Yesterday we decided to go for an evening picnic up the Finney Creek Road out of Concrete, WA, then up a long, very skinny National Forest road to the Gee Point trailhead. (Mr. C. had wanted me to see this view since he had hiked up to Gee Point a couple of years before.) The view from the top of this road (and I use the word “road” loosely) is spectacular. You can see Glacier Peak, White Horse Mountain, and various other peaks around the Marblemount and Darrington environs. Fantastic. But this is not a drive for sissies. (I told Mr. C. when we reached the end of the road that I was very glad I had worn my big girl panties, because the last several miles of this “up to the top of the world” drive had scared the bajesus out of me. (Having survived some fairly amazing roads on our travels over the years, I’m usually fearless. But this road path we took yesterday was the scariest I have ever experienced.) But we made it up and down without breaking an axle, having to change a tire, or reaching the main road with a wet spot on the passenger side seat. (Just barely!)

We had planned to eat at the top. But when we got out of the truck, it was really cold, and the million or so mosquitos hovering around our bodies would have eaten us alive before we even got the table set or the cooler unpacked! So back we climbed into the truck and started our very slow trek down the long and winding road. Half way back to the main road we stopped at a one lane bridge, got our table and chairs out, and had our dinner. These delicious cookies were part of our picnic dinner.

Earlier in the day I had decided to build some cookies for our adventure. (We never want to go into the wilds of the North Cascades without a supply of homemade cookies. It’s almost a sacred Carr tradition. You just never know if a hungry bear might show up and demand a cookie as ransom for our lives!) So I decided to try out a recipe that I had been envisioning for quite some time.

Now I know, there are those of you out there that strongly believe that a good old fashioned peanut butter cookie simply cannot be improved upon. And I agree. But a variation on the basic peanut butter cookie can be delicious too. (Like my Chunky Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe already on this site.) For this variation, I decided to add salty peanuts and Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips. Yum! They came out soft, with a delightful crunch from the whole peanuts.

So regardless of whether you like your peanut butter cookies standard (see recipe below for my standard recipe) or enhanced, bake up a batch in the near future. Peanut butter cookies are just one of the loveliest creations on planet earth. Unless of course you are allergic to peanuts, then of course all bets are off!

• ½ c. unsalted butter (1 stick), room temperature
• ¾ c. packed dark brown sugar
• ¼ c. granulated sugar
• 2 lg. eggs, room temperature
• ½ c. creamy peanut butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1¼ c. unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ¼ tsp. kosher salt
• 1½ c. roasted, salted peanuts
• 1 c. peanut butter chips

Beat butter and sugars together in the bowl of a stand mixer for about 4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add eggs, peanut butter, and vanilla and beat until thoroughly combined.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl. Add to the butter mixture and beat on low until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add peanuts and peanut butter chips; beat on low just until incorporated.

Using an ice cream scoop, drop cookies about 1-inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 12-14 minutes or until light brown on the bottom edges but soft in the middle. Transfer to a rack to cool. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

 PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES – straight out of my Betty Crocker cookbook

• ¼ c. Crisco (plain)
• ¼ c. unsalted butter, room temperature
• ½ c. peanut butter
• ½ c. granulated sugar + more for dipping
• ½ c. packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1¼ c. unbleached all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp. baking powder
• ¾ tsp. baking soda
• ¼ tsp. salt

Cream shortening, butter, peanut butter, sugars, and egg until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add to shortening mixture.

Using an ice cream scoop, drop batter onto ungreased baking sheet(s) about 1½ inches apart. Slightly flatten each cookie with fork dipped in granulated sugar.

Bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 8-10 minutes. Don’t overbake. As soon as cracks appear on the surface, they are done. Remove from oven and cool on racks. Store in an airtight container.

OK, so I’m nuts about mint! I confess. I also rather enjoy chocolate. So in my estimation, mint brownies are one of the best ways to enjoy this terrific flavor combination. And these are the most delicious mint brownies I can ever imagine eating or serving to my family and friends.

First of all, the brownie itself is perfect. It is fudgy, dense, minty and above all a snap to prepare. You don’t even need to drag out your mixer. Plus, all of the ingredients are relatively inexpensive. No fancy chocolate required. Just good old fashioned, easy to obtain bulk cocoa. Doesn’t even have to be “Dutch” processed cocoa. And truly, no frosting is needed on these brownies. Simply not necessary. They are perfect unto themselves.

Then of course there are the mint chips. And because I shop at Bartell Drugs and Right Aid, when the Guittard mint chips appear on the shelves, usually around Christmas, I buy up several 12-ounce packages at a super good price. Then into the freezer they go. There is simply no way to anticipate when a mint crisis might hit me. Can even be in the middle of the night. Just knowing that there are mint chips in the freezer is like having my very own security blanket. (I really am a simple soul. Easily made happy and secure.)

Now I know there are those of you out there who do not like mint. I can’t fathom how that must feel, but I know it to be true. So for those of you unfortunate few, or for those of you who are purists and feel that additives like mint, chocolate chips, or nuts is a desecration to the true character of a fudge brownie, I have also given you my favorite brownie recipe from the King Arthur Flour recipe collection.

So all that’s needed now is for you to drag yourself into the kitchen and bake up a batch of either of these amazing bar cookies. And yes I know. You can buy some really good brownie mixes at a reasonable price. I use them on occasion myself. But when I want the very best, I turn to one of these two recipes.  Hope you enjoy them as much as we do. And sorry in advance. I know how addictive these brownies can be, but I still felt duty bound to share the recipes with you in the name of culinary excellence. Comments (keep them civil please) can be directed to me via email at chezcarrcuisine@wavecable.com

MINT CHOCOLATE CHIP FUDGE BROWNIES

• ½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• ¼ c. vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
• 2 tsp. real vanilla
• ¼ tsp. good mint extract
• 1 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
• ¾ c. cocoa
• ¼ tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. salt
• 2 c. sugar
• 2 c. (12-oz.) mint chips (I use Guittard Green Mint Baking Chips)

Melt the butter in a large glass mixing bowl. When the melted butter is room temperature, beat in the oil, eggs, vanilla, and mint extract. Whisk the flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt, and sugar together in a separate bowl. Pour the flour mixture over the liquid mixture and stir until well blended and smooth. Stir in the mint chips.

Scoop the batter into a lightly greased 9×13-inch baking dish (preferably glass) and bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes, or until the brownie just barely begins to pull away from the sides of the pan. Do not overbake.

Remove the pan from the oven and let the brownies cool completely before cutting. Store covered at room temperature.

FUDGE BROWNIES

• ½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• ¼ c. vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
• 2 tsp. real vanilla
• 1 c. unbleached all-purpose flour  
• ¾ c. cocoa
• 1 tsp. espresso powder, opt. (I use Madaglia D’Oro Instant Espresso Coffee)
• ¼ tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. salt
• 2 c. sugar

Melt the butter in a large glass mixing bowl. When the melted butter is room temperature, beat in the oil, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk the flour, cocoa, espresso powder, baking powder, salt, and sugar together in a separate bowl. Pour the flour mixture over the liquid mixture and stir until well blended and smooth. Scoop the batter into a lightly greased 9×13-inch baking dish (preferably glass) and bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes, or until the brownie just barely begins to pull away from the sides of the pan. Do not overbake.

Remove the pan from the oven and let the brownies cool completely before cutting. Store covered at room temperature.

I am writing from my trailer parked in the rain next to a rushing creek at Beverly Beach State Park in Oregon – South of Depoe Bay and North of Newport. We have had rain every day since we left home, except for the day when we were traveling from Forks, Washington to Grayland Beach State Park in Grayland, Washington. That lovely day it was snowing heavily, which, if you have ever pulled a trailer, is no damn fun at all! But thanks to Mr. C., we arrived safe and sound.

And because we now own a wonderful new land yacht (all 24 feet, 7 inches of it from hitching ball to the back of the spare tire) complete with a fabulous walk-around bed, a shower that I can actually turn around in, a galley large enough to prepare chili gracefully, and a dining/reading/computer operating/game playing table and comfortable bench seats, it can rain its bloody head off for all I care! I’m sitting warm and dry and ever so comfortable with my love by my side and my computer ready to grant my every off-line wish. The only thing missing is Wi-Fi and a Verizon cell tower. (Most privately owned RV parks have Wi-Fi available, but state parks tend to be more rustic, which is of course why we like them to begin with!) So although I am using word to create this preamble, I won’t be able to post this recipe until I reach civilization. But enough about me, let’s get on with this recipe. (Sending this from Harris Beach State Park in Brookings, Oregon using our Verizon Jetpack!)

But first, I must tell you how this recipe came to be.

Before we left for our month long trailer adventure, I asked Mr. C. what kind of cookie he would like me to bake for the trip. His answer – peanut butter. OK, I have a great recipe for peanut butter cookies. Actually the same one I’ve been using for about 50 years. Maybe it was time to update it a little? So I asked my dear husband if he would like a bit of chocolate with his peanut butter. He said, “couldn’t hurt”, so this recipe is the result.

I wanted the soft texture of my original recipe, with some crunch added to give the cookie a bit of character. So I added whole peanuts. Then I added chocolate chunks for the sheer joy of biting into a bit of chocolate once or twice a cookie. Mighty fine!

Now, when I baked my cookies, I left them in the oven a little too long. So instead of being soft, they turned out crisp. Nothing wrong with crisp, but I was after a softer texture. As it turns out, a crisper cookie was probably better for our trip because these cookies were planned to last the entire trip. (That is, if I dole them out they’d make it to the end of the trip!) So from a longevity perspective, a longer baking time probably produced a better outcome. But regardless of how you like your cookies, soft or crisp, this recipe is probably going to work well for you.

Just as a side note from my recent near death (not really) snow travel day. If you want to challenge yourself to something a little more difficult than baking cookies, sit in the shotgun (aka passenger) seat while your beloved spouse tows your brand new trailer through a blinding snowstorm. I promise you there is nothing quite like the feeling of pending doom as when snow continues to fall, the road surface is packed with slush or hard packed snow, and you are still far from camp. (Baking cookies just can’t achieve that same level of anxiety– thank God!) During such times, even if you are not intimately acquainted with the inside of a house of worship, you are none the less going to secretly invoke the blessing of every deity you have ever heard or read about. A religious experience, especially for someone as cowardly as I am! My suggestion for myself – stick to baking cookies. Much safer and ever so much more rewarding. And at all cost, try and stay away from snow when on a trailer adventure. Ya think!?!?

• 1 c. unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 c. creamy or crunchy no-stir peanut butter (do not use natural peanut butter or your cookies will be oily)
• 1 c. brown sugar
• ¾ c. granulated sugar
• 2 lg. eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. baking powder
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1 c. roughly chopped salted peanuts
• 1 c. chocolate chunks or chocolate chips
• Place the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar into the bowl of your mixer. Beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.  Scrape down the sides as needed. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for about a minute after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients gradually, mixing only until just combined. Mix in the chopped peanuts and chocolate chunks. Using an ice cream scoop, drop balls of dough onto parchment paper lined baking sheets about 2-inches apart.      

  Bake the cookies in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 8-10 minutes, or until they are set but still a little soft. (Don’t overbake if you want soft cookies. If you prefer crisp, crunchy cookies, bake a little longer.) Remove from oven. Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for 1 minute before transferring to a cooling rack. When completely cooled and the chocolate is hard again, store in an airtight container. 

   

   
   

Since I have been concentrating on recipes that fit my current lifestyle (no added sugar, low calorie, terribly healthy, and perhaps a bit boring), I have ignored posting some of my favorite recipes that I’m sure you would benefit from knowing about. And this recipe which I have been making every Christmas since my children were very young is one of them.

The recipe was originally published in Sunset Magazine sometime in the 70s. And since the recipe came from Sunset Magazine, our dear friend Eloise who introduced the cookie to our extended family, named them accordingly. And to date they remain “Sunset Cookies” to those in the know. (If I ever knew the real name of these cookies, it has long since eroded from my memory.)

But I am here to tell you, these cookies are really, really good. They are crisp like a shortbread cookie, but have a distinct flavor from the margarine. (And no, I hardly ever use margarine, but for these cookies it’s a must!)

These cookies are also fun to look at because of the variety of sprinkles that adorn their edges. And because they are formed in a log, then rolled in sprinkles, these “decorated” little darlings are a snap to assemble. No rolling out the dough, cutting them into shapes, and decorating them with various colored sprinkles, etc. After rolling in sprinkles, and refrigerating for about 30 minutes, simply remove the log from the refrigerator, remove the plastic wrap, slice into 1/3-inch rounds, place on a cookie sheet, throw in oven, wait the requisite time for the oven to perform it’s magic, remove from oven, and Bob’s your uncle!

Another lovely quality of these cookies is their longevity. They will gladly hang out in an airtight container for weeks without losing quality.

Now I know what you’re thinking. Do I really have to wait until next Christmas to make some of these cookies for my family? Of course not! You can build these cookies any old time you want. In fact, they would be great to send along with your child for a school event. That is if schools let you do that sort of thing anymore. Being about 30 years out of date when it comes to providing goodies for kids to take along to school, proof of ingredient origin, organic status, and non GMO manipulated ingredients might be required for all I know! What I do know is that airlines don’t serve peanuts anymore because someone might be allergic. What they have failed to realize, is that most people who are allergic to peanuts, know they are, and also know how to say – no thank you! But I digress……….. (It’s just that my dear friend Vicki and I miss those little bags of peanuts, so I’m a trifle touchy on the subject!)  

Anyway, peanuts on airplanes aside, give these cookies a try. Your family and friends will love them, and with the money you save by making these cookies instead of a double batch of chocolate chip cookies, you can afford to buy yourself some peanuts. I call that a win-win situation.  

• 1 lb. margarine (do not use butter)
• ¾ c. sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 4½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour
• colored sugar sprinkles

Cream margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. And vanilla and flour. Form into 1½-inch diameter round logs and roll in colored sugar sprinkles of choice. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Cut into 1/3-inch (no thinner) slices, place on an ungreased cookie sheet, and bake in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes or until very lightly browned on and around the bottom of the cookie. Remove from oven and transfer to a cooling rack. When completely cool, store in an airtight container.

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One of my favorite cookies in the whole wide world is a big old thick and chewy molasses cookie. And if my 72 year old body was kinder to me regarding the intake of sugar and my weight was still (like in college) regularly hovering around the 130 mark, I would eat one of these babies every day! But alas, neither of these 2 conditions are ever going to grace my (rhetorically speaking) doorstep again. (In fact, they’re never even going to get close to the state of Washington!) So needless to say, my being able to enjoy a ginger cookie with sheer abandon is no longer advisable or recommended. (Of course I can still eat broccoli any old time I please, but for some reason, it’s just not the same!)

But for Christmas this past year – 2016, I decided I wanted to update my regular ginger cookie recipe to incorporate an even more pronounced spice flavor. So I took my basic ginger cookie recipe, changed it up a bit, and the result is this cookie.

Now I must admit that you really need to like the taste of ginger to appreciate this cookie. But if you are not afraid of a cookie that slaps you in the face with flavor, and has an incredible texture that remains chewy for weeks, then this is the cookie for you.

And should someone ask you if these cookies are good for you, tell them unequivocally – YES! Blackstrap molasses contains the highest vitamin and mineral content of all types of molasses. Dr. Cari Case, D.C., reports that “a 2 teaspoon serving contains 2.39 milligrams of iron and 117.6 milligrams of calcium. This serving provides 13.3 and 11.8 percent, respectively, of the daily recommended values for these minerals. Iron is critical for the proper transport of oxygen to body tissues, and calcium is integral to numerous physiological processes that occur daily. Blackstrap molasses also makes a good option for individuals wanting to increase iron stores. Compared to red meat, another source of iron, blackstrap molasses is lower in calories and does not contain any fat. Other minerals found in blackstrap molasses are manganese, copper and potassium. Two teaspoons provides 18 percent of the daily requirements of manganese, 14 percent of the daily requirements of copper, and roughly 10 percent of the daily requirements for potassium. Other minerals and vitamins present are magnesium, selenium, vitamin B-6 and niacin”. Of course, what you tell them about all the butter and sugar – well – you’re on your own!

• 1½ c. unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 c. granulated sugar
• 1 c. brown sugar
• 2 lg. eggs
• ½ c. blackstrap molasses
• 4½ c. all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• ¼ tsp. salt  
• 4 tsp. ground ginger
• 1½ tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ground cloves
• sparkling sugar, opt.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and molasses. Whisk together the flour, soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves.  Add to the creamed mixture; mix well. Using an ice cream scoop (your choice for size), form balls and dip top into sparkling sugar before placing on ungreased baking sheets sugar side up. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies are just set. Do not overbake.

Cool completely on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container.