Aside from the fact that there's a half-cup in my standby oatmeal chocolate-chip recipe, I don't think I've ever actually made peanut butter cookies myself. I remember making them with my mom around Christmastime--the chilling of the dough, the criss-crossing with a fork--but I think that's it. So it's hard to say exactly why I became possessed with an urge to bake a batch today, but there you have it.
You may recall that we're into making our own peanut butter in the Cuisinart. I'm not totally sure why this started, except that Matt doesn't like the processed kind, the natural kind seems to leave something to be desired, and it's probably a little bit cheaper. That, and as with many things, we see value just in the doing of it. I also think it makes for a fresher, more intensely peanutty flavor to grind just as much as you need right before you use it.
So what I do for recipes calling for peanut butter is to measure out
just a little bit less in peanuts than the recipe calls for in peanut butter, and drizzle enough canola oil in to make it go around smoothly. One key to this process is to go slowly with adding the oil because the longer you whip it, the smoother and oilier it will naturally become as the oil is pulverized out of the peanuts. A good five minutes is probably adequate, but not much less than that.
The recipient of today's freshly ground batch was this recipe, which makes a dough so good you'll go weak in the knees. As I've mentioned before, one thing I love about Smitten Kitchen is that there's a devoted following of commenters who dissect every recipe in detail for potential and actual pitfalls. Fortunately and perhaps surprisingly, I wasn't beset by any of the problems other people mentioned: cookies that spread, "hippie" peanut butter that adversely affected the texture of the cookies. Other notes: I used chopped semisweet Ghiradelli from Trader Joe's (love that stuff!) and also added a handful of chopped peanuts, which added a lot in crunch and flavor; and I omitted the peanut butter chips, which I didn't have and which always seem a little strange to me. And I needed way more than a tablespoon for the sugar to press the cookies in--just start on the safe side and halfway fill a shallow bowl with it.
The verdict? Delicious. Tender, peanutty goodness.
As an aside, one of the reasons I am shackled so closely to our home today (as opposed to any other day off, right?) is that I'm anxiously awaiting the delivery of our new camera, which we've been saving for and coveting for awhile. Of course, it goes without saying that when it arrives, pictures of and by it will be in order.
You may recall that we're into making our own peanut butter in the Cuisinart. I'm not totally sure why this started, except that Matt doesn't like the processed kind, the natural kind seems to leave something to be desired, and it's probably a little bit cheaper. That, and as with many things, we see value just in the doing of it. I also think it makes for a fresher, more intensely peanutty flavor to grind just as much as you need right before you use it.So what I do for recipes calling for peanut butter is to measure out
just a little bit less in peanuts than the recipe calls for in peanut butter, and drizzle enough canola oil in to make it go around smoothly. One key to this process is to go slowly with adding the oil because the longer you whip it, the smoother and oilier it will naturally become as the oil is pulverized out of the peanuts. A good five minutes is probably adequate, but not much less than that.
The recipient of today's freshly ground batch was this recipe, which makes a dough so good you'll go weak in the knees. As I've mentioned before, one thing I love about Smitten Kitchen is that there's a devoted following of commenters who dissect every recipe in detail for potential and actual pitfalls. Fortunately and perhaps surprisingly, I wasn't beset by any of the problems other people mentioned: cookies that spread, "hippie" peanut butter that adversely affected the texture of the cookies. Other notes: I used chopped semisweet Ghiradelli from Trader Joe's (love that stuff!) and also added a handful of chopped peanuts, which added a lot in crunch and flavor; and I omitted the peanut butter chips, which I didn't have and which always seem a little strange to me. And I needed way more than a tablespoon for the sugar to press the cookies in--just start on the safe side and halfway fill a shallow bowl with it.
The verdict? Delicious. Tender, peanutty goodness.As an aside, one of the reasons I am shackled so closely to our home today (as opposed to any other day off, right?) is that I'm anxiously awaiting the delivery of our new camera, which we've been saving for and coveting for awhile. Of course, it goes without saying that when it arrives, pictures of and by it will be in order.
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