The most wonderful things in life are the simple ones; the ones we overlook and take for granted until they're stripped away from us. One of the things I hate about human nature is how much it takes to shake us and wake us up, to appreciate the everyday things that keep us going.
One of these very things for me is a weekend coffee date with my husband. There is nothing profound whatsoever about these outings, but there is something about the simple joy of sitting at a little table with the person I love most with a good cup of coffee and a crossword puzzle or a game of Yahtzee. It's our time to just be together and talk or think about whatever we choose, to laugh and to fall in love all over again. It's a time to just get back to the basics and relax after a busy work week and enjoy each other's company.
On the back-to-the-basics note, once in a while, it's nice to just dig up a simple favorite recipe; one of those "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" kind of recipes. I'm sure you all probably have a peanut butter cookie recipe at home but I'm telling you, these are a special favorite. I've had plenty of dry, crumbly peanut butter cookies in my lifetime but these are exceptionally soft and chewy AND easy to make. I can't take credit for this recipe - this one was generously shared by Della, a friend of the family, after a fun day of snowmobiling a few years ago. One bite in, I HAD to have the recipe. Thanks Della for sharing one of your best recipes with me and for the fun memories that go along with it!
Softest Ever Peanut Butter Cookies
Makes 3 dozen cookies
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 1/4 cup flour
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375F. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, peanut butter and sugars. Add egg and vanilla; mix well. In separate mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda and baking powder. Add flour mixture in 1/2 cup increments to peanut butter mixture. Shape into 1-inch balls. Roll in additional sugar. Arrange on parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Flatten with fork in criss-cross pattern. Bake 7-9 minutes. Enjoy!
The trick to keeping these soft and chewy is to not over-bake them. I took mine out before they turned golden brown around the bottom but at the point where they no longer had that shiny, doughy look to them. When in doubt, take them out! :)
No comments:
Post a Comment