Garam Masala Coconut-Banana Bread

My wonderful friend Bronwyn was here visiting this week and we were inspired to make some vegan yumminess….Well, not too inspired I guess since we never got around to actually making anything. But I did go out and buy about 5 lbs. of bananas, and I did salivate over the fantastic recipe for vegan banana bread from the awesome folks over at Post Punk Kitchen. Then I was looking at the Joe Beef cookbook my husband got (yes, funny, I know — a vegetarian reading a cookbook with “beef” in the title) and came across a slobber-inducing recipe for Cardamom Banana Bread. I decided to play with both recipes, adding my own twist.

Garam Masala is a classic Indian spice mixture of cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, star anise, and peppercorns. I know it might sound strange to put something with cumin and pepper in a sweet baked good, but the subtle savoriness adds something really unique and delicious to the flavor profile and is balanced nicely by the sweetness of the brown sugar and the coconut milk. Coconut and banana are natural partners, but you could certainly omit the shaved coconut and swap the milk for soy or almond if you’re not a fan. This recipe is vegan.

Garam Masala Coconut-Banana Bread

Ingredients:

– 4 very ripe bananas

– 1/2 c. butter or margarine

– 1 c. packed light brown sugar

– 1 tsp. vanilla extract

– 1/3 c. coconut milk, with 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar mixed in

– 2 c. flour

– 1 tsp. baking soda

– 1 tsp. salt

– 2 tsp. garam masala

– 1/2 c. shaved unsweetened coconut (I used a full cup here and I think it was too much — it made the bread super crumbly)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F

2. Peel bananas, place in a bowl and mash well. Set aside. *Do not mash until they liquefy or baking time will be altered

3. In a large bowl cream together butter (substitute) and sugar. Beat until light and fluffy

4. Add bananas, vanilla, and coconut milk to sugar. Mix well.

5. Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Add to wet ingredients. Do not overmix.

6. Fold in shaved coconut.

7. Pour batter into a greased 9×5 bread tin. *You can make muffins if you prefer — just reduce baking time to 30 minutes

8. Bake at 350F for 75 minutes, or until a skewer or knife inserted into the center comes out clean

9. Allow to cool 10 minutes in tin, and then transfer to a rack or towel to finish cooling

10. Enjoy!

And about 30 seconds later….

Pomelo-Coconut Tart with Candied Citrus

I love citrus desserts. It all started when I was pregnant. I was watching episodes of Dexter back to back and, in case you don’t watch the show, in Season Three, there’s this whole subplot where Dexter is trying to find “the perfect key lime pie” for a family friend on her death bed. Five months pregnant, bored out of my mind, lonely, and constantly starving, watching those episodes of Dexter was all it took to ignite the most hardcore craving for key lime pie in the history of ever. But it didn’t stop, and the key lime pie craving turned into a an insatiable hunger for all things sweet and citrus. Lemon meringue, orange sticky buns, blood orange sorbet….all were consumed in disgusting quantities….

Anyway, in the midst of my citrus dessert frenzy I started toying around with ideas about how to expand the classic key lime pie recipe to other citrus fruits….and although my daughter is 17 months old, I am just now moving out of the realm of fantasy into actually making it happen. *Sigh* there’s been a lot going on…and I am incredibly lazy.

This recipe calls for pomelos — which are more or less really big, slightly sweet grapefruits — but you could certainly use regular grapefruit (or lemon, lime, blood orange, or any other relatively sour citrus) in place of them. The crust is essentially a coconut shortbread, and the filling a revision of the classic key lime pie. Candied citrus 100% optional.

Ingredients:

Candied Citrus (needs to be done 1-2 days ahead of serving):

– 20-25 very thin (I recommend using a mandolin) slices of citrus, any kind

– 1 1/2 c. sugar

Crust:

– 1/2 c. sweetened coconut flakes

– 3/4 c. flour

– 1/2 c. cold butter

– 1/3 c. powdered sugar

– 1/4 tsp. salt

Filling:

– 2 (14 oz.) cans sweetened condensed milk

– 2 Tbsp. finely grated pomelo zest

– 1 cup freshly squeezed pomelo juice

– 4 large egg yolks

 

 

Directions:

1. Place sliced citrus in a large casserole dish. Cover each piece well with sugar. Toss to coat.

2. Cover and place in refrigerator. Let sit 1-2 days, tossing occasionally.

3. Preheat oven to 350F

4. Spread coconut over a sheet pan and toast, stirring occasionally until golden — about 10 minutes. Let cool.

5. Combine flour, coconut, powdered sugar, and salt in a large bowl

6. Cut in cold butter. Mix until dough just begins to form. (This can most easily be done by pulsing in a food processor, but I did it by hand and got the same result….with a bit more time and effort)

7. Form dough into a ball

8. Press dough into a tart or pie pan

9. Freeze until firm — about 10 minutes

10. Bake at 350F until golden  — about 25 minutes — then set aside and allow to cool completely

11. Whisk together freshly squeezed pomelo juice, zest, and egg yolks

12. Slowly add sweetened condensed milk, whisking all the while

13. Pour filling into pie crust (you will have some left over — I poured it into a tiny dish and baked it separately)

14. Bake at 350F for 15-20 minutes, until just set in the center

15. Let cool 30 minutes

16. Loosely cover and chill in refrigerator 8 hours or longer. Filling will set as it cools and bubbles in filling will disappear

17. Decorate with candied citrus. I also mixed together a little powdered sugar and water and coated the edge of my pie pan so that I could adhere toasted coconut for added decoration.

18. Serve chilled. Excellent with fresh sweet whipped cream…

Cinnamon Raisin Rolls with Vanilla Icing

Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert, who doesn’t love a good cinnamon roll? These have raisins in them, but you can certainly use this recipe to make plain cinnamon rolls. Similarly, other dried fruits, nuts, citrus zest, or chocolate could be added to the filling.

You can easily halve the recipe without issue for a smaller batch as I did here. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Yields 12 large rolls

Dough:

– 2 1/4 tsp. yeast

– 1/2 c. warm water

– 1/2 c. scalded milk (you can simply place milk in microwave for 1-2 minutes)

– 1/4 c. sugar

– 1/3 c. butter

– 1 tsp. salt

– 1 egg, beaten

– 4 c. flour

Filling:

– 1/2 c. melted butter

– 1/2 c. sugar

– 1/2 c. brown sugar

– 2 Tbsp. cinnamon

– 1 c. raisins

Icing:

– 4 Tbsp. melted butter

– 2 c. powdered sugar

– 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

– 4 Tbsp. milk

Directions:

1. Place warm water and yeast in a small bowl and set aside

2. In a large bowl combine milk, sugar, melted butter, salt, and egg

3. Add two cups of the flour and mix well

4. Add water and yeast

5. Add remaining 2 c. flour and mix well. Dough will seem quite “loose” before kneading.

6. Knead dough on a clean, well-floured surface for 5-7 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic.

7. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover with oiled cling film. Place somewhere warm to rise for 90 minutes, or until doubled in size

8. Punch down dough. Roll into a long rectangle, approximately 15” by 9”

9. Use a pastry brush to cover surface of dough with melted butter

10. Mix sugars with cinnamon and sprinkle evenly over the dough

11. Sprinkle evenly with raisins

12. Starting at the length, carefully roll up your dough

13. Pinch edges together

14. Slice roll into even segments

15. Grease a baking pan and place cinnamon rolls close together — you want to select a pan small enough that the rolls will be packed together after the second rising and baking

16. Allow rolls to rise. About 45 minutes or until doubled in size

17. Preheat oven to 350F

18. Bake rolls at 350F for 25 minutes

19. Mix together melted butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk (add milk slowly to ensure that you get the desired consistency – eg if you like a thicker icing you will not need all 4 Tbsp.)

20. Pour icing evenly over cinnamon rolls. Serve immediately.

Adapted from The Modern Family Cookbook, 1942

Wildflower Honey Challah

Happy-almost- Hanukkah! Here’s a kick-ass recipe to get the challah-day started… Anyone?

 

Ingredients:

– 3 1/2 c. white flour

– 1 c. wheat flour (optional — can use all white flour, but I like the density and heartiness that the wheat flour adds, though it is not traditional)

– 1 tsp. kosher salt

– 1 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast

– 1/4 c. canola or vegetable oil

– 2 eggs

– 3 Tbsp. wildflower raw honey

– 3/4 c. warm water

– 1 beaten egg yolk, plus 1 Tbsp. water for brushing

– 1-2 Tbsp. sesame or poppy seeds for sprinkling, if desired

 

Directions:

1. In a large bowl combine flour, salt, and yeast

2. Add oil, beaten eggs, and honey

3. Gradually mix in warm water until a soft dough forms. FYI — it will seem very dry and crumbly, but kneading will take care of that

4. Knead dough well on a lightly floured surface, for at least 5 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic

5. Place dough back into bowl, cover with oiled cling film and leave somewhere warm to rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size

6. Knead tough again on lightly floured surface. Divide into 3-6 equal pieces (number depends on you and how many pieces you are comfortable braiding — you can also always just coil your dough to form a simple spiral)

7. Roll pieces out into ropes

8. Braid pieces together, working from the outside in

9. Pinch ends together and gently fold under

10. Place loaf into a greased bread tin, cover with oiled cling film and leave somewhere warm to rise for 45 minutes, or until doubled in size

11. Preheat oven to 400F

12. Remove cling film and brush thoroughly with egg yolk, making sure entire loaf is well-coated.

13. Sprinkle with seeds, if using

14. Bake at 400F for 30 minutes, or until rich brown in color and loaf makes a hollow sound when tapped with fingertips. Do not over-bake your challah!

15. Allow to cool 5 minutes, and then carefully remove from tin to finish cooling. Enjoy!

Pecan Shortbreads with Maple-Caramel Filling

Some of my favorite memories of my time in Argentina (surprise, surprise) involve food. Pizza napoletana in El Centro, empanadas from the vendors on Puerto Madero, bon-o-bons in every bodega… But one of my favorite foods I discovered in Argentina was the alfajor. Alfajores are essentially two rich shortbread cookies sandwiching a gooey layer of the ubiquitous Latin American treat dulce de leche, and often covered in chocolate, coconut, or powdered sugar. Yeah…

This recipe is a riff on the Argentine alfajor, but it can easily be divided to provide a quick and simple recipe for pecan shortbread, and/or a recipe for caramel that can be cooled on a sheet tray and cut into candies. One point of caution however: if you do use the caramel recipe for candy-making you may want to substitute the maple syrup with light corn syrup. The maple syrup in this recipe makes a far less chewy, much softer and yet more toothsome caramel. It is perfect for sandwiching between cookies, and is delicious on its own, but this recipe will definitely make a different caramel candy than you are used to.

 

Ingredients

Yields 15-20 cookie sandwiches or about 3 dozen individual cookies, depending on size

For the shortbread:

– 1 c. unsalted butter, room temperature

– 3/4 c. powdered sugar

– 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

– 2 1/3 c. flour

– 1 c. finely chopped raw pecans

 

For the maple-caramel:

– 1/2 c. butter (1 stick)

– 1 c. sugar

– 1 c. whole milk or cream

– 1/2 c. good quality maple syrup

– 1/2 tsp. vanilla

 

Directions

For the cookies:

1. Combine butter, powdered sugar, and salt. Beat until smooth.

2. Add flour and pecans and mix until just combined — do not over-mix

3. Form dough into a long log, about 2” in diameter

4. Wrap tightly in wax paper

5. Freeze until firm (about 30 minutes, but can be made ahead of time and frozen for 3-4 weeks)

6. Preheat oven to 350F

7. Remove paper and slice into thin disks, about 1/4” thick

8. Place disks onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, at least 1” apart (they won’t spread much)

9. Bake at 350F for 15 minutes, or until golden around the edges

10. Remove from oven and allow to cool on baking sheets at least 5 minutes before transferring to towels or a rack to finish cooling

 

For the maple-caramel:

1. Over medium-low heat melt butter in a medium saucepan

2. Stir in sugar, milk, and maple syrup, increase heat to medium and bring to a boil, stirring often

3. Cook until a candy or oil thermometer reads 245F. This will take a while — probably about 30 minutes — but it is very important to continue stirring frequently so that your caramel does not burn

4. Once caramel has reached 245F remove from heat and promptly stir in vanilla

5. Allow to cool.

— For these cookies you want your caramel to be moderately cooled, but not so cool that it becomes hard and sticky and difficult to work with; about 30 minutes should be sufficient but you can check the consistency as it cools and begins the sandwiching process where you are comfortable.

— If you are making candies on the other hand, you will want to pour your caramel, immediately after adding vanilla, onto a greased and parchment lined sheetpan and allow to cool completely. Use a knife or clean kitchen scissors to cut into pieces and wrap in wax paper.

Welcome to the festival of cookies! Overdo it much?!

Cinnamon-Sugar Cookies

Although technically what would be referred to as a “snickerdoodle,” this recipe for Cinnamon-Sugar Cookies makes a far chewier cookie than most snickerdoodles if come across, and has much less ridiculous (and more festive!) sounding name…I am including vegan options for this recipe.

Ingredients:

Yields 2- 2 1/2 dozen cookies, depending on size

– 1 1/4 c. butter or butter substitute, room temperature

– 2 c. sugar

– 2 eggs (or 1/2 c. applesauce, plus 1 Tbsp. oil for vegan)

– 2 tsp. vanilla

– 2 3/4 c. sifted flour

– 1 tsp. baking soda

– 1/2 tsp. salt

– 3 Tbsp. white sugar, 3 Tbsp. brown sugar, 1 Tbsp. cinnamon — combined for coating

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F

2. In a large bowl cream together butter (substitute) and sugar. Beat until light and fluffy

3. Add eggs one at a time (or applesauce + oil), mixing well after each addition

4. Add vanilla

5. Slowly add dry ingredients. Mix well.

6. Place remaining sugars and the cinnamon onto a small plate

7. Roll dough into 1-1 1/2” balls and then roll in cinnamon-sugar to coat

8. Flatten each dough-ball slightly and place on an ungreased baking sheet, 2” apart from each other

9. Bake for 8-10 minutes at 350F

10. Remove from oven. Allow to cool for at least 5 minutes before removing from baking sheet, then transfer to towel or rack to finish cooling

My holiday cookie tin:

Mushroom Pot Pie with Port Gravy

On Saturday I took my daughter, Harriet, the farmer’s market here in Charleston. I love farmer’s markets, and wish that we had more of them, but navigating your way through the throngs of oblivious people while avoiding being tripped by a dog leash or run over by a double-wide stroller is often enough to sap my motivation to go. Also frustrating are the often outrageous prices for produce that may or may not actually be organic and local….I don’t mean to bash farmer’s markets: I really do love them, and think it’s important to support local farms and food purveyors, but the one in Charleston could certainly stand some improvements….

Regardless of my complaints and the brain-melting heat, Harriet and I actually had a lovely time wandering the market, and found some really amazing things. We bought a basket of locally grown Asian Pears, which were crisp and juicy and mind-blowingly delicious. We also got fresh peaches and gold cherry tomatoes. But our best find was the Mepkin Abbey oyster mushrooms. (Mepkin Abbey is a community of Trappist Catholic monks here in South Carolina, and they grow THE most amazing oyster mushrooms.)

Usually when I get Mepkin mushrooms I just sautee them with some butter or olive oil and salt, but this time I wanted to do something really special with them to showcase their amazing flavor. I love baking so making mushroom pie seemed like the obvious way to go. Pot pies are so easy to make, and so delicious and comforting — they always remind me of being a kid. The port gravy elevates this a bit, so it’s more sophisticated than your typical pot pie. If you don’t have port, you could substitute a dry red or even a white wine, but nothing quite compliments the flavor of mushrooms the way port does, in my opinion. If you are a meat eater, chicken would be an excellent addition to this, but I think that the meatiness of the mushrooms makes this plenty substantial on its own. Similarly, you can use any kind of mushrooms you have available, and could also swap out the peas and spinach for any vegetable you prefer, or simply omit them and make this a straight mushroom pie….

Ingredients:

– 1 Perfect Pie Crust,* or two store-bought crusts

– 1/2 c. butter, or butter substitute such as Earth Balance for a vegan pie

– 1 lb. fresh mushrooms (I used 1/2 oyster and 1/2 cremini)

– 3/4 c. frozen peas

– 2 c. loosely packed fresh spinach

– 1 vidalia or other yellow onion, diced

– 1/4 c. flour

– 1  c. vegetable stock**

– 1/2 c. ruby port

– 1/2 Tbsp. dried thyme, or 1 Tbsp. fresh

– Salt and Pepper to taste

*Reduce sugar in recipe to 1 Tbsp.

** You can buy vegetable stock in any grocery store but I like to make my own — every time I cook with vegetables I save the trimmings in a large plastic bag in the freezer. Before long I have a bag full of asparagus ends, leek bulbs, broccoli stalks, etc. To make stock, simply put all of your veggie bits into a large pot, cover completely in water, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour or until liquid is reduced by half

Directions:

1. Trim, wash, and dry mushrooms

2. In a large saucepan melt 1/4 c. butter (substitute) over medium-low heat

3. Add mushrooms and gently sautee until they are browned and softened

4. Add peas and spinach and cook until spinach is just barely wilted

5. Salt and pepper to taste

6. Transfer vegetables to a heat-proof bowl and set aside

7. Return saucepan to stove, turn heat up to medium and add remaining 1/4 c. butter (substitute)

8. Add diced onion and sautee in butter until translucent

9. Add flour and stir continuously for 2 minutes

10. Slowly add stock while stirring, creating a thick gravy

11. Add port and stir well

12. Add thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat

13. Add vegetables to gravy and mix well

14. Preheat oven to 425F

15. Fit 1/2 of your pie crust (or 1 whole crust if using store-bought) into the bottom of a 9” pie pan or similarly sized casserole dish, making sure that some of the crust overhangs the edges of the dish

16. Fill bottom crust with vegetable-gravy mixture

17. Carefully place second half of pie crust over the top, pinching the edges of the dough to seal together

18. Use a knife to cut the top so that heat can escape (and your pie doesn’t explode in the oven!)

19. Bake at 425F for 20-25 minutes, or until crust is golden brown

20. Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before serving

This is a hearty entree, but could certainly be made to be served as a side dish. I think it is perfect on its own, served with a little salad (and a glass of wine!). I made a little salad with the gold cherry tomatoes I got at the farmer’s market, with avocado, red onion, and some tangy feta….

Delicious!

Caramel Custard Bread Pudding

Its going to be difficult for me to describe just how delicious this is without using expletives…..Let’s just say that this is the kind of thing that you may want to eat in private because there will probably be sufficient eye-fluttering and moaning to cause some embarrassment in mixed company. It’s what would happen if creme brulee, caramel, and French toast had a menage a trois…Yeah, it’s that good…

I never liked sweets. Given the choice of a cheese plate or popcorn (or a cocktail) versus dessert, the savory option would win every time. And then I got pregnant. Aside from wanting to put cream cheese on everything, I also craved sugar. Hard core. There was a key lime pie phase, a lemon bar phase, a chocolate-raspberry truffle phase, a peanut brittle phase, and a cinnamon ice cream phase. Not that I was turning down any other sweets available amidst the cravings….I had assumed that once my daughter was born the cravings, and the sweet tooth, would go away. Incorrect. It seems that the sweet tooth that was neglected for so many years is here to stay, and wants to make up for lost time…

Now, despite my newfound love of all things dessert, I’ve never been a big fan of bread pudding; but, my sweet, wonderful sister recently brought me some amazing local eggs and raw milk from the farm she works on, and I wanted to put them to good use.

(Quick note: Sea Island Eggs are a much-coveted Charleston delicacy. Known locally as “Celeste Eggs” they are found on the menus of all of the best local restaurants. Why? Because they are delicious — nothing like the eggs you find in the grocery store. Next time you’re at your local farmer’s market, see if you can find a local egg purveyor. You’ll never be able to go back to supermarket eggs again, I promise.) I also just baked a loaf of bread yesterday, so putting the eggs, milk, and bread together for an easy dessert seemed like a no-brainer, but how to make it more appealing was another question entirely. I considered strawberries briefly — and then, out of nowhere, it hit me: caramel.

One of my favorite sweet things in the world is caramel. I LOVE caramel. Like, love it the way peanut butter loves jelly, like Ricky loves Lucy (bad analogy: my love for caramel is waaaay more affectionate), like a fat kid loves cake…or caramel for that matter… Eating caramel is an other-worldly experience, but for all of the complexity of its flavor it is astonishingly simple to make: milk (or cream), butter, brown sugar. That’s it — three simple ingredients. For this recipe the milk, butter, and sugar are all baked together with the bread, rather than separately making a caramel sauce, so it’s just about as easy as could possibly be.

Ingredients:

Yields 6-8 servings

– 2 2/3 c.  whole milk

– 1/4 c. butter

– 1 c. brown sugar, plus 2 Tbsp.

– 3 eggs

– 1 tsp. vanilla

– 1/4 tsp. salt

– 3 c. cubed (about 1”) day-old bread — use the rest of that baguette left over from last night’s dinner, or some crusty French bread, or use my easy recipe to bake your own, but don’t use pre-sliced sandwich bread — your results will be disappointing

– 1/4 tsp. vanilla

– 2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Cut bread into cubes, removing crusts

2. Toast bread briefly under broiler, until crisp. I tossed mine in about a tablespoon of melted butter, but it’s not necessary

3. Set oven to 350F

4. Scald milk*

*Scalding milk is not a common practice anymore. It used to be crucial when baking, but now that our milk is pretty much all pasteurized there’s not the same concern about bacteria. However, when working with breads it is a good idea to scald your milk to keep the bread fluffy. To scald milk:

– Heat milk over medium-low heat

– Stir frequently

– Cook until just beginning to bubble and steam, but DO NOT boil

– Remove from heat

5. Add butter to scalded milk and let cool

6. Add two eggs, plus one egg yolk to one cup of the brown sugar. Mix well.

7. Place bread cubes in a greased bread tin or a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish

8. Add cooled milk to egg/sugar mixture. Add vanilla and salt. Mix well.

9. Pour liquid mixture over bread cubes

10. Sprinkle cinnamon and remaining 2 Tbsp. brown sugar over top of bread

11. Set casserole/bread tin in a pan containing about 2” of water

12. Bake in oven at 350F for 50 minutes or until a skewer or knife inserted into the center comes out clean

* Be very careful removing the pan from the oven! That water is HOT — strain it carefully into the sink before attempting to remove your casserole or bread tin from the pan.

Serve warm or cold.

I was kicking myself for not having any vanilla ice cream or whipped cream in the house — that would have been unbelievable. I topped it instead with a little bit of powdered sugar and a splash of raw milk. So good I had two pieces and had to stop myself from eating more…

It also occurred to me that adding chopped apple, pear, or banana into this would be absolutely insane. In a good way. Or chunks of dark chocolate?!? Craziness! It might be too much to handle…

Adapted from Farm Journal’s Country Cookbook, 1959

Best Blueberry Pancakes

Blueberry pancakes are the perfect lazy Sunday breakfast, though, I would gladly eat these for dinner any night of the week…These pancakes are substantial and yet somehow light at the same time, and showcase one of summer’s best fruits.

 

Ingredients:

Makes about 1 dozen pancakes, depending on size

– 1 c. flour

– 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

– 1/2 tsp. salt

– 2 Tbsp. sugar

– 1 egg, beaten (or 1/4 c. applesauce)

– 1 c. milk (or almond milk) — 1/4 c.  more can be added if you desire thinner pancakes

– 4 Tbsp. melted vegetable shortening or butter

– 3/4 fresh blueberries

*ingredients in parentheses are for vegan recipe

 

Directions:

1. Heat skillet or griddle over medium heat

2. In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar

3. In another bowl, add milk to beaten egg and mix well

4. Stir melted shortening or butter into milk-egg mixture

5. Combine flour and liquids at once and beat until perfectly smooth

6. Fold in blueberries

7. Grease griddle

8. Using a soup ladle or 1/4 measuring cup, pour batter into center of heated pan

9. Bake until you see air bubbles appear on the top of the batter, then flip until both sides are golden brown

10. Continue with remainder of batter

11. Serve immediately with maple syrup, fruit reduction, honey, butter, or jam

12. Enjoy!

Adapted from The Modern Family Cookbook, 1942

Sweet and Salty Peanut Butter Cookies

My brother’s birthday is on Monday. Unfortunately (for me, anyway) he is spending the summer working on Nantucket. So, since I will not be able to celebrate the anniversary of his arrival into this world in-person, I’ve opted instead to send him a care package. Along with road atlases of the American Southwest, Chile, and Mexico, a Moleskin journal, and break-away piece of amazing dark chocolate, I am also sending homemade peanut butter cookies; his favorite. I’m a big fan of the sweet/salty flavor combo, so I decided to add some crushed salted peanuts to my usual recipe. These were delicious! I think next time I’ll try making these using cashew butter and salted cashews….and maybe sprinkling a little sea salt over the top before baking too…

Ingredients:

Makes 2 dozen large cookies

– 2 1/2 c. flour

– 1/2 tsp. baking soda

– 1 tsp. baking powder

– 1 c. butter or butter substitute

– 1 c. sugar

– 1 c. brown sugar

– 2 eggs, beaten (or 1/2 c. applesauce if making vegan)

– 1 c. peanut butter

– 2 tsp. vanilla

– 3/4 c. crushed, salted peanuts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375F

2. Measure flour, baking soda, and baking powder into a large bowl

3. In a separate bowl, cream together butter (substitute) and both sugars. Beat until well blended, but not fluffy

4. Add eggs (or applesauce), peanut butter*, and vanilla to creamed sugars

* Tip: To prevent peanut butter from sticking to your measuring cup, spray cup first with a little cooking spray — it minimizes mess and frustration!

5. Add peanut butter mixture to your flour and incorporate fully

6. Add crushed peanuts to dough. I just put my peanuts into a large ziploc bag and used a pestle to crush them…

7. Mix well

8. Using your hands and/or a spoon, roll pieces of the dough to form smooth balls. I made these cookies rather on the large side, but the size you make them is totally up to you

9. Place cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet, with at least 2” between each

10. If desired, press tops of cookies with the tines of a fork to get that old-fashioned PB cookie look

11. Bake for 10 minutes, or until golden

12. Let cool on cookie sheet about 5 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack or paper towels to finish cooling. I find I get the best results when I bake 1 tray at a time…

And, of course, I had to do a taste test before sending these. Delicious!