Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Eating or even smelling foods can bring you back to a certain memory or place in time. To most people, homemade cookies remind them of their childhood. Back then, our palates craved the simple flavors. We were not quite ready for Chili Chocolate Macarons and mom was not about to spend a lot of long hours in the kitchen making cookies.

Of course, the cookies that were in the cookie jar were drop cookies. We all know they are about the easiest cookies to make. They may be easy, but these type of cookies are traditional favorites, such as chocolate chip or oatmeal. This particular recipe is a delicious blend of two classic kind of cookies: chocolate chip oatmeal and peanut butter.

They are not heavy on the oatmeal like a standard oatmeal cookie, but the end result is a good balance between both textures and flavor. Also, they stand up well when shipped or dunked in a glass of ice cold milk.

The instructions below are for about 4 dozen cookies. Enough to spread around or to store for later, depending on the size of your family.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
adapted from The Ultimate Cookie Book

Ingredients
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups oats (old fashioned)
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup creamy or chunky peanut butter
2 cups brown sugar, packed
1 cup chopped milk chocolate bar or chips
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside. Fill the bowl of a stand mixer with peanut butter and butter. Beat until fluffy and smooth. Scrape down the sides and add the brown sugar and continue to beat until thoroughly blended.

Add both eggs and vanilla to the butter mixture. Then mix at medium speed for about 1 minute. After blended, beat in 1/2 cup of sifted ingredients and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Continue with the process until all the dry blend is incorporated into the cookie dough. Remove bowl from stand mixer.

Using a wooden spoon, mix in the oats and then the milk chocolate chips/chunks. Using a scoop or a spoon, drop dough onto prepared baking sheet. Space about 2 inches apart.  Place in oven and bake until edges of cookies are golden brown, which is about 10-12 minutes.

After you remove them from the oven, place baking sheet on rack to let rest for 1 minute. Then transfer cookies to cooling rack and let cool completely.

Tips and Notes:
1. I use parchment to preserve my cookie sheets, however, this recipe states use un-greased baking sheets-so either is an option.

2. Natural peanut butter can be used, however, it does not have a stabilizer to keep the oil from separating. Therefore, it will need to be well blended before adding it as an ingredient.
                                     **LAST YEAR:Pineapple Macadamia Tart**

 

Brown Sugar Peanut Squares

If you know me, then you know that I favor peanut brittle as well as pralines.  I was wanting to make some cookies and I did come across a few recipes, one had praline chunks mixed in and the other had crunched up caramelized peanuts on top.  Since the ones with the topper seemed to have more of the nut crunch for each cookie, I chose the ones with the topper.

These particular cookies hail from Columbia and are called "cucas" in their country.  The blend of brown sugar as well as peanuts are ingredients that seem to pop up a lot when it comes to baked goods for Central as well as South America.

The cookies, even though flat, have a soft texture.  They are basically a brown sugar
cookie and would be appropriate for high tea as well as brunch.  However, adding the frosting and caramelized peanuts on top, really turn them into an all around cookie.  It is those extras that really make me consider this recipe to be a definite keeper. Also, the texture contrast of the soft cookie with the crunch of the peanut topping makes for a great bite. This recipe makes about 30 cookies.

Brown Sugar Peanut Squares or Cucas
adapted from International Cookie Cookbook

Ingredients/Cookies
1 cup or 2 sticks of butter
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 cup of packed dark brown sugar
2 1/3 cup flour
3/4 tsp baking powder

Ingredients/Topping
2 tbs packed dark brown sugar
3 tbs granulated sugar
1 cup finely chopped skinless unsalted peanuts
1/4 cup or 1/2 stick butter
1 1/4 cup powdered sugar

In one bowl, sift together the baking powder and the flour.  Set aside.  Fill another bowl with the butter and dark brown sugar and beat until smooth.  Add the egg and egg yolk and beat for about 1 minute.

Take out a wooden spoon and mix the sifted ingredients into the butter mixture until no dry streaks remain.  Place the dough between two long sheets of wax paper.  Roll out to a rectangle that it 1/4 inch thick.  I ended up with a rectangle 10X17 inches.  Place wax paper covered dough in the fridge to chill for 15-20 minutes.

During the chilling time, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Also prepare 2 baking sheets by lining with parchment paper.

Once chilled, remove the dough and lift off top sheet of wax paper.  Place back on top and flip dough over and then peel off the wax paper on the face up side.  Using a knife or pastry wheel, cut dough into rectangles, measuring 1 1/2 X 2 1/2.  Place each rectangle on a baking sheet about 1 1/4 inch apart. Continue to cut and place on sheet and then re-roll scraps, following the same instructions.

Place pan in oven and baked 8-10 minutes or until edges have turned more golden than the color of the cookie dough. Remove pan and let cool for 3 minutes and then transfer to rack to finish cooling.
 
For topping, place granulated sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Once sugar has melted, stir in the peanuts.  Continue to stir and let cook until peanuts turn brown, crispy and fragrant.  If it starts to smoke and overheat, lift pan off burner to cool slightly and then place back on heat and stir. Do not let burn or over cook.  Empty contents into a heat proof bowl when done and let cool completely.  Once cool, you can break up any big clumps that formed.

In a small bowl beat together butter and brown sugar together until smooth.  Then beat in the powdered sugar until no dry streaks remain.

Then ice cooled cookies and immediately sprinkle the caramelized nuts on top and press them lightly into the icing.

Tips and notes:
1.  The nut mixture seemed too dry to me, so I added 1 tbs of glucose and let cook for about 15 seconds while stirring.
2. The frosting was too thick to spread, so I added some water and put in in a squirt bottle instead of spreading with a knife.
3. I used a 2 inch square cookie cutter, which was easier and insured straight edges.
                               **LAST YEAR- Black Casino Cake**