Playing in the kitchen is something that I love to do. I’m not claiming to be great at it, but I am generally unafraid to try making the new and different (unless it is seafood). I can hold my own, but I honestly feel I do my best when it’s just the four of us McGlauns. The more people added, the more pressure of perfection I place upon myself. Thus ensues shut-down mode, with average-at-best turn out. But, there are a few things that I have worked on until they’ve reached perfection. One of those is homemade biscuits. I had to figure out how to make the homemade taste like canned flaky biscuits with the kiss of homemade buttermilk biscuit taste to get my family to even give from-scratch biscuits a chance. They are all canned biscuits fans, which is nothing short of sacrilege in our deep-South neighborhood. It took me ten years of sporadic experimentation, but this slow study finally got it!
My best and most favorite thing that has to be right and perfect every time is Peanut Butter Cookies. It is a recipe from my MeeMaw’s cookbook, and it has been Bethany-ized according to the sage advice of my good friend and baker extraordinaire, Leroy McGillicuddy. I offer it here for your testing pleasure. Uncomplicated, but I am absolutely obsessive with the process at the end. Missing a step really does change the perfect texture and doneness outcome.
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup sugar (I use unbleached cane sugar)
cinnamon – amount varies with mood!
1 egg, preferably free-range, organic, farm-fresh because that’s just what we do 🙂
That’s all. Anything else taints the perfection that the simplicity of a peanut butter cookie should be.
Preheat oven to 350*F.
Mix ingredients. I find that they taste better if you mix them in an heirloom bowl from your grandmother, by hand with a wooden spoon. It adds to the authenticity of the experience.
Roll dough in Tablespoon amount, then press with a fork for that traditional criss-cross look
generally makes about 15-18 cookies
Bake cookies for 9 minutes.
Cool cookies ON PAN for 5 minutes.
Move to wire baker’s rack to finish cooling.
If I ever share these with folks, I have to make at least 2 batches. My dear husband isn’t keen to share the sweetness with anyone, only begrudgingly allowing the kids to have a few. (He really does share them, but it really is begrudgingly, haha!) So see, it doesn’t have to be complicated to be delicious!
I hope you give these a try and that you enjoy your peanut buttery treat.
Journey Into Freedom 