Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut Butter Cookies

Soft, sweet and salty old-fashioned peanut butter cookie that stays soft when stored in air-tight container. This recipe yields approximately 2 dozen bits of goodness. The important thing here is not to over-bake the cookies. Don't be fooled - they will not really look done after 8-10 minutes, but trust me - they are. (Plus, they continue to bake a bit after you take them out of the oven.)


Ingredients:

1 c. creamy peanut butter
1/2 c. softened butter
1/4 c. granulated sugar
3/4 c. packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silpat mat.

Cream together the peanut butter, butter and sugars using a stand mixer.

Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until combined.

In a separate bowl whisk together the flour. baking soda and salt. Add this to the butter mixture 1/3 at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Roll the dough into 1 to 2 inch balls. Roll each ball in granulated sugar and place on prepared cookie sheet. Make criss-cross pattern in cookies using a fork.

Bake for 8-10 minutes or just until the tops begin to crack. DO NOT OVERBAKE! They will still be quite light in color, and the bottoms will not have browned. Let them cool on the cookie sheets until they have firmed up, then remove to wire rack. (My oven=9 minutes)

Coconut Bundt Cake

Coconut Bundt Cake

This cake is for the true coconut lover. Original recipe called for a glaze, but we like it naked. Truly decadent cake with really buttery, coconutty goodness in every bite.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 c. flour
2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
1 1/2 c. butter (3 sticks)
2 c. granulated sugar
4 eggs
1 c. sour cream (I use full fat)
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. coconut extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a bundt pan - be generous here.

Mix flour and coconut in a medium bowl and set this aside.

Cream together the butter and sugar using a stand mixer. Add eggs one at a time an mix until batter is light and fluffy. Add the sour cream, baking powder and coconut extract. Mix well.

Add the flour mixture 1/2 at a time, mixing until combined. Let the batter rest for 5 minutes.

Pour into prepared pan and bake for 60-75 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. (My oven=69 minutes at 330 degrees)

Let the cake cool for 25 minutes, then invert onto serving dish.

Sugar Cut Out Cookies

The nice thing about this recipe is that there is no chilling required!

Makes a large batch of cookies. You may want to cut it in half.

Ingredients:

2 c. salted butter
2 c. granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. vanilla
4 tsp. baking powder
6 c. all purpose flour

Add butter and sugar to the large bowl of your mixer. Cream together until it is completely mixed, but do not overmix.

Add vanilla and eggs and mix until completely combined.

Mix in baking powder.

Mix in the flour two cups ad a time.

Roll out dough on a floured surface tunitl it is about 3/8 " thick. Cut out shapes with a cookie cutter.

Bake at 350 F. for 6-8 minutes. Do not overbake - the cookies should be light in color with only slight (if any) browning at the edges.

Cool on racks before frosting.

Blueberry Pie

Ingredients:

Pastry for 9 inch double crust pie
4 c. fresh blueberries*
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3 Tbsp. corn starch
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 c. granulated sugar
1 Tbsp. butter
Turbinado sugar to taste.

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Mix sugar, cornstarch, salt and cinnamon. Sprinkle this mixture over the blueberries.

Pour berry mixture into bottom pie crust. Dot with butter and then put the top crust on. Crimp edges of pie crust an brush with 1 egg white mixed with 1 tsp. water. Sprinkle turbinado sugar over top of pie - adding as much or as little as you like.

Bake pie on lower shelf of oven for about 50 minutes.

*Fresh blueberries are highly recommended. I've tried it with frozen and it just is not as good.

Apple Fritter Bread

Makes one 9x5 inch loaf

Ingredients:

1/3 c. light brown sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 apples (granny smith or other tart firm apple good for baking), diced
2/3 c. sugar + 2 Tbsp.
1/2 c. butter (softened)
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. flour
1 3/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 c. milk plus 1 to 3 Tbsp.
1 c. powdered sugar


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9x5 in. loaf pan with cooking spray. (you can also line the pan with parchment at this point to make removing the whole loaf from the pan easier after baking. If you do this, also spray the parchment paper with cooking spray. Spraying the pan before laying down the parchment will prevent the paper from sliding around as you fill the pan.)

Mix brown sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon in a bowl and set aside. Toss apples with 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar and remaining tsp. cinnamon in another bowl and set aside.

Beat butter and remaining 2/3 c. granulated sugar together with mixer until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time and the vanilla.

Whisk flour, baking powder and salt together in another bowl, then add to creamed butter mixture and beat until blended. Mix in 1/2 c. milk until smooth.

Pour half of the batter into the prepared loaf pan; add half of the chopped apple mixture. Sprinkle half of the brown sugar/cinnamon mixture over the apple layer.

Pour the remaining batter over the apple layer and top with the remaining apples and then the remaining brown sugar/cinnamon mixture.

Lightly pat the apples into the batter. Swirl the brown sugar mixture through the batter with a butter knife.

Bake until done when tested with a toothpick - about an hour and 10 minutes. (If your bread is browning too fast, cover with aluminum foil during the last 15 minutes of baking time.)

Let loaf rest for 15 minutes, then remove from the pan. Place on a wire rack to cool completely before applying the glaze.

For the glaze: Mix powdered sugar with remaining 1 to 3 Tblsp. mil, thinning to desired consistancy. Drizzle the glaze over the bread.