Honey Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut butter cookies are my favorite kind of cookie. David prefers oatmeal raisin any day, and up until I baked these, he was turned off to any kind of peanut butter cookies- the very smell of them baking was revolting to him. I always found that odd because he loves peanut butter on bread!

Needless to say, I haven't baked any in a while, but in an effort to reduce our costs on pre-packaged foods, I avoided buying Oreo's this time around the grocery store, and when James asked for a cookie, I knew we had the ingredients on hand for these. Boy are they delicious! David loves honey, so I think the smell of honey softened the smell of the peanut butter and the absence of the smell of egg helped too! He actually really liked these, as did James, and of course they both had a dark chocolate button pressed in the middle. Actually, James had many, including this one:

Honey Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup honey (use brown sugar instead if preferred)
1/2-3/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter or earth balance/whipped spread
1 egg or flax egg (works great!)

1 1/4 cup flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Chocolate kisses or buttons, optional

Directions:

Mix sugars, honey, peanut butter, butter and egg in large bowl. Stir in dry ingredients. Place bowl in freezer until oven is preheated to 375ºF (190ºC). Shape a tablespoon or teaspoon (size is up to you) of dough into a ball and place on the sheet. Give space to spread. Using a fork dipped in flour, make a criss cross, and add a chocolate kiss or button to the middle (Toddlers love helping at this part*). Place on an un-greased baking sheet and bake for 9-10 minutes or until golden brown. Cookies will be soft until they cool, so transfer to rack (or mouth*{As well as this part}) carefully. 

Now if only the weather would cool off, I can't take many more 110ºF days! Some rain would be lovely too. Hurry up Autumn!

Vanishing Vegan Oatmeal Blueberry Craisin Cookies

I was grocery shopping last week when I discovered "Blueberry Juice Infused Cranberries" from the makers of Craisins. They look a bit like fruit gushers, only much healthier, so I couldn't resist. I bought a bag of them, and had planned on putting them in my oatmeal for breakfast. 

That is, until I set out to make cookies earlier this evening and my husband asked for his favorite: Oatmeal Raisin, but this time, Oatmeal CRaisin! He came up with the idea to make these, and at first I wasn't convinced that they were going to be good, but after about 7 minutes in the oven, our house started smelling like heaven on earth. The combination of oats, sugar, blueberry, cranberry and dark chocolate is incredible. 

The recipe is Vegan, and it was actually our first attempt at baking Vegan cookies. I love using flax as an egg replacer, and while I was nervous as to how it would work out in this recipe at first, the final results scream success! Even if you're not Vegan, try using a flax egg! Flax is wonderful for you! Learn more about how great flax is here.

Vanishing Vegan Oatmeal Blueberry Craisin Cookies

recipe adapted from Quaker by David

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Earth Balance
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 flax egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup white flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 cup blueberry infused Craisins
1/2 cup Ghiradelli chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350°F.
Beat together Earth Balance and sugars until creamy.
Add flax egg and vanilla and beat well.
Lick the beaters. (if you're using a flax egg)
Mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt until well blended. Add to the sugar mixture and mix well.
Stir in oats, Craisins and chocolate chips and mix well.
Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
Allow to cool slightly and enjoy!

meet the crunchy softies: chewy and gooey. they're crunchy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside.

the best thing about baking Vegan is feeling 100% carefree while your little one licks the beaters.

Success!

Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut Butter cookies are (I THINK) my favorite kind of cookie. Snickerdoodle, Cowboy and Chocolate Chip Cookies run a close 2nd, 3rd, and 4th. =]



Up until this recipe, the way I made peanut butter cookies would gross David out. It was a recipe my best friend and I made after ballet when we were starving and impatient teenagers. My how some things (don't) change. =]

Regardless, the way she taught me to make them was this

1 egg
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of peanut butter

and bake.

I think this recipe grossed my oldest sister out as well, right Sissy? ;)

Anyways. The other night, I was craaving peanut butter cookies, and I didn't have any butter, but I wanted a legitimate honest to goodness made with flour cookie and I wanted peanut butter to be in the cookie. So I went to Google and found this recipe. These remind me of Grandma's packaged cookies (and to me, that is a good thing!).


Check out the recipe (including nutrition information) here. I didn't add the extra peanuts and I only added the chocolate to a few of the cookies. I hope you like them as much as I did!