Confidence Restored

After last week's baking disasters, I finally redeemed myself with some peanut butter & chocolate chips cookies and oatmeal cranberries cookies.

You know sometimes you just have this big craving for some Reese's peanut butter cups? Well since I am in HK and they don't sell them here (how could they!) I had to look for alternatives that would stop this specific, intense sugar fix. Luckily, I came across this wonderful recipe that uses a cup's worth of peanut butter. *evil grin*

I followed the recipe exactly the first time around and found the cookies a bit too sweet for my taste and the peanut butter flavor a bit too strong. But nonetheless, these cookies were still as sinful as ever. You will totally forget your calorie count once you tasted these.

Anyways, I changed the quantities of the ingredients slightly this time, and they came out perfect (at least to me).

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chips Cookies
(recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

*Makes about 24 cookies
1 1/4C all purpose flour
3/4t baking soda
1/2t baking powder
1/4t salt
1/2C butter, room temperature
3/4C smooth or chunky peanut butter
1/2C white sugar
1/2C brown sugar
1 large egg
1T milk
1t vanilla
1/2C chocolate chips

1. Preheat your oven to 350F / 175C.
2. Cream butter until light and pale yellow. Add sugars and peanut butter and mix together until well incorporated and smooth.
3. Lightly whisk together egg, milk and vanilla. Stir into butter mixture.
4. Measure dry ingredients and gradually add to butter mixture. Stir until well mixed. Fold in chocolate chips.
5. Line baking trays with parchment paper. Scoop a spoonful of dough and roll them into 3/4" balls. Place on prepared trays and press down slightly.
6. Bake for 12-15mins. Let cook on tray for 3mins before transferring to cooling racks to cool completely.

EAT and store the rest in an airtight container. But I promise you that these cookies won't last the week.

Here are my oatmeal cranberries in the making and in the oven.

I had my yahoo radio on while baking and an AWESOME song to bake along to is Cee-lo Green's Forget You. Totally can move to the beat while you cream butter. I was holding onto the big bowl of butter with my spatula, dancing around the kitchen. Can you picture it?






(image from bluebeat.com)