FOOD FRIDAY - Bake for Good with King Arthur Flour

from Kris B.

And so it is fall...long jeans and sweaters are starting to fill the racks in the department stores, the produce stands around town are dominated by big bins of orange pumpkins, and as I enter the grocery store, I am now being greeted by the overwhelming smell of cinnamon coming from the bags of cinnamon infused pine cones in the floral department.  That is not a complaint; I live the smell of cinnamon!  I think that is why I was drawn to this week's recipe for whole wheat cinnamon scones from King Arthur Flour.  Though everything around me says fall, there is a little part of me that is still missing the afternoon scones that I had for the two weeks that I was in England over the summer.  Perhaps making this recipe was a way for me to bid summer a final farewell and fully embrace the beauty of fall.  That really shouldn't be too difficult since fall is my favorite season.  I love everything about it - the weather, the clothing, and the food!

Throughout the month of October, Tracey and I are going to be sharing recipes from King Arthur Flour.  We are doing this to help support King Arthur's Bake for Good Month.  This initiative asks bakers to pledge to bake and share their creations.  For every pledge received, King Arthur will donate the cost of one meal to Feeding America, an organization that helps local food banks across the United States.  They will also send those of us who pledge  on the King Arthur website a 75 cent coupon good on King Arthur flour.  One of the things that you are asked on the "pledge" form is, who will you feed?  I often take my baked goods to school and share them with my students.  I know that many of them don't take the time or have the resources to eat well.  They are always hungry and most appreciative of a fresh blueberry muffin, peanut butter cookie, coffee cake, or whatever else I happen to come up with.  I have learned that I also need to make enough for my colleagues.  Once word gets around that there are treats in my classroom, everyone stops by for a mid-morning snack.  This scone recipe only makes twelve scones so I'm going to have to make multiple batches to get everyone fed!

After getting excited about making the cinnamon scones, I ran in to a bit of a problem.  The recipe calls for cinnamon chips and I could not find any locally.  I went to four different stores in my area, one of which I have to be very desperate to enter.  No cinnamon chips to be found anywhere.  I looked online and discovered that Hershey's makes them as does King Arthur.  Unfortunately, I didn't have time to wait for them to be delivered.  So, I had to punt.  I used salted caramel chips instead of cinnamon.  Caramel is a fall flavor too, right?  Think caramel apples.  In my defense, the recipe states that you can substitute any chips of your choice.  The caramel chips taste just fine, but I have ordered the cinnamon chips and will makes this recipe again so that I get the full effect of the cinnamon.  I want my scones to have that same aroma of cinnamon that I get from the pine cones at the grocery store.

Here is the recipe for King Arthur Flour's Whole Wheat Cinnamon Scones.

We enjoyed our scones plain.  No butter.  No nothing.  But, I'm sure with a little cinnamon butter, or if you're feeling a bit decadent, brown sugar cinnamon butter, they would be supper delicious!

On a photography note...watch your own shadow when you are photographing, particularly up close.  Lol!  My schedule has been such that I don't have much natural light time for photos.  Artificial light and foam core boards have been my saving grace.  This means I can bake and shoot photos into the wee hours of the night.  I must say that this is not the ideal way to do things, but in a pinch it works! Lol!

Happy baking, eating, and photographing!!!!



from Tracey G

As Kris said, we decided to bake all King Arthur Flour recipes this month in honor of and to help promote their Bake For Good campaign - which we both think is a pretty great idea! I love to bake - and even though I do occasionally like to eat the items as well, I more enjoy sharing! I think it's a fun thing to do, which is why I usually make myself crazy during the holiday season - I love to bake and share so I generally have a "to bake" list that's much too long, and end up scratching off a few items to save my sanity, erm, I should say what's left of my sanity! ;-)

I am always interested in working with modified diets for many reasons. My mom, during the last few years of her life, was on a Kidney/Renal diet AND a Heart Healthy diet - and believe me, lol, balancing the two was not easy! I made bread like it was going out of style, 4 homemade loaves a week that would get frozen because my mom loved taking sandwiches to dialysis since her set time was around lunch time every day. Commercially prepared bread is crazy high in sodium and if I remember correctly was the number one food item listed on the list of foods to stay away from when we were getting information from the doctors on her various dietary restrictions! 

I myself have worked with a restricted diet, I was diagnosed with Interstitial Cystitis back in November of 2004, and I immediately learned to use the IC Diet to manage my symptoms along with the medications, but I said it then - and I still say it now, the diet was my one of my biggest tools for managing my symptoms. It was just as important as my medications! Even though, now a days, I've been in remission for the most part, if I have a troublesome day, I immediately revert to the diet - which is a low acid diet. So, as you can see I've had my fair share with special diets, and one that I find I'd like to learn a few things about and how to adapt to is gluten-free. I'm always on the lookout for a gluten-free baking mix to try and now recently, I've been wanting  to try my hand at from-scratch gluten-free baking.

When Kris gifted me with my Spring 2016 issue of Sift magazine, put out by King Arthur Flour, this recipe for gluten-free lemon bars caught my attention. I ordered the King Arthur Almond Flour right away, but then the weather never cooperated for baking! It was always WAY too hot, and I wasn't about to add to the heat by firing up the oven, lol. So, when Kris suggested we bake all King Arthur recipes this month, I knew immediately which one I was going to make first!

The recipe is delicious and easy. Harry and Jeremy have both put their stamp of approval on it, and no one was the wiser that it was made with an almond flour crust. And honestly, what's not to love about almonds anyway, so it can only be good! LOL Unless you don't like almonds, but even then you don't taste "almond" so I say try it anyway I don't think you'll be disappointed! 

This was also the first time I weighed out all my ingredients as they were added. All except the liquids and eggs of course. I recently got a handy kitchen scale, so I decided I was going to give it a shot. I did notice though, that the online version of the recipe doesn't have the weights listed, so I will type out the ingredient list as well as link to the recipe online instead of just linking! I read through some of the first few comments listed on the recipe's webpage, and I didn't have any of the issues the commenter's seemed to have had - so in my opinion and experience it was perfect as it was! And using my handy little ruler I keep for baking/cooking, I got exactly 16 2"x 2" squares out of my pan!

Gluten-Free Lemon Squares with Almond Flour Crust

Courtesy of King Arthur Flour, can be found here: Gluten-Free Lemon Squares with Almond Flour Crust

Makes 16 Squares

Crust

2 cups (6 3/4 ounces) King Arthur Almond Flour

6 tablespoons (2 5/8 ounces) sugar

3 tablespoons (3/4 ounce) gluten-free cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons (3 ounces) cold butter, diced

Filling

2 large eggs

1 cup (7 ounces) sugar

1/3 cup (2 5/8 ounces) lemon juice

2 tablespoons (1/2 ounce) gluten-free cornstarch

pinch of salt

confectioners' sugar for dusting, optional

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8" square pan or 9" round pan.

To make the crust:

Combine the dry ingredients in a small bowl, whisking to blend. Add the cold butter, working it in with your fingers or a pastry blender until the mixture is evenly combined and crumbly.

Dump the mixture into the prepared pan, shake to distribute, and press the crust into the bottom and about 1/2" up the sides of the pan.

Bake the crust until it's light golden brown, about 8-10 minutes. While the crust is baking, whisk together the filling ingredients.

Remove the pan from the oven and pour the filling over the hot crust. Return the squares to the oven and bake for 14-18 minutes, until the filling appears set.

Remove the squares from the oven, and cool in the pan before cutting into 2" pieces. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving, if desired.

Nutrition information: (1 square, 48g): 199 calories, 3g protein, 22g carbohydrates, 4g fat, 2g fiber, 4g saturated fat, 35mg cholesterol, 64mg sodium, 18g sugars, 2mg vitamin C, 1mg iron, 36mg calcium

Food Friday - Gluten Free Goodies!

It is both a blessing and a curse that I have no dietary restrictions or food allergies.  The blessing is that I can eat anything that I like; the curse is that I do! Lol!  I am grateful for the freedom to not have to read every food label super carefully to avoid a potential life threatening reaction.   These brownies are perfect for those who must follow a gluten free diet, but beware if you have nut allergies.  The typical wheat flour is replaced, in my case, with almond flour.

My daughter did some baking for an event that we were having at school.  A specific request was made for some kind of gluten-free treat.  She made these brownies.  They are the best brownies that I have ever put in my mouth!  Assuming that you like chewy fudgy brownies over the more cake-like texture.  When Tracey and decided to do a post containing gluten free goodies, there was no question that these would be my contribution.  The original recipe is from Brave Tart blog, a blog that was started by two friends who shared common interests in food, writing and photography.  Hmm...sounds kind of familiar. :-)

Whether you have to or you just can eat gluten free brownies, I promise that these will not disappoint!!  Brave Tart calls them Brown Butter Hazelnut Brownies.  Because the one adaptation to the recipe that we have made is to use almond flour rather than hazelnut, I am simply calling them Gluten free brownies.  With that one exception, the recipe appears exactly as published by Brave Tart.

INGREDIENTS

16 oz. unsalted butter
12 oz. dark chocolate chopped (70% minimum)
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped, seeds reserved, or 2 TBS vanilla extract
7 oz. (2 1/4 cups) almond flour
4.5 oz. cocoa powder (not Hershey's - her words, not mine!)
6 eggs
21 (ounces of sugar  (approximately 2 1/2 cups)
1 tsp kosher salt
1 TBS instant espresso powder
optional: additional chocolate for drizzling or dipping
(These brownies are so rich that this is not necessary for taste, but it does make them pretty for display.)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Line a 9x13 baking pan with a sheet of aluminum foil down the center and hanging over the ends.  This will make removing the brownies super easy.  Alternately, lightly grease 15 4" round tart pans.

Melt the butter, along with the vanilla bean, in a medium saucepan over low heat until liquefied.  (If you are using vanilla extract, DO NOT add it now.)  Increase the heat to medium low.  The mixture will bubble, possible spit, and make a lot of noise.  Keep an eye on it and keep simmering.  You'll notice brown bits forming on the bottom.  You don't want these bits to turn black.  Don't bother with stirring or skimming, just watch and listen and possibly turn down the heat if it looks too toasty.  After a while the butter will go ninja silent, which means that you are done.

Remove the butter from the heat and add the chocolate.  Whisk, scraping along the bottom to mix up the browned bits, until smooth.  The mixture will be quite thin.  Set off of the heat to cool.

Put the nuts and the cocoa in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely ground.  Don't bother sifting.  The nibby bits of (hazel)nuts are really nice in the finished brownies.  Set aside.

With a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combines eggs sugar, reserved vanilla seeds or vanilla extract, salt, and espresso powder,  Whip on medium speed for about five minutes.

Turn the mixer speed to low and pour in the butter/chocolate mixture all at once.  Immediately add in the dry ingredients and keep mixing until just incorporated.

Pour or spoon the batter into the prepared pans.  Bake 30 minutes for the large pan or 15 minutes for the tart pans.  Bake until the brownies are slightly firm to the touch.  They may not seem totally done when you pull them out, but this particular brownie is so very dense that it will retain its heat and keep cooking for some time.  Err on the side of gooey.

Cool the brownies thoroughly before cutting.  If you are looking for extremely neat squares, refrigerate for an hour before cutting.  If you used the tart pans, use a toothpick to loosen the brownie and then turn the pan over to release the brownie.

You can drizzle or cover the brownies in tempered chocolate.

I don't usually double up my Pixels, Plates, and LOLs photos and my Capture Your 365 photos of the day, but today was an exception.  Since Tracey and I met through Capture Your 365 and today marks its fifth birthday, it seems only appropriate to "double dip" here.  If you have not read about our beginnings, here is the link to our very first post.

from Tracey G

I too am fortunate that as of now, I don't have to restrict my diet, but in the effort to try to do some good and be helpful for those that do, I don't mind testing out some mixes out there for gluten-free eating. I recently bought a couple gluten-free cake mixes, one by Betty Crocker and the other by King Arthur. I was going to test them side by side, but I decided that would be a LOT of cupcakes around, and I didn't want to waste anything. The Betty Crocker mix made only 12 cupcakes and the King Arthur Yellow Cake Mix makes 24 - that would have been way too many cupcakes to get eaten in a timely fashion around here!

This time around I made the Betty Crocker Yellow Cake Mix, since Betty Crocker mixes are all over the place, I figured it was a good one to try since it's likely very attainable. It wasn't too bad, just a little different. It had a very dense texture, and to me, kind of light on flavor. But that wouldn't be enough for me not to buy it again, I wouldn't hesitate to get it. Both Jeremy and Harry liked them, so I take that as a good thing. I do find the addition of frosting helps them out in the flavor department for me personally, but again, Jeremy and Harry thought less (frosting) would be better. Go figure

This mix mixed up a bit different. It was like a butter cake recipe, where you add 1/2 c butter instead of vegetable oil. The mix also directs you to add 2 tsp of vanilla extract, that was a first for me - I've never added any to any other cake mix before. Other than those things, the rest went along as usual for a cake mix.

Per my taste, I made homemade chocolate buttercream for the frosting. I like the combination of yellow cake and chocolate frosting, because yellow cake isn't my favorite, so that combo helps me out, lol. I'll include the frosting recipe since it's my all-time favorite. I've tried for years to find a chocolate buttercream recipe that I loved, and I finally did about a year or so ago. All the frostings I ever found weren't chocolaty enough or were too chocolaty and usually too sweet. I never liked chocolate cake with chocolate frosting until I found this one.  

So I guess my bottom line is, Betty's mix is a good choice. I would make it again if needed. I am anxious now to try the King Arthur brand, but as I said, I have a feeling Betty's would be easier for me to locate on my local grocery store shelves, so I wouldn't hesitate to buy it.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Yield: about 4 cups

1/2 c butter

1/2 c vegetable shortening

4.5 c powdered sugar

1 1/4 c cocoa powder

1-2 tsp vanilla

1/2-3/4 c milk

In a mixing bowl cream the butter and shortening (you can also use all butter if you like); add vanilla and mix well. Gradually add and beat in powdered sugar & cocoa powder. Add enough milk to make frosting to desired spreading consistency. 

Food Friday - Spaghetti: Traditional and Gluten Free

from Kris B.

Spaghetti sauce seems to be one of those things for which most families have a favorite, or perhaps even a secret, recipe.  And if not a special recipe, for sure a preferred jarred brand.  I make my own sauce most of the time, but in a pinch, I will use a jar of prepared spaghetti sauce.  There are plenty of tasty ones out there.  When I do make sauce, I make extra and freeze it for those nights when time to prepare dinner eludes me.  There is really nothing secret, or even special, about “my” recipe.  It is one that has evolved over time, taking in to account my personal likes and dislikes and those of my family.  My major dislike when it comes to spaghetti sauce, or any other kind of food for that matter, is mushrooms.  I don’t know why, I just have never developed a fondness for them.  I am mature enough not to pick them out of food that is served to me by someone else, but when I am in charge, I don’t use them.

When Weber and I started dating, he announced very soon in the relationship that he did not like spaghetti.  (That along with not liking chocolate chip cookies was almost a deal breaker!! lol.)  How does someone grow up not liking spaghetti?  Even my ex-husband who did not like tomatoes liked spaghetti!  This dislike became a little more concerning as our first trip together was to Italy!  I figured he was going to be eating a lot of pizza and drinking a lot of wine for the ten days that were there.  Upon further discussion, his dislike was clarified.  He does not like SPAGHETTI, as in that particular form of pasta.  He does like other kinds of pasta with sauce.  The confusion came because any shape of pasta with sauce is commonly referred to by the generic term “spaghetti.”  As it turns out, he is much less picky regarding the actual sauce used, as long as you don’t put it on spaghetti noodles, than I am.  I am happy to report that he did not starve while we were in Italy. :-)

Weber is definitely in the minority by being more particular about the form of his pasta than the characteristics of the sauce that goes on it, as is discussed by Malcolm Gladwell in this TED lecture.

I apparently am in the minority in that I do not want extra chunky spaghetti sauce!  I don’t care for “chunks” of tomato in my sauce.  I favor the ore traditional definition of sauce, “a thick liquid that is eaten with or served on food to add flavor to it.”  Liquids do not have chunks! That said, I do make a meat sauce most of the time, so I guess technically it has chunks of meat, but that is different than chunks of tomatoes!  lol.

There is nothing sacred about the recipe that I am about to share.  It is simply where I am today in the evolution of my personal taste in spaghetti sauce.  I have gotten to this place by trying different recipes, picking and choosing from them what I like and don’t like, adjusting for my own tastes and those of my family, and here I am.  Feel free to use it as a point of departure for doing the same for yourself.

INGREDIENTS

32 oz. tomato sauce

1 small can tomato paste (Italian flavored adds a nice touch, but is not necessary)

3 cups water

1 tsp basil

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp salt

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 tsp red chili flakes (optional)

1/2 lb. lean ground beef

1/2 lb. Italian sausage (either purchased ground or with casings removed)

1 large yellow onion, diced

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 large green bell pepper, finely diced

Place the tomato sauce, paste, water, spices and sugar in a large pot.  Simmer on medium low for about an hour stirring occasionally.

While the sauce is simmering, in a skillet brown the ground beef and sausage.  When it is almost done, stir in the onions, peppers, and garlic.  Continue to cook until the meat is completely done and the onion is translucent.  Drain and set the meat mixture aside.

After the tomato and spices have cooked for an hour, add the meat mixture to the pot and allow to simmer uncovered, still on medium low, for another hour and thirty minutes.  

Serve over your preferred form of pasta and garnish with Parmesan cheese.

I know that some of you are probably questioning the 1/4 cup of sugar in this recipe.  I have tried it without the sugar as well as with less.  In my opinion, the sugar is absolutely necessary to cut the acidity of the tomatoes.  This recipe makes approximately 8 one cup servings.  That means that there is 1/2 TBS of sugar in each serving, adding 70 calories.

Tracey and I were asked by several of you to show how we go about taking our food shots. Today’s process was a little different for me, but I am willing to tell it like it was.

First of all, if you read my post from earlier in the week, you saw the photo of my extremely dark kitchen, and that photo was taken in the middle of a sunny afternoon!.  The day that I shot the photos for today’s recipe, it was overcast and gray outside, making it even darker inside.  Fortunately, I have decent outdoor space in which to shoot so I took these shots outside on my back patio.  Hauling everything outside definitely is not the most convenient way to work, but you have to go where the light is. 

Usually I have an idea of how I want to arrange a shot.  My vision usually comes from how I set our table at home.  With the spaghetti shot, however, I did not have a clear image of what I wanted.  My inclination was to keep the photo true to my story here and illustrate the fact that my other half does not like spaghetti.  This was my first set-up.

I then decided to try another perspective based on how I would serve the actual meal.  I found myself in a quandary between a bowl and a plate.  My husband’s shells I would serve to him in a bowl and “real” spaghetti could be served either in a shallow bowl or on a plate.  The choice here is certainly more significant photographically than it is dining-wise. lol!  If you put the pasta in a bowl, the best angle for shooting is going to be from above.  If it is served on a plate, then there are more possible perspectives from which to shoot.

Here is the bowl shot.

Here is the plate shot.

To me, the two feel quite different from one another.  The bowl image feels much more casual, more like how meals are most days at my house.  The plate shot seems a little more formal to me for some reason, except for the brick wall in the background.  lol.

Which of the three images do you prefer, and why?  I am curious.


from Tracey G.

When Kris and I talked about doing spaghetti sauce, I had to admit I have no particular recipe. My homemade version evolved from ideas given to me by Rachel Ray and Kathleen Daelemans (another favorite Food Network chef). Rachel and Kathleen helped me out of a rut as far as sauce and realizing it only had to take as long to make as it takes to boil the water then cook the noodles. Couple cans of petite diced tomatoes, can or two of tomato sauce, some tomato paste (if you have it and want it) fresh garlic, some chopped onion, oregano or basil (or both!), some kind of alcohol (wine or vodka) if desired (it affects the flavor of tomatoes in some kind of really good way and the alcohol cooks out as the sauce simmers) and olive oil. Plus there's other additions like balsamic vinegar and red pepper flake that do wonderful things to the sauce...

So, all that said, it brought me to a panic when we discussed "a spaghetti sauce recipe" - I don't have one! I couldn't even begin to formulate mine because it's ever changing, I don't really think I do the same thing twice, it all depends on what I'm in the mood for, lol. There are basic things I do - sauté some garlic and onion (if I'm using onion) in some olive oil, add the tomatoes, sauce and any seasonings you're using then taste for corrections or additions. The end. Ah, but wait - there's one thing, Jeremy doesn't like chunks of tomatoes in his sauce. I have sort of adapted to that by using either no diced tomatoes or I'll use less because I DO like them in my sauce, and I'll try to compromise the best I can! 

 I had bought some gluten-free pasta I've wanted to try and review - so for this post, I decided to use a jarred sauce. For the jarred sauce, I branched out and tried a "new" variety for us, Mario Batali's Tomato Basil, absolutely NO preservatives whatsoever, and nothing but real fresh ingredients. Nothing chemical at all. Just tomatoes, basil, onion, garlic, carrot and if I remember correctly, sea salt. That's it. I shouldn't say "just" tomatoes though, this particular version uses San Marzano tomatoes in particular - the yummiest there is in my humble opinion, lol. And this sauce was one I was really happy with - would definitely buy it again, it's exactly what I'm looking for in my marinara sauce!

Anyway, on to the pasta... As I said, I had a box of Barilla Gluten Free spaghetti I was planning to use at some point to try and review for a post. This particular Food Friday seemed perfect for it. Now, in my story, I'm the Weber - I don't really care for traditional spaghetti noodles, but Jeremy and Harry do. I will tolerate thin spaghetti or the spaghetti rigati (with ridges). But I prefer penne or linguine or fettuccine, for the most part any shaped or different kind of pasta, lol. Harry used to love penne and would only eat that, but that's changed and now only wants spaghetti, go figure. I make sure once again we compromise so I can have the pasta I like one time and the next they get their preference!

 I was very curious as to how the gluten-free would act, after all it was made with corn flour and rice flour. Would it be like regular pasta made with wheat products in flavor? In cooking? What kind of texture would it have? I only tested and tasted this version by Barilla, and I must say I was super pleased. It was really good, the texture was just right - nothing different, just like the regular version. The cook time wasn't anything unusual, approximately 10 minutes. I did taste it plain, with no sauce or anything (I don't salt pasta water, got into that habit awhile ago, if I'm going to add salt to a dish, I'll put it where I can taste it and it not get lost in the background) and my impression was a slightly - and I mean VERY slight flavor of a yellow corn tortilla. It was so slight that after I added some olive oil to prevent sticking, I didn't taste it anymore. I should also say here that I don't normally add olive oil to my pasta after cooking - I don't want my sauce of choice to slide off! But, since I had to make sure this "kept" until Jeremy got home for dinner, so it was made about an hour and half before he'd get some so I could  get photos of it, I broke my rule and added a splash of olive oil. Which, as a side note, it even handled that well!!

Once it was sauced, there was no telling the difference that it was gluten-free as far I was concerned. I believe I told Jeremy, but not Harry and neither complained at all. Harry ate his up with not even one sideways glance - that I take as a positive!

So, all in all, at the end of this little experiment I would definitely have no reservations on using this brand of gluten-free pasta whatsoever. It was easy to cook, and easy to eat because it was yummy. The only thing I didn't care for was the fact it's not a traditional 16 ounce package, but only 12 ounces - if you want leftovers this might not provide what you're looking for. And I think next time I'd buy 2 boxes - a husband who's 6'4" and a growing son require a bit more portion-wise!! Other than that, it was hit!!!

Food Friday - A "KISS"

from Kris B.

This has been a busy week with many things coming to an end.  My semester and school year came to a close and the shipment of “stuff” that I kept from my parents and grandparents home in Delaware arrived here in Texas, really ending my ties to Delaware.  That has been a lot for me to deal with this week, so we decided to send you all a “KISS” - a Keep It Super Simple  recipe.  These flourless peanut butter are one of my all-time favorite cookie recipes, as well as being one that my “I don’t like chocolate in my baked goods” husband will eat.  And obviously since they are flourless, they are also gluten free.  

The simple part is that these cookies require only five ingredients - peanut butter, white sugar, brown sugar, an egg, and vanilla.

(In the name of simplicity, you also get to see my "fancy" pantry storgae system.  :-))

Cookies just make me happy from start to finish.  (Well, maybe not all the way to finish if finish is getting on the scale. LOL!)  I do enjoy making them almost as much as eating them especially when the kitchen “tools” brighten up a dreary, gray, rainy day.

I love brown sugar so I will always find a way to adjust a recipe so that I can substitute some or all of the white sugar with some brown sugar.  I know that I did that with this recipe way back.  Brown sugar adds a little more moisture and a hint of molasses flavor.  Using brown sugar in this recipe yields a softer, more chewy cookie.  If you like crisp cookies, you may want to use a cup of  white sugar and omit the brown sugar.

INGREDIENTS

1 Cup Peanut Butter  (I often make my own peanut butter, but in this recipe, I use commercially prepared peanut butter works better because it contains more oil.)

1/2 Cup white sugar

1/2 Cup brown sugar

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all ingredients in a medium sized mixing bowl until completely mixed.  The dough is a little wetter and sticker than cookies made with flour.  

Use a small cookie scoop to drop cookies onto an engrossed cookie sheet, leaving two inches between them. 

Use a fork to flatten the cookies slightly.  

What is it about that criss-cross from the fork that makes peanut butter cookies “authentic”? 

Bake for 10 minutes or until the bottoms become slightly golden colored.

It doesn't get much simpler than that!  And only one bowl, one spoon and a measuring cup to wash!  (Use a half cup measure to add the sugars first and then the peanut butter and you'll only have one measuring cup to wash.  Another confession: I never measure vanilla, so no measuring spoons to wask either.  I have a pretty good sense of what a teaspoon "splash" of vanilla looks like.  And if in doubt, I err on the side of too much rather than too little.

If you want a little chocolate with your peanut butter, you can add a half a cup of chocolate chips to the dough, or remove the cookies about a minute before they are done a place a chocolate “kiss” on the top and return the cookies to the oven for the final minute.  I usually do the latter; that way everyone at my house is happy.  LOL!

from Tracey G.

This past week has been just utterly upside down for me, and Kris has had her hands full beyond belief with the end-of-the-school-year tasks and her items from Delaware arriving to her home. In our conversations on what to do for this week, we decided whatever it was, it was going to be easy-peasy to help us both out. So, since Kris was going to do a flourless recipe, thereby it being a gluten-free food, I decided I wanted to follow along those lines somehow. The idea of trying out a gluten-free baked good mix invaded my brain. Every time I'm in the grocery store, I see various gluten-free products and mixes. I've always wondered if they make the cut as far as taste etc. So, I decided to try one this week and let you know how it went and if it made the cut as decided by a 6 year old ;-) 

Kris and I had discussed brownies at one point and then that sounded good to me, lol, so I went with a gluten-free brownie mix. There were a couple to choose from, but since I pretty much exclusively use King Arthur flour, I decided their mix was the one I was going to try. 

The additional ingredients were the usual suspects, eggs, water (not pictured) and a fat - you could go dairy free and use oil in place of the butter. I wanted to use butter because I thought it would add a little extra flavor of some sort, lol. Following the package directions, I whisked together the eggs, butter and water, then stirred in the mix until well combined. 

You then spread the batter evenly into a well-greased 8x8 square baking dish - it's also stated you can use a 9"-round pan as well. 

Following the directions on the package, I baked them for 45 minutes in a 350° F oven. The toothpick test came out just as it said it would on the package, with some moist crumbs clinging, so I deemed them done and I pulled them out of the oven. 

The directions said to let cool at least 15 minutes before cutting them - so that's what I did, lol. I have to be honest, I didn't care for them at first - not that there was anything wrong texturally, that was fabulous, but they tasted a bit bitter to me. Harry however, LOVED them, lol. But, after I let them sit even a bit longer, a few hours, I felt it fair to try them again - since Harry still loved them, lol. This time around I discovered I too loved them, lol. I would most certainly make them again! If you didn't know they were gluten-free, you'd never guess. The texture was what I was curious about as to how they'd turn out, and in my opinion the texture was just right!

So, in conclusion of this experiment, lol, I would not hesitate to make these again nor would I hesitate to recommend them! :-D Happy taste-testing! 

Have a happy week, everyone!