Cookies

   Half way home from the grocery I had a new thought about the week-end cooking.  I love cooking and planning for the children when they come home.  Desserts have gone the way of typewriters, so I usually have fruit.
  But  the Youngest still enjoy cookies, so I’ll bake Chocolate Chip Cookies.  Since I use chunks instead of chips and put a tiny bit of sea salt  on them as they come out of the oven, they are good.
   So, it was a rude shock to discover there was no chocolate in the cupboard, chunks or chips.  Better planning?
   There are many recipes for cookies, so surely one other will do.  Peanut Butter Cookies!  I haven’t made peanut butter cookies for years.    So I cream the batter and scrape the sides of the bowl and drop them on the cookie sheet.  The recipe says 8-10 minutes.  I go for 9, they look great, so out they come.  Maybe they should have had another minute.

   The second sheet goes in (I do one sheet at a time) the oven.  This time I set the timer for 10.  

But they still look a little pale, so another minute.

   The T.V. news was on and I had to take a look, then---Maybe they were in the oven too long.
   No matter, there is still enough dough for a 3rd sheet.  The last sheet turns out just right.
   When they are cool I look for the container I always use for fresh cookies.

What do I find?  Left-overs from Christmas.

                           Pam’s Peanut Butter Cookies
1 stick butter                                ½ cup yellow Crisco
1 cup B. sugar                              1 cup white sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter          1 t. vanilla
2 eggs                                           2 cups flour
2 tsp. soda                                   ¼ t. salt
1. Cream butter, Crisco and sugars for 5 minutes, scraping sides and bottom of bowl often.
2. Add peanut butter and vanilla. Mix well.
3. Add eggs, mix well.
4. Sift flour, soda and salt.  Add slowly.
5. Beat just until well blended.
   Drop by spoonful onto parchment lined cookie sheet. Press tops with fork. Bake in 350 oven for 8-10 minutes.  (Cookies should puff up all over when done.)
                                         Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie
¾ cup Brown sugar                           ¾ cup white sugar
¾ cup butter                                      2 eggs (room temp)
2 Tbsp. hot water                             1 tsp. vanilla
½ tsp. salt                                         2 ½ cups flour
2 teasp. Soda                                   12 oz. choc. chips or chunks
1. Beat sugars and butter for 5 minutes, scraping sides and bottom of bowl.
2. Add eggs, hot water and vanilla.  Beat well.
3. Sift  flour, soda and salt, Add and mix well.
4. Chill batter in frig for at least an hour.
5. Drop on parchment covered sheet and bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.
Don’t let them darken.  When removing from oven, sprinkle very lightly with sea salt.  Cool on sheet before removing.