July 23, 2012

Baking with Lady Shortcake: Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Cookies

I had had a jar of peanut butter lying in my kitchen cupboard for a while. Each time I’d open the cupboard to reach in for a can of baked beans or some sugar I felt like it was staring at me pleading to be used somehow. Even though I was a big peanut butter sandwich fan as a child (a school lunch box staple), I kind of grew out of it. In India peanut butter isn’t uncommon in grocery stores but its usage remains quite limited, generally for sandwiches or toast. However, if you’ve ever visited the US or even watch any US television series, you can’t help but notice the myriad uses they have for it. Whether it’s pairing it with jam or preserves to make ‘peanut butter and jelly’ sandwiches (a concept that has since further inspired cupcakes, bars and cookies) or Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups – a very popular candy, peanut butter is an integral part of the American pop culture. They really seem to incorporate it into everything! Knowing this, it wasn’t a surprise when my husband, having spent many years in the US for his higher education, mentioned loving peanut butter. I was inspired to finally do something about that lonely jar screaming for attention. While I’m still working on finding the idea of coupling peanut butter and jam appetizing, I thought I’d take baby steps and start with a peanut butter version of one of my favourite cookies – chocolate chip! 
PEANUT BUTTER AND CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
Makes 12 cookies
Ingredients for the Cookies
1 cup flour
¾ cup peanut butter (both creamy or crunchy work)
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 egg
½  cup (approx. 110gms) butter at room temperature
1 cup chocolate chips

Other Things You'll Need
Cookie tray
Rubber spatula
Mixing bowl
Electric hand mixer
Ice-cream scoop

Creating the Magic
  1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.  
  2. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt and keep aside
  3. With an electric mixer cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. 
  4. Add vanilla essence, peanut butter and egg one at a time, beating until smooth (not if you’re using crunchy peanut butter). 
  5. Bit-by-bit add the flour mixture and stir with a rubber spatula with broad strokes till the mixture is well incorporated. 
  6. Using an ice-cream scoop (if you don’t have one, use a spoon) drop small balls of dough on the cookie sheet at least an inch apart from one another. 
  7. Bake for 10-12 minutes, remove from oven (they may look a bit under-cooked and doughy still, but remove nonetheless) and allow to cool. Devour immediately after!
  

3 comments:

  1. OHMYGOODNESS !! This looks like a work of the devil - i lost 12kgs this year. ThankGOD i dont know how to operate my oven!! THEY DO LOOK ABSOLUTELY YUMM and Such a easy recipe

    P.S. How were they!?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My guess is as good as yours . . . Lady Shortcake never shares the wealth!

      Delete

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