I’m back at it. Making a dessert that includes peanut butter. I simply can’t seem to help myself because I’m such a devotee. Actually, since being confined to quarters since the covid-19 outbreak, I have been eating more sweets, and in generally eating more items from the forbidden food groups than is reasonable, even during a pandemic. Either that or my bathroom scale is lying to me, and somehow I doubt that since my jeans seem to be in accordance with the scale.  

We were social distancing with friends on Sunday afternoon, and while the guys (timE3 Jazz) were making music in Tim and Suzie’s back yard, the rest of us were spread out in lawn chairs having interesting conversations. There were two other people in attendance along with “the wives”. Devon, Tim and Suzie’s son, and his partner Octavia were also enjoying the music and comradery. And of course there was wonderful food throughout the afternoon. At one point as we were discussing food, Octavia mentioned that she’d heard a phrase used lately that pretty much summed up my current eating style. People were saying that they had been eating like “an unchaperoned nine year old boy at a birthday party”. And I thought to myself, that’s exactly what I have been doing. I’ve been eating like there is no tomorrow and no consequence for my bad behavior. (It may have something to do with emotional eating. It is after all a very difficult time for everyone right now.)

Well at my age there is a consequence for almost any excess you care to mention. Too much lifting, my back twinges. Too much walking down hill, my knees hurt. Too much sitting at my computer, my hips start to ache. Too much food, my bathroom scale starts to scream if I even look at it! Unlike when I was in my 20s, 30s, 40s, and even into my 50s, excess pounds could be shed by just cutting consumption for a few days. Since my 60s, my body has been absolutely reluctant to part with even an ounce. So what makes me think that just because it’s an unprecedented pandemic, my body is suddenly going to acquire the metabolism of a pygmy shrew? (Oh what fools we mortals be!!!)

Anyway, I decided maybe it’s time to once again take command of my body and just say no to excesses of any kind. And the first and foremost is to stay away from my refrigerator for longer periods of time while I still have some dignity left. (And I can still fit into my jeans.)

But before I stop talking and thinking about food (at least for the rest of the afternoon), let me tell you a bit about these bars. They are delicious and easy to prepare. Nothing more to say.  

Let me leave you with this quote from Winston Churchill. “The truth is incontrovertible, malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is.”

Please consider Mr. Churchill’s words very carefully as you approach the upcoming November election. It is a critical time for our country. Regardless of your political affiliation, listen for the truth.

And remember, there is never going to be a perfect candidate. No platform is ever going to match your every wish or belief. But intelligent people who are familiar with listening and learning, are going to make more informed decisions than politicians who lead from ignorance and spite.

Ask yourself these simple questions:

Which candidate would I trust more with my personal safety? Which would I trust more to care about my immediate and future medical needs? Which will attempt to take care of our planet so that future generations will have clean air to breathe, food to eat, and a place to sleep? Which candidate will consider my basic needs before the greater monetary aspirations of a wealthy few?

These seem like very personal, all about me, questions. But when it comes right down to it, it really is about each and every person individually. And if policies and plans make life better for everyone – that includes you. If policies and plans diminish resources and make it even more difficult for individuals and families to have their basic needs met; that affects you too. Maybe not directly, if you are one of the lucky ones. But someone in your family or circle of friends is going to be adversely affected. Listen for the truth. Peace and love to all.  

1 c. unbleached all-purpose flour

½ c. + 2 T. rolled oats

6 T. brown sugar, packed

½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

6 oz. (¾ lg. pkg.) cream cheese, room temperature

¼ c. granulated sugar

1 egg

2 T. creamy peanut butter (not the natural kind)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

½ c. semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used mini chocolate chips)

½ c. peanut butter chips

In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the flour, oatmeal, and brown sugar together. Add the butter and mix on medium speed until the mixture resembles small clumps. Measure out ¾ cup of the crumb mixture and set aside in a separate bowl.

Pour the remaining crumbs into a lightly greased 8×8-inch baking pan (glass preferably) and press evenly into the bottom of the dish. Bake for 15 minutes in a pre-heated 350 degree oven (metal), 325 degrees for glass.

Meanwhile while the crust is baking, in the same mixing bowl, cream the room temperature cream cheese and granulated sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the egg, peanut butter, and vanilla extract. Mix well. Stir in the chocolate and peanut butter chips.  

When the crust is done baking, remove from the oven and spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the crust. Top with the reserved oatmeal crumbs.    

Using the convection option if you have it, bake the bars for 25-30 minutes or until the middle is set and the crumb topping is a light golden brown.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Please note: If you want to make a peanut butter bar, omit the chocolate chips and replace them with additional peanut butter chips. If you want an all chocolate crumb bar, replace the peanut butter with Nutella and use only chocolate chips.   

     

Now I know these bar cookies are not on my list of foods that should be eaten on a daily basis. They are not even on my list of foods OK to have once a week. However, they are now on my list of easy and delicious treats that I plan to repeatedly enjoy to satisfy my ever expanding peanut butter craving. Of course, by eating these blondies it’s not only my craving that is expanding. But this ugly reality can be left until our country is back to normal and my mental health is back to its usual happy, contented existence. (If either of these conditions actually happen, given the circumstances we are currently experiencing in America, I will be the first one to profess a belief that miracles can and do actually happen! Until then, it’s a cookie once in a while as a reward for keeping any burgeoning insanity in check!)

So if you too would profit by a sweet nibble, I most definitely recommend you give this recipe a try. I found the recipe on the sallysbakingaddiction.com site. I did make a couple of insignificant changes, but mainly because I didn’t have some of the same ingredients on hand that are called for in Sally’s recipe. So I can take no claim for this wonderful recipe. And truly, it is a wonderful recipe. The blondies are soft, and moist, and just bursting with flavor. I served them last evening to dear friends (social distancing of course), and they were proclaimed a winner.

As always, stay connected with what’s happening around you. But don’t let all the displayed hatred, fighting, and ignorance change who you are, what you stand for, or how you relate to others. And I know it’s not easy. In fact, I’m finding it quite difficult to even be civil to people who display outward signs of bigotry and injustice, and who flaunt their perceived civil rights in other people’s faces by not wearing a mask. Literally – other people’s faces. But I can’t let them win. I can’t let them turn me into an undisciplined, over-reactive person for whom moral integrality is just a thing of the past. Or simply an idealistic concept that no longer has any meaning in today’s world. I can’t let that happen. I fervently pray I won’t let that happen.

Luckily, I have a wonderful husband, a great family, and terrific friends to help me find my way through these unchartered waters. I hope you too are blessed with intelligent, reasonable people who are steadfast in their desire to remain decent, knowledgeable, and concerned with others, not just themselves. Peace and love to all.

¾ c. (1½ sticks) unsalted butter

2 c. brown sugar, packed

¾ c. creamy peanut butter (not the natural kind)

2 lg. eggs 

1 egg yolk

1 T.  vanilla extract (yes, tablespoon)

2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour (fluffed)  

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. kosher salt

¾ c. peanut butter chips

¾ c. milk chocolate chips

In a large glass mixing bowl, melt the butter in your microwave. When melted let sit for about 3 minutes before whisking in the brown sugar until well combined. Then whisk in the peanut butter, eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla until completely combined.

In a small bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Add to the butter mixture. (I use a regular old table knife to stir the batter because it’s quite thick.) Finally stir in the peanut butter chips and the milk chocolate chips. Spread the batter evenly into a lightly buttered 9×13-inch pan.  

Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Test the blondies with a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan. If it comes out wet, the blondies aren’t done. If there are only a few moist crumbs, or none at all, the blondies are done. (Don’t overbake or the blondies will be dry.)

Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely before cutting into squares.

Cover and store leftover blondies at room temperature for up to 1 week.

 

  

OK, I know I already have a recipe for Dark Chocolate Chip and Peanut Butter Chip Oatmeal Cookies on this site. And they are truly wonderful cookies too. But they’re just a little bit different, and variety is always a good thing. And speaking of good things, these cookies are really a good thing. Good for grownups, good for kids, and the perfect way to make life just a little bit better for those around us.

These are really difficult times we are living through right now. A virus that is adversely impacting everyone’s lives, societal tension (that I pray will help towards ending systemic racism), and our current leadership in Washington D.C., which appears to espouse authoritarianism rather than democracy.

Any one of these problems taken by themselves would be beastly. But all three at once? Like I said, these are difficult and totally unprecedented times we are all trying to successfully maneuver. So my answer, since I have no answer for the big problems, is to work on the small boo-boos. And what better way to lift someone’ spirits than by offering them a big old chunky cookie? OK, I know it’s not a substitute for world peace. But it’s an effort. And any kind of effort is better than nothing at all. You just never know what impact a simple gesture might make to someone’s well-being.   

The other day I received a lovely card in the mail. The card, along with the written sentiment, included a copy of my dear friend Ellen’s favorite recipes, and a couple clips from an old calendar by one of her favorite artists – Erica Oller. What a delightful thing for Ellen to do. And it truly made my day. It’s the little things in life that make people feel special. And this loving correspondence from my dear friend was just what I happened to need.

So bake some cookies, send a friend a note, phone a buddy, wave at strangers, or in your own way – make a difference.

As always, virtual hugs from Chez Carr. And I hope you enjoy the recipe.

1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp. 

1 c. granulated sugar

½ c. brown sugar, packed

2 lg. eggs, room temp.

1 c. peanut butter (not the “natural” kind)

2 tsp. vanilla

1½ c. “fluffed”* unbleached all-purpose flour 

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. kosher salt

2 c. rolled oats

1½ c. dark chocolate chips

1 c. peanut butter chips 

Cream the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until soft and well combined. Add the eggs, peanut butter, and vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat again as needed.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium sized mixing bowl.  

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined. Add the oats. Once combined, gently beat in the chocolate and peanut butter chips. Chill the dough for about 30 minutes in the refrigerator.  

Using an ice cream scoop, place balls of dough on lightly greased or parchment paper lined cookie sheet, a couple of inches apart. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 14-18 minutes or until browned on the bottoms. The centers will still look a bit soft.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool on baking sheet for 3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Store cookies in an airtight container.

Please note: I used a 2-inch diameter ice cream scoop (leveled off) and the cookies were a perfect size. Usually I make small cookies, but this time I went big! Made 25 sensational cookies.

*Fluffed Flour:

Flour stored either in the bag it came in or a covered container tends to compact. To prepare the flour for accurate measurement, fluff it up with a spoon, then shake the flour into the measuring cup, and level it off. I do this every time I use flour in cakes, cookies, or any recipe that calls for an exact measurement. Every single time! It truly makes a difference in the final product.

However, fluffing flour doesn’t matter as much for bread baking because there are just too many variables in building bread. The hydration of a sourdough starter, the type of flour used, etc. etc. But for most baked goods, fluffing flour is a must. Weighing flour is also an option. That is if the weight is provided in the recipe. Doesn’t happen that often, but weighing flour is the absolute best way to insure accuracy.

   

Once in a while I am reminded that although I included a recipe in one of my two cookbooks, I have not published the recipe on my blog. My bad, I know! Anyway, thanks Leslie C. for bringing my attention back to this recipe. I make these cookies with regularity. But because I have the recipe in written form, I just naturally grab my cookbook and go from there.

Anyway – this is just an old fashioned cookie recipe. One that I have been making for decades. And yes I have other peanut butter cookie recipes on this site. But when I want just a simple, take me back to the days of building cookies for my kids sort of cookie, this is the recipe I use. And for very good reasons. These cookies are simple to make, the texture is perfect, and they taste like peanut butter. Simple as that! Hope you enjoy this classic.

And sorry about no picture. I would have made a batch of these cookies and taken a picture, except we are low on peanut butter. And I didn’t want to make a special trip to the grocery store. Not with coronavirus lurking behind every corner. Besides, you know what peanut butter cookies look like. Your imagination will undoubtedly do better justice to these little darlings than I could provide with my slap hazard camera technique. I may have a few redeemable skills, but photography sure isn’t one of them! Stay healthy everyone – and keep baking.

Update: As you can now see, I have added a picture of these peanut butter cookies. After having written this post, I couldn’t stand it. I used the last of our peanut butter to build a batch. But it was worth it. And they are still as good as I remembered.

½ c. butter, room temp. (You can use soft shortening if you prefer, or half butter, half shortening)

½ c. peanut butter, smooth or crunchy (not natural style)

½ c. granulated sugar

½ c. brown sugar (packed)

1 egg

½ tsp. vanilla

1¼ c. unbleached all-purpose flour

½ tsp. baking powder

¾ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

Cream the butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until smooth. Mix in the egg and vanilla.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Gradually add to the butter mixture, beating well after each addition.

Using a medium sized ice cream scoop, drop balls of dough, 2 inches apart, onto a very lightly greased baking sheet. Flatten each in a crisscross pattern with the tines of a fork.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes in a pre-heated 375 degree oven. Do not overbake. As soon as cracks appear on the surface of the cookie, they are done.

Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container. Recipe easily doubles.  

There isn’t really anything too difficult about changing up a cookie recipe. And sometimes, as in this recipe, the outcome is truly delightful.

As some of you know, I’ve been on a malted milk kick recently. For those of you not familiar with chocolate malts, I’m going to recommend that you rectify this situation sooner rather than later. Because dear friends, there is nothing better than a chocolate malt.

So with malts in mind, I took a simple chocolate chip cookie recipe and added my own touches. I decided to use bread flour rather than regular unbleached all-purpose flour because I thought it would result in a crisp, yet chewy textured cookie. (More gluten in bread flour.) And I was right. The bread flour helped create just the perfect texture for a cookie. Then of course, the batter had to contain malted milk powder. And because I wanted a subtle chocolate flavored dough, I added just 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder. And because variety is the spice of life, I used 2 kinds of chocolate chips.

Now I know you probably already have a perfectly wonderful chocolate chip cookie recipe you unfailingly use. In fact, I too have several really delicious chocolate chip cookie recipes at my disposal. (And yes they are on this site.) But, for varieties sake, I hope you give this recipe a try. It’s just enough different to bring out the “OMG” response after just one bite. And truthfully, my husband and friends who have tried these cookies have declared them a winner.  

Call me crazy, but I think cookies are just what’s needed during this very stressful time. Baking cookies is one thing you can do with your kids in the comfort of your own home. And if you don’t have kids, then all the more reason to bake up a storm. More for you! But while you’re in the kitchen, you might want to prepare a big old pot of soup too. Hot soup just always feels homey and comforting. And all of us need as much comforting as we can get right now. 

Please know that I do not consider myself a pessimist. And I do know I am probably preaching to the choir. But I truly believe coronavirus is a huge cause for concern and that every measure that can be taken to prevent its spread should be taken. Because it seems to me that it’s only a matter of time before every one of us is exposed to this virus and have to personally deal with this real-life health threat. All the mandatory closures of schools and large gatherings is simply a way to slow down the spread of the disease. Because if everyone were to become infected at the same time, it truly would be a disaster. Hopefully keeping some distance between people will allow medical personnel enough time between incidences and therefore enough hospital space to assist in the saving of lives. A vaccine might even be developed, if not to completely eradicate the disease, but to mitigate some of the deathly effects.  

I also firmly believe our government and even the press have not explained the “why” of decisions being made like closing down schools as adequately as they should have. People learn and understand much better if they can see the logic behind actions being taken. And that the actions being taken are only made after a great deal of thought and study has been given by people truly in the know. Like health advisers, state governors, knowledgeable business people, economists, and school officials, to mention a few. Not some politico simply blowing smoke in Washington DC. Or some government official who has no medical knowledge telling us that the coronavirus is under control. Just talk plainly to us. Assume that we are intelligent, because most of us are intelligent. Tell us why precautions are being made for our benefit. And please, leave all the political bullshit behind. I don’t care if the person who is providing us with reliable information is a republican or a democrat. Or white, male, Asian, female, young, old, or has red hair or no hair at all. Just someone with knowledge, an ability to empathize with the situation, and a true concern for everyone on this planet.  

So dear friends, I will now turn the soapbox over to someone else. I’ve vented enough. Just please wash your hands. Get plenty of sleep. Keep yourself and your family safe. And feed your family good healthy food. And cookies. Cookies really do bring a smile to almost everyone’s face. Who doesn’t feel that all is right with the world after having just eaten a cookie? Peace, Love, and Good Health to each of you.

(And sorry for the pontification. I just couldn’t help myself! I just care.)

• 1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1 c. brown sugar (packed)
• ½ c. granulated sugar
• 3 lg. eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3¼ c. bread flour* (you can use unbleached all-purpose flour if necessary)
• ½ c. malted milk powder
• 1 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 2 c. milk chocolate chips
• 1 c. regular or mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy. Scrape sides down periodically. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract; combine well.

In another bowl, whisk the flour, malted milk powder, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together. Add to the butter mixture only until well combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Let dough sit for about 20 minutes.   

Using a small ice cream scoop, drop balls of dough onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet, spaced about 2 inches apart.

Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 14-16 minutes or until light golden brown around the bottom edges.   

Remove from oven and allow to cool for a couple minutes on baking sheet before transferring cookies to cool completely on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container.

*Remember to “fluff” up the flour as you measure it out. Use a spoon to fluff up the flour within the container. Use a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup. Use a knife or other straight edged utensil to level the flour across the measuring cup.

I found this recipe on the chocolate chocolate and more web site. The recipe looked perfect to me so I didn’t change a thing. OK, I did specify unsalted butter, unbleached all-purpose flour and kosher salt in my version because that’s what I almost always use in every culinary endeavor I undertake. Granted, regular bleached flour can certainly be used, and is preferred by some bakers. I just haven’t the time or energy to have one more type of flour in my pantry. So even though bleached flour has a whiter color, finer grain, and softer texture, I’m sticking to my guns (like I own any guns!) on this one. It’s unbleached flour for me all the way! Unless of course the recipe calls for whole wheat, bread, rye, self-rising, etc. etc. flour. Then there is really no choice to be made. Same goes for butter. If you prefer to use salted butter, go for it! However if you use table salt rather than kosher salt, you might want to cut back the amount to ¾ teaspoon. But back to these incredible cookies.

I guess the first thing I should say about these cookies is that they are really yummy. I chose to use large Guittard milk chocolate chips for my first batch because I thought the milk chocolate would go well with the darker cocoa flavored dough. And the flavor combination worked perfectly. However, for presentation sake, you might want to use smaller chocolate chips.

As you can see in the picture, the cookies came out quite thin. That’s great because they are very crispy. And I love crispy cookies. But the larger chips stick out so much you might draw a similarity between the look of these cookies and what lays on the ground in a field of cows. (No offence intended towards cows.) But it does give a whole new meaning to cow chip cookies. (If you aren’t from the Seattle area, Cow Chip Cookies is a local company that makes and delivers truly delicious cookies. So any reference to or mention of cow chip cookies is only made in the most positive way.)   

Anyway, even though lovely presentation is probably not going to be the first remark out of your mouth, these are still truly delightful cookies. Just give them a lot of room on your cookie sheet. Even though the dough is chilled, the balls of dough still seem to take pleasure in cozying up to their neighbors as they bake. But then, shouldn’t we all try harder to adopt that kind of “get closer to our neighbors” behavior. The world would sure be a lot better off if everyone expended just a bit more effort in that direction. Peace, love, and chocolate chip cookies to all.

• 1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 c. brown sugar, packed
• ½ c. granulated sugar
• 2 eggs, room temp.
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• ½ c. good unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¾ c. malted milk powder
• 2½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 12 oz. (about 2 c.) milk, semi-sweet, or mini chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugars together until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla, beat until well combined. In a separate bowl, whisk the cocoa powder, malted milk powder, flour, baking soda, and salt together. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture blending just till combined. (Remember to scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl periodically.) Stir in the chocolate chips.

Refrigerate dough for about an hour. Using a small ice cream scoop, place cookie dough balls on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet at least 2-inches apart. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes or until set and beginning to look crackly on top. Don’t overbake. Remove from oven and transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.