The Samuelsen Family: Fun Food Friday

This week I had planned on blogging on Fun Food Friday about a delicious, healthy, vegetable-rich dinner that I made the other night. I took pictures and everything. However, that will have to wait until next week as something more pressing and possibly more delicious has arisen.

Yesterday I made peanut butter cookies for Bible Study. I saw a recipe online and it caught my attention because it used an entire jar of peanut butter. I thought it sounded interesting and it got pretty good reviews so I decided to try it.

I hate to brag on my own creation, but these were the most amazing peanut butter cookies I have ever made and possibly have ever eaten. Soft, chewy, peanut buttery. I can't even explain it. Just make them. Or tell me to make them for you and I will because these cookies are something everyone should experience.

Oh and guess what!?!? They are healthy too!! Yeah right....they will probably give you a heart attack within 12 hrs if you eat too many of them, so watch out. Here's a copy of the recipe, which I found at allrecipes.com.

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened (2 sticks...yikes)
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 egg yolk (you know, because this recipe really needs some more fat in it...)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 (18 ounce) jar peanut butter
2 cups all-purpose flour-NOTE: I used more like 2.5 cups...more flour= thicker, chewier cookie. Just don't go overboard or else your cookies will taste flour-y.
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup chopped peanuts- I didn't use these but I'm sure they would be good.

Directions:
In a large bowl, cream butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Add the eggs, yolks, and vanilla; mix until fluffy. Stir in peanut butter. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt; stir into the peanut butter mixture. If you add extra flour, the dough will be pretty tough to stir/mix (I had to stir because my mixers are broken). Your efforts will be rewarded with thick, chewy cookies....mark my words.

Finally, stir in the peanuts. Refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours.

Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Take these cookies out of the oven as soon as they stop looking wet on top. They will still look raw- it's okay! If you wait till they look done in the oven they will be overcooked and won't be soft and chewy. I learned this from experience. Seriously, take them out even if they look raw. They will continue to cook a little after you take them out of the oven- that's why it's important to take them out before they are done. DO ITTTT!

Another yummy variation would be put a little Hershey's kiss on top of each one right when they get out of the oven. That's what my mom used to always do. Yummmmmm.