Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

I love peanut butter.

When I'm hungry during the day, I often open one of the jars of peanut butter in my kitchen and eat a spoonful (or two). Surprisingly, I've only posted one recipe involving peanut butter in the 4 years I've had my blog.

It's probably because I chow down on anything with peanut butter before I can photograph it.

I'm the type of person who buys whatever brand of stuff is the cheapest at the store. I'm no snob when it comes to the generic labels! Luckily, my absolute favorite brand of peanut butter (and the only kind I'll buy) is the Kroger brand, which is the store brand where I shop. Is there anything you'll only buy in a specific brand?

This recipe is a variation on the famous New York Times Cookie recipe. I've given the weights as well as the cup measurements. I used my kitchen scale to weigh all the ingredients.

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Yields: 2-3 dozen cookies, depending on the size.

1 3/4 cups (8 1/2 oz) cake flour*
1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 oz) all purpose flour*
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp coarse salt
1 1/4 cup (2 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
1 1/4 cup (10 oz) brown sugar
1 cup + 2 tbsp (8 oz) sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup mini peanut butter cups, chopped***
1/2 cup peanut butter chips
1/2 cup chocolate chips
Sea salt for sprinkling

1. Mix together flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and set aside.

2. Cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat. Slowly add the dry ingredients until it is just incorporated.

3. Fold in the peanut butter cups and chips. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.

 4. Scoop 2 oz balls (these are big cookies-- the dough should be at least 2" in diameter) onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment or silpat. I only baked 6 cookies at a time-- they're that big! Sprinkle with sea salt and bake at 350 for 13-18 minutes, depending on the size of your cookies. Bake until the edges are golden brown and the middles no longer look raw.

* You can use whatever ratio of the two flours you have-- I was about 1/2 cup short on the cake flour, so I used AP flour for that 1/2 cup. Just make sure you have 17 oz flour altogether.

*** I got mini peanut butter cups at Winco in the bulk section. They're adorable and perfect for baking! They work great in cookies, brownies, and ice cream.

Vanilla Wafers

I like to know what's in my food.

My least favorite part about fancy restaurants is that the menu often doesn't tell you what foods you're getting. Sometimes they'll just tell you the entree and "seasonal vegetables." Um... I'm gonna need more info than that.

Along with this idea, I also like to know what's in the food I buy at the grocery store.

While I'm not one of those people who's scared by the word "chemical" (read more here), I do like to make my foods as naturally as I can. Mostly because I think it tastes better that way. It's fresher, tastier.

The first time (and every time since) I made my homemade banana pudding, I didn't have vanilla wafers. It was late on a Saturday night, and there was a 0% chance I was going to drive to the store just to buy vanilla wafers.

So I decided to search the internet for a recipe for homemade vanilla wafers, and lo and behold, I struck gold.

These vanilla wafers are perfect for using in banana pudding, making tiny cookie sandwiches, or just popping into your mouth as they are (that's what I've been doing this week)!

They're fast and easy to make, and your little ones can easily help you make them. Recipe adapted from Baking Bites. Warning: These are super addictive.

Vanilla Wafers

Yields: between 4-8 dozen, depending on the size

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder

1. Preheat oven to 325. Line cookie sheet with parchment or silpat.

2. Cream together softened butter and sugars. Add egg and vanilla.

3. Combine dry ingredients and slowly add them to the butter mixture until well incorporated.

4. Transfer dough to a piping bag with a plain round tip (mine's 1/2"). Pipe little blobs of dough onto the sheet. Smooth the tops with your finger. Bake 10-15 minutes, depending on how dark you want them.

5. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.


Happy Friday!!

Soft Sugar Cookies

You know those sugar cookies they sell at the store?

The ones that are so soft that they're almost cake-like? They have so much frosting and so many sprinkles that after a few bites, I have to stop eating. 

After you take just a few bites of those iconic cookies, you're left with that delightful (ha) aftertaste that's reminiscent of... well, nail polish remover. Or something like that. 

(Ladies, I know you know what I'm talking about. If you don't get all of the nail polish remover off after you use it and then accidentally lick your finger... WORST EVER!) 

These cookies are what those cookies should be. These are the perfect homemade version of them. They're so soft, they melt in your mouth. They have the perfect flavorful buttercream frosting, and then they're sprinkled with colorful sprinkles.

This recipe is really easy. Basically, you cream the butter and sugar. Add a few more ingredients, then add the dry ingredients. Then, I let it cool in the fridge for a few minutes while I prepare my pans, cutters, and frosting. Then, I cut them out on a floured surface and bake. Frost and top with sprinkles, and you have yourself a perfect cookie! 

Soft Sugar Cookies

Yields: 2-3 dozen (depending on the size) 

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 egg 

1 tsp vanilla

2 tbsp milk or cream

3 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1. Cream together butter and sugar for 4-5 minutes on high. Add egg, vanilla, and milk and incorporate well.

2. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add slowly to the wet ingredients, mixing well as you go. Cover and put it in the fridge for 30 minutes or so. 

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Roll out the dough about 1/4" thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut out in desired shapes and move onto a silpat-lined or parchment-lined cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes, depending on your preference. (I liked them at 8 minutes because I love them really soft.)

Buttercream Frosting

2/3 cup butter, softened

3 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 tbsp cream

food coloring if desired

Beat the butter, then add the powdered sugar little by little. Finish with the vanilla and cream, then add food coloring if desired. 

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter cookies, and oatmeal cookies are definitely my favorite kinds of cookies. If I had to pick one, I'd probably say oatmeal.

These cookies are a simply a mash up of my three favorite kinds of cookies. They really are about 1/3 of each type. In each bite, you get a taste of each cookie.

These cookies are chewy and delicious. If you like crispy cookies, these probably aren't for you. They do have that delightful slight crunch on the bottom, but the inside is so chewy thanks to the brown sugar and peanut butter.

To make these cookies fit your dietary needs, you can make some simple alterations. To make them vegan, use margarine, vegan chocolate chips, and egg substitute. To make them gluten free, use gluten free flour and make sure there isn't hidden gluten in your other ingredients.

I bake all of my cookies on a Silpat, which is a silicone baking sheet that fits into your cookie sheet. I never bake anything directly on my cookie sheets. Silicone baking sheets prevent sticking, and the don't allow the bottom of things to brown too much. It's great! If I forget to take my cookies off the sheet, they don't stick and break like they would on a regular cookie sheet. Here's a link to a silicone baking sheet.



Recipe adapted from Averie Cooks.

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Yields: 2 dozen medium cookies or 3 dozen small cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened (1 stick)
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup peanut butter
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cup flour
1 cup oats (I used old fashioned)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees fahrenheit. Line cookie sheets with silpat or parchment.

2. Cream together butter and sugars for about 2 minutes. Add peanut butter and stir. Add egg, yolk, and vanilla.

3. Combine flour, oats, and baking soda. Slowly mix into the wet ingredients. Add the chocolate chips and mix.

4. Scoop onto the cookie sheets and bake for 10 minutes.

Here are my traditional chocolate chip cookies:

(click photo for recipe)

What's your favorite kind of cookie?

Milano Cookies

No introduction necessary. They're butter cookies filled with a smooth chocolate ganache. What more could a girl want? Recipe tweaked from Sunny Side Up. 

Homemade Milano Cookies

Yields: about 3 dozen sandwich cookies

12 tbsp butter, softened
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
5 egg whites
2 tbsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup dark chocolate chips (I used 60% Ghiradelli)
4 tbsp cream (give or take)

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit. Line two cookie sheets with silpat mats.

2. Cream the butter on medium high speed until it's smooth. Add the powdered sugar slowly.

3. Add the egg whites and vanilla, then add the flour. Beat until just combined.

4. Put the batter into a piping bag fitted with a 1/2" round tip. Pipe 2" long sections 2" apart. At this point, I put my cookie sheets with the cookie batter on it into the freezer for 3-4 minutes so the cookies wouldn't spread so much. This made them a better consistency in the end.

5. Bake for 7-10 minutes, or until the edges are golden.

6. Microwave cream until scalding, then pour on top of chocolate chips. Stir until melted. Add more chocolate or cream to achieve the desired consistency. Pipe onto cookies and sandwich them together.

Turtle Thumbprint Cookies

Growing up, my mom always made turtles around Christmas. I've never been the biggest fan of pecans, so my mom would make my some turtles without pecans. Just caramel dipped in chocolate, but so delicious. She's the best like that. : ) 

Anyway, my sister is having some surgery, so I decided to send her a package. Since one of our best friends also happens to live in the same city as my sister, I made them a care package. Hope they love it! I packed it full of baked goodies. My sister typically tries to avoid sugar and flour (basically two of my main food groups), so I also made her some gluten free, sugar free almond joy bars. 

For Lian, the food connoisseur, I made these turtle thumbprint cookies. Fun fact: she has a Pinterest board specifically for pinning foods she wants me to make for her. Actually, I have 3 friends who have boards specifically for foods they want me to make for them. I guess that's what happens when you're the "Baker Friend."  

Turtle Thumbprint Cookies

Yields: 30 small cookies

Cookies

1 cup flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

2/3 cup sugar

1 egg, separated yolk and white

2 tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/4 tsp finely chopped pecans AND/OR shredded coconut 

Caramel Filling

15 soft caramel candies (I used Werther's Original)

1-2 tbsp cream

Chocolate Drizzle

1/4 cup chocolate chips 

1/2 tsp vegetable oil

1. Combine flour, cocoa, and salt together in a bowl. In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and the sugar. Add in the egg yolk, milk, and vanilla. Add in the dry ingredients. 

2. Put the dough, covered, in the fridge for 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. 

3. Whisk the egg white in a small bowl until slightly frothy. Using a teaspoon, scoop out the cookie dough. Roll it into a ball and dip into the egg white, then roll in the pecans (or coconut). 

4. Place them 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet. Press the center slightly down with a teaspoon. Bake for 8-12 minutes. 

5. Let the cookies cool. Melt the caramel and cream together for about 45 seconds. Stir and put into a sandwich bag. Cut off a small bit of the corner and squeeze a little bit on each cookie.

6. Melt the chocolate and oil together. Put it into a sandwich bag and cut off a small bit of the corner and drizzle on the cookies. 

Lemon White Chocolate Chip Cookies

I like chewy cookies. Why do people even bake crunchy cookies?

Did you know that brown sugar is the ingredient that keeps cookies chewy instead of crunchy?! I didn't know this.

I don't really have anything else to say about these cookies except that they are good, y'all. They have very slightly crispy edges and the lemon and white chocolate work together beautifully.

Lemon White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yields: 18-20 cookies

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
zest of 1 lemon
3/4 cup white chocolate chips

1. Cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add egg and lemon juice and beat for about 1 more minute.

2. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest. Add slowly to the butter/sugar mixture until just incorporated. Add in the white chocolate chips and mix until they're evenly distributed.

3. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Scoop cookies out onto a cookie sheet lined with silpat or parchment paper. Bake for 8 minutes [they will appear to be not done, but they will continue cooking after you take them out]. Let the cookies sit on the pan for 10 minutes before removing them to a cooling rack.

Bon appétit!

Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chewy Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies

Yields: 3 dozen scrumptious cookies

• 3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) butter, softened
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup white chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup Cranraisins
• 1/2 cup lightly toasted coconut
• 1/4 cup toasted pecans (I only put pecans in half my batch)

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until it's light and fluffy. Taste a little. That's the best stuff in the whole world. Mix in the egg and the vanilla and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. 

In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients slowly until it's incorporated. Add the white chocolate chips, Cranraisins, and coconut and mix until they're evenly distributed. 

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (It's worth it-- they come out in better shape and texture). 

Drop in 1 tablespoon scoops on a cookie sheet lined with silpat or parchment paper. Bake at 350 for 8-9 minutes and DO NOT BAKE THEM FOR MORE THAN 10 MINUTES or you will regret it and be sad forever. They may look like they're not done, but they are! I promise!

Eat all you can, and if there are any left, store them in an airtight container for up to 10 days. I doubt they'll last that long!

Bon Appétit!