

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip

Yield: about 4-5 dozen

Source: This is another cookie I have been eating since birth. I'm pretty sure my mom got it from the oatmeal carton at some point.

I like to refer to these as my "award winning" cookies, and I also like to think that they deserve it. Does it really matter the circumstances of the award? Okay, I'll tell you anyway. I think I was about 10 or 12 years old. I was in 4H. I entered them in the county fair and won an honorable mention. The judges told me they were a little too dry and crumbly. I disagreed.

This is a fabulous everyday cookie. I have never met the person who didn't like it. (With the possible exception of one friend, who told me that oats made him "so regular." Arguably, though, this did not mean he did not enjoy the flavor!) The recipe is pretty predictable, except that it calls for water, which is a touch unusual.

1 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 T. water

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 cups flour

chocolate chips

3 cups quick oats

It is very nearly against our religion to make cookies without doubling the recipe. These cookies also have the potential to double your weight, so I guess that's apropos!

Today, I put double the shortening and double the sugar in the mixer before I discovered that I did not have double the brown sugar in the house.

Is there anything more irritating? I dropped everything and ran to the store for more brown sugar. And diet coke.

Start by creaming the shortening, sugars and eggs. Add in the water and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients last.

I once again tested the limits of my mixer by doubling the recipe. The bowl is just not quite large enough for this, which doesn't stop me from trying.

Let me mention a couple things here that I have learned in my many years of experience making these cookies.

FIRST, put the oats in last. Even the chocolate chips go in before the oats. Once the oats are in, nothing else will mix together well, so make the oats the finale.

SECOND, I know that I did not specify how many chocolate chips to use. This is really a matter of taste. I prefer to use an entire bag for one batch, but I realize that many of you would prefer to use less than that. I say, they're your cookies, and chocolate chips are not necessary for the integrity of the recipe, so do whatever you want. You can even use a raisin, as long as you never tell me about it. (Who would use a raisin when you could use a chocolate chip?) When I double it, and I always double it, I use one bag of chocolate, and another of some other kind of chip. Peanut butter is my favorite, but today I used butterscotch.

Be sure to poison check the dough before baking. I have fantasies of sitting in front of the tv with a bowl of this cookie dough and a spoon, and a great chick flick. Be sure to poison check after baking, too, while the cookies are still warm and gooey. (Pause while I wipe the drool from my face.)

This is the part where you drop the dough onto the cookie sheet. I prefer the two-spoon method. It keeps the hands clean.

Bake these lovely little pretties at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. (Preferably 8) They should be a little gooey when they come out, but still brownish on top. Is that technical enough? Leave them on the sheet pan for a couple minutes before moving to a cooling rack. The hot pan will continue to cook them a bit, which will really help the gooey-ness. You might have to experiment with your oven and your area of the world to get this right.

If there is a secret to making this cookie "award winning," it is to underbake just a touch. Just as paint dries a shade darker, cookies cool a shade crunchier. If they are a bit underdone upon coming out of the oven, they should cool to chewy perfection.

Yes, you can freeze them. But, if you're going to do it, make sure you get them in the freezer before the family knows about it, or there will be nothing left to freeze.

Soft Sugar Cookies

Yield: varies, but about 5-6 dozen

Source: My mother has been making this recipe for years. I have no idea where she got it. It is the only sugar cookie I have ever known.

I hope you don't think less of me if I tell you that this cookie I make is amazing. It is delectable. It is soft, and sweet, and creamy, and wonderful. You know those giant sugar cookies with the pink icing that sit near the counter at the gas station? This is just like that. Only, possibly better. I have had numerous people ask me for the recipe, and one friend has told me at least a dozen times how wonderful this cookie is.

Having said all of that, I will, however parenthetically, list the cons. These are kind of a pain in the butt to make. I basically only make them at Christmas, because that is the only time I have the patience for it. Plus, if I'm going to bother to make them at all, I generally go all out and double the already large recipe. It's time-consuming and tiresome, but we have sugar cookies coming out the wazoo. No one complains.

So here it is:

1 cup shortening

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 cup sour cream (the true genius of this cookie is in the sour cream)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla

5 cups flour

There is no magic to the recipe, just mix the ingredients in order. However, I will tell you that when I double it, it tests the limits of my Kitchen Aid mixer. I have to hold my hands around the edges to keep all that flour in. You absolutely cannot skimp on the flour. You will need even more of it for the next phase of the cookie making.

Once the ingredients are all mixed together, wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap, or, if you are lazy like I am, just throw it all in a large ziploc bag and close it up. Put it in the fridge for several hours. I prefer to make the dough in the evening, and let it chill overnight before rolling out.

Here's a picture of my dough, but keep in mind that this is a double batch.

So, after it sits in the fridge for several hours, it is time to roll it out. Be sure to flour your counter or rolling surface well before you begin. For good measure, I like to flour the rolling pin and the cookie cutters. And my hands, if the truth be told. If the dough gets on my fingers, then I just have to lick it off, and then I have to wash my hands again. It gets old.

This might be a good time to mention something to all the raw-cookie-dough lovers out there. This is quite possible the best dough ever for eating plain. I suggest eating a good meal before you start rolling these out, or you may have trouble controlling yourself.

So, grab a big glob of dough (technical term) and drop it on the floured surface. Start rolling from the center toward the edges. This is the most critical stage of the process. Sugar cookie success depends upon the rolling. This cannot be overstated. Be sure you do not roll it too thin. This cookie loses it's soft and creamy quality if it is too thin. It bakes into something crunchy and hard, something that requires dunking in coffee to enjoy. This is not what we are going for.

As you can see from the picture, it is about 1/4" thickness, perhaps just a touch thicker. This will seem pretty heavy for a cookie, but trust me. It is the key.

Now you use your cookie cutter to make cute shapes, lay them gently on the sheet pan, and bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.

I have said it before, and I will say it again. DO NOT OVERBAKE these. If it looks like this pan full of cookies here, all soft and puffy, you are getting it right. If the edges are turning brown like this picture of the 2 candy canes, you have let it go too long. Avoid letting them turn brown. It is death to the soft sugar cookie.

Once they are baked, the next step is the frosting. Let me here interject a word or two about storing these cookies. Once they are cooled, it is best not to let them sit out for more than a couple hours. They will dry out and lose their identity. If you are not going to frost them right away, put them in an airtight container, or the ever-useful ziploc bag until you are ready. This will keep them soft and wonderful for a few days.

On with the frosting recipe:

4 oz. cream cheese

2 T butter

2 T milk

powdered sugar (I don't really have an amount... but plan on 2 cups or so)

1-2 drops food coloring, if desired

So, some tips to great frosting. First, make sure the cream cheese and butter are soft. I like to just put them on top of the stove while the cookies are baking, but you can use the microwave, or leave them out overnight. Start by creaming the cream cheese and butter together with the hand mixer. Then add the milk. Then start adding in powdered sugar a bit at a time. The reason for this is so you can get the consistency right. Just keep adding sugar until it's as thick as you like it. Personally, I think it needs to be pretty thick to stay on the cookie without making a mess, but if it is too thick, the sprinkles have a hard time sticking. Once it is all made, you can add a drop or two of food coloring, if you want.

Also, if you are not a big cream cheese fan, you can leave it out, double the butter and make your frosting that way. Just know that I will have lost all respect for you.

For my batch, I chose to do some with white frosting. I used wax paper to cut out a candy cane shape with stripes, and then placed it over the frosted cookie. I spread red and green sprinkles over the wax paper, then carefully pulled it away, leaving a cute striped cane look. I was pretty proud of myself. I am normally not quite that cutesy.

Cute, right? I also did some in pink and green, just to be festive.

Storing the cookies after frosting is similar to before. You should leave them out for an hour or so, to let the frosting dry and harden a little. This way they won't stick together when you stack them. Put them in some kind of plastic container with a good lid, with wax paper between layers. They will stay good for several days. They also freeze very well. They are great cold, but if you let them come back to room temperature, they return to their soft and creamy glory. Delicious.

Yield? With my double batch, I almost got 12 dozen candy canes. This will, as you might suspect, vary widely, depending on dough thickness, size of cookie cutter, and of course, how much raw dough you eat. I personally like when the cookies break, because it makes them completely unsuitable for sharing with others. Anyhoo... I'm calling it about 5.5 dozen of the cookie I'm sure they are eating in heaven.

Giant Ginger Cookies

Source: I got this recipe from my mother, who got it from a friend she works with. I'm really not sure where it originated. It is a newer recipe to our family, but an instant classic. It was immediately added to our family recipe collection and will be made every Christmas for the rest of our lives!

YIELD: 25 four-inch cookies

4 1/2 cups flour

4 tsp ground ginger

2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups shortening

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup molasses

3/4 cup coarse or granulated sugar

- In a mixing bowl, sift together flour, ginger, soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside.

- Beat shortening until softened. Add sugar gradually and beat until fluffy.

- Add eggs and molasses, and beat well.

- Add flour mixture and beat until well combined.

- Use a 1/4 cup (4 T ) scoop, shape into 2 balls. Roll in coarse or granulated sugar. (I don't actually have a scoop, but these really are better if you make them big! I roll them in raw sugar. It is a similar color to the cookie, and gives a nice texture and extra sugary kick to the cookie.)

- Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes. Let stand 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool. (If you overbake these, they will get crunchy. They are meant to be soft and chewy.)