Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies

A friend invited us over to his apartment to celebrate his birthday last week. I had been craving cookies all week, so this was the perfect excuse to make them. After all, who wants to show up somewhere empty handed? (As always, changes in italics.)

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies
adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook, Bridal Edition

Ingredients

1/2 cup super chunk, all natural peanut butter
1/2 cup butter smart balance, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour- I divided this amount in half, and used whole wheat flour for the other half
1 cup chocolate chunks

Directions
1. In a large mixing bowl beat peanut butter and butter with electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar and brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour. Add chocolate chunks. Cover and refrigerate dough about 1 hour or until easy to handle.(I didn't refrigerate mine and they came out fine.)

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Shape dough in 1-inch balls. Place balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten the cookies by making crisscross marks with fork tines, dipping fork in sugar between flattening each cookie. Bake about 8 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Transfer to wire racks. Cool. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Review
These cookies were delicious. I really love peanut butter. So much, that I think I could probably eat it every day. The recipe says it yields about 36 cookies, which is more than we could eat. The BHG cookbook suggested spooning the dough out as if to make cookies, then putting it in the freezer for about a half hour. Once the dough is firm, remove them from the cookie sheet and store in a plastic bag. Now we'll be able to have a single serving of fresh baked cookies the next time we're in the mood! I hope this works out.

Sunday Afternoon Cocktails - Mint Julep

Last Sunday, I posted a recipe for a Mojito. With all this extra mint around, I searched the internet for other cocktails that used mint as an ingredient. Lo and behold, my search ended with the Mint Julep.

Here are a few facts about the Mint Julep.

• The Mint Julep is the traditional beverage of the Kentucky Derby.
  
• It should be served in a chilled silver or pewter cup, but is more often served in a collins glass.
  
• Over 80,000 Mint Juleps are served over the two-day period of the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby, requiring 8,000 liters of Early Times Mint Julep Ready-to-Serve Cocktail, 2,200 pounds of freshly harvested mint, and 80 tons of shaved ice.

Mint Julep
Kentucky Derby Website

Ingredients

2 cups sugar
2 cups water
Sprigs of fresh mint
Crushed ice (I used cubed)
Early Times Kentucky Whisky (We had Wild Turkey, so I used that instead)
Silver Julep Cups (I served in a regular glass that I chilled in the freezer for a couple minutes)

Directions

Make a simple syrup by boiling sugar and water together for five minutes. Cool and place in a covered container with six or eight sprigs of fresh mint, then refrigerate overnight.(NOTE: The makes way more simple syrup than you need, so I skipped infusing it with the mint and just made regular simple syrup. You can pour the remaining syrup into a container and use for sweetening other drinks. It will last for about a month or so) Make one julep at a time by filling a julep cup with crushed ice, adding one tablespoon mint syrup and two ounces of Early Times Kentucky Whisky. Stir rapidly with a spoon to frost the outside of the cup. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.