When a nut is not a nut...

I had a hard time titling this post because it is actually a recipe post for Peanut Butter Blossom cookies. But I wanted the non-bakers to read (at least the intro) because here's a fun fact (to me): the peanut is NOT a nut. 

"Sometimes you feel like a nut. Sometimes you don't."

Thank goodness that catchy jingle is referring to the almond because if it were referencing the peanut I would write a letter of false advertising. The peanut is, in fact, a legume. Related to beans! Go figure. I was just recently theorizing (real word?) on the growing case of kids with allergies and figured that was what was attributing to the growing case of peanut allergies as well...but that theory is shot since peanuts do NOT grow on trees. The plants flower above ground but the peanuts themselves grow in the pods (shells) underground. So what gives! I wonder if peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are not the standard lunches these days? Man, what I wouldn't give for one of those right now...with the crusts cut off please!

So today I'm gonna post a favorite cookie recipe of mine. It's actually from a coworker of mine (who by the way makes THE BEST COOKIES, PIES, CAKES, CHOCOLATES of all time).  I've made it numerous times and it's always a crowd favorite. And it's easy, I promise!

PEANUT BUTTER BLOSSOMS

YIELDS ~4 DOZEN

INGREDIENTS1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup peanut butter

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

sugar

48 milk chocolate candy kisses, unwrapped

Kudos to those that caught the random photo of Will Ferrell as The Elf.  I mistakenly included an ingredient that is not used in this recipe and thought he'd be a festive way to disguise my mistake. Happy Holidays! :)

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2.  In a large bowl, combine the following:

     flour
     1/2 cup sugar
     brown sugar
     baking soda
     salt
     shortening
     peanut butter
     milk

     vanilla
     egg

    
     Mix at low speed until stiff dough forms.

This is why I think this is a simple recipe. You're literally combining all the ingredients (minus the extra sugar and the milk chocolate kisses) in one shot. Gotta love it! Don't forget how to measure your flour (spoon into the measuring cup, don't pack it in) and sift if possible. Mix until all the ingredients come together and you should end up with this:

It will literally just self form into a dough!

3.  Shape dough into 1" balls. Roll in sugar.  Place on baking sheets spaced 2" apart.

I lined all my baking sheets out of habit with parchment paper but the original recipe says you can use ungreased baking sheets. Since the dough has shortening in it, I doubt it'd have the sticking problem but for me parchment sheets saves me cleaning time. Just have to throw the sheets away after I'm done!

4.  Bake at 375 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.

5.  Immediately top each cookie with 1 candy kiss, pressing down firmly so cookie cracks around edge.

6.  Remove from cookies sheets. Cool and enjoy!

The chocolate kisses get really soft from the heat of the freshly baked cookies, be careful when handling them until they cool down and re-set.  HOWEVER, this is the best time to sneak a taste test, I love melted chocolate! With warm chewy peanut butter cookie...YUM.

Here's one last fun fact before you go:  A 12 oz jar of peanut butter contains ~540 peanuts.

Since this recipe has 1/2 cup of peanut butter - how many peanuts go into each cookie?

If you get it right, maybe you'll score a few from the batch I'm making this week! (Sorry, this does not apply to anyone who lives far enough that I'd have to ship)

Flour + Butter + Sugar = Cookie

So I think it's only apropos to start off my blogging with a recipe that's become my new best friend of late, cutting into all my happy hours and karaoke time: The Sugar Cookie.

It's surprising how many variations of this basic recipe there are out there. I know many bakers spend hours trying new recipes, tweaking ingredients. But honestly? I'm too lazy for that. I think this was the 2nd recipe I tried and I liked it so it stuck and it's become my go to recipe for all the cookies I've been making these days. Plus a single gal's gotta socialize a little here and there so no time to waste tweaking a perfectly fine recipe (cue laughter).So here it is with some additional comments/tips in purple which I hope will help eliminate any fear from trying out this versatile cookie recipe (and just in time for the holidays!):

THE BASIC SUGAR COOKIE

6 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

4 sticks butter (at room temp but not too soft)
2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla (or any other flavoring, can use almond, lemon, orange, etc)

• Before you start - take out the butter and the eggs and leave them out to come to room temperature (approx. 60 - 90 min.).
• If you're in a pinch, you can cut the butter into cubes and let it sit for 15 min.
• Generally, ingredients for baking are best at room temperature unless otherwise stated. "Eggs" usually mean Grade A, size large

PREHEAT YOUR OVEN TO 350 degrees F.
1. Combine dry ingredients (flour, baking powder and salt). Set aside.

• To measure flour properly, scoop out the flour from the bag into the measuring cup with a spoon. The temptation is to use the measuring cup to scoop out the flour directly but this will pack in too much flour. Spoon enough flour so that it is overflowing and then use a straight edge (a spatula or the back of a butter knife will do) to level off the flour to the top edge of the measuring cup. Please. Please. Do this. I can't be responsible for a weird outcome with your dough if you don't.

2. Cream butter with sugar together until creamy (comes together and looks pale yellow and fluffy).

• I use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (the white trifecta looking thing that comes with it, NOT the wire wisk).

3. Set mixer to low and add in eggs and vanilla until just incorporated.

• I like to beat my eggs with a fork in a separate bowl and mix it with the vanilla before I add the egg+vanilla mixture into the mixer. One, it allows you to pull out any accidental eggshell that might have fallen in while cracking the eggs. Two, it allows for smoother mixing with the butter+sugar because you don't want to beat this part too much.
  Tip: the easiest way to pull out stray eggshells is with the empty half-eggshell - eggshell sticks to eggshell. Birds of a feather....and their eggshells too :)

4. Start adding dry mixture 1 cup at a time. At this point you should have a dough. Once you add the last cup in, wait until it's just mixed enough and stop the mixer. You can incorporate any loose flour on the sides with your hands. You can pull this out now and roll out to make your sheets and cut out your shapes.

• I like to divide my dough into thirds and roll each third out in between 2 sheets of wax paper. I roll my cookies out between 1/4" - 3/8" thick. I can then stack these sheets of dough on a baking sheet in the freezer and pull them out one at a time as needed.
• If you know you won't be using the dough immediately, double wrap them with saran wrap (around the whole baking sheet) else the dough will absorb the odors of your freezer.
• Cookie dough can be stored in the freezer for up to 4-6 weeks (according to the internet, though for me I've never had dough in the freezer for more than a couple of days so please leave a comment if you feel this is not correct!)
• I let my sheets chill in the freezer (or refrigerator) for at least 30 minutes. This hardens it enough so my shapes cut out nice and clean. It also allows for less spreading while it's baking (this is when the cookies bake larger in size than what you cut and "spreads" out)

5. Bake cookies at 350 degrees for about 8-12 minutes.

• Bake time varies by oven but is usually between 8-12 min. I would test the first batch....set oven for 8 min and then peek in every minute after. Ideally you can peer through the window to see, it's better not to open the oven door until the end of baking if possible (I myself break this rule all the time. I need to see things up close.) Edges of cookies should start turning light brown. At this point you can pull out and let sit on tray for 5 min before trying to remove to a cooling rack (cookies continue to cook while on hot cookie sheet even out of the oven, also don't touch for 5 min so you have less breakage as cookies are still soft until they set).
• Let the cookies cool completely and then they're ready to be eaten or iced! At this point you can also freeze the cookies for up to 3-4 weeks in the freezer. When you're ready to take them out, let them come to room temperature in the container before opening.
• Also remember to double saran wrap the container if it's going to be in there a long time so you don't absorb any unwanted freezer odors.

I think that about covers it...if I've missed anything or if you have any questions leave me a comment below. I'll go into icing in a future blog.Happy baking! If anyone comes across another great recipe let me know. I'll gladly be a taste tester for any cookie attempts.

Happy baking!