However, just because I haven't posted in, oh say, a month, doesn't mean that I haven't been up to any culinary quests. I just haven't gotten around to posting them. But I have so much to tell you about and not nearly enough time to blog about it! I've made cookies and cakes and muffins and more! There were Wine Sundays and brunch and potlucks and a happy evening called Beer Saturday.
But I can't blog about every little crumb that came out of my kitchen. In a whirlwind of taxes and baking, I truly can't remember everything I made. And I repeatedly fail at taking photos. I know there is no remaining evidence of the corn muffins I made for Beer Saturday. Or the lemon poppy seed muffins I made for my Post Easter Brunch. And I think I made some cookies at some point for a potluck, maybe peanut butter?
So I want to tell you about the big things that happened. Like our Easter festivities, which also celebrated James and Jeremy coming home from their one year in Kuwait! And my cake decorating classes, which have been fabulous! So please have patience with me as I catch up with my blogging.
In the meantime, please accept these cookies as an I'm-sorry-I-ignored-this-blog-for-a-month offering. Since today was the first truly gorgeous day that fell on a weekend, the guys, the Resident Taste Tester, and I had a barbeque at the Stead park by the guys house. The guys, our official meat producers, took charge of making fabulous burgers and brats. The Resident Taste Tester put together a tasty veggie tray. And I took requests and brought potato salad and, per James' request, the chocolate trip peanut butter nut cookies I sent to him in Kuwait.
These cookies are incredibly tasty, but simple to throw together. I bake them for less time than called for in the recipe, since I like a chewy softer cookie as opposed to a crunchy cookie. I think I found that 9 minutes and 30 seconds was the perfect time. Any shorter makes for a slighlty undercooked cookie, ask me how I know. We were in a hurry to get to the park, so I took photos after we got there. I kid you not, we were there for maybe 5 minutes before I took my camera out and snapped some shots. The plate was, key word being "was", a heaping mountain of cookies when I arrived.
Chunky Peanut, Chocolate, and Cinnamon Cookies
Makes about 5 dozen
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2/3 cup roasted, salted peanuts, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Put butter and peanut butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until combined, about 2 minutes. Add sugars; mix 2 minutes. Mix in eggs. Gradually add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips, peanuts, and vanilla with a mixing spoon until well distributed. Refrigerate dough until it is slightly firm, 15 minutes.
Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Space balls 2 to 3 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Flatten slightly. Bake until just golden, about 13 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool.
I have a confession to make. And I can tell you because I'm pretty sure none of the guys follow my blog. I didn't make this potato salad. I was tired from being out late Saturday and had limited time to cook before we were supposed to be at the park. And normally I would make my regular potato salad recipe, because it's tasty and I like making it. But, like I said, I was tired and pressed for time. So I bought it at the deli and put it in my bowl and said I made it. Don't judge me.
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