peanut butter cookies

Jon requested peanut butter cookies... Coincidentally they are my favorite. I love allrecipes, I've found some good ones, like this. I rolled the cookies in sugar prior to baking, as per the instructions, but I think if I had some turbinado sugar they would have been even prettier.

spiced sugar cookies

Chewy, faintly spiced and not too sweet:

1 1/2 c sugar
2 1/2 c flour
1 c butter (room temp)
3 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar, then add vanilla and egg yolks 1 at a time. In a separate bowl, mix all other ingredients. Gradually stir dry ingredients into wet mixture. Form dough into small round balls and bake on parchment lined cookie sheet at 350 degrees F. until cookies are browned around the edges, 10-15 mins. or so.

chocolate chip cookies

Simple, but yummy:

3/4 c sugar
3/4 c packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 3/4 c flour
1 tsp vanilla
1 c butter
1 tsp baking soda
2 c chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugar together in electric mixer. Add vanilla and eggs, one at a time. In a separate bowl, mix flour and baking soda. Add flour mixture gradually to wet mix until just blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded tablespoonfulls onto parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 350 f. for about 10-15 minutes, until browned at the edges. I like them more crisp and therefore brown all over. My husband likes them chewy, so I cook some 'til just the edges are brown.

wedded bliss

My husband brought me flowers, so I made him some cookies. Doesn't that sound smug? Well, we've only been married 11 months. Here's the recipe, adapted from the King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion:

Peanut butter chocolate chip cookies

1/2 c butter

3/4 c crunchy peanut butter

1 c brown sugar (8 oz)

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

2 c unbleached all-purpose flour

1 c bittersweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large bowl, cream together butter, pb, sugar, baking powder, vanilla, and salt. Beat in eggs, then stir in flour and chocolate chips. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto parchment-lined (or greased) cookie sheets. (They will not rise much or spread out at all, so you can fit them fairly close together) Bake about 10 or 12 minutes, until starting to brown at the edges.

These are more cakey than chewy, but I think that works better with the chocolate.