GUEST POST!! Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies with Almond Butter!

My cousin made these delicious cookies for her husband and daughter's class (my adorable goddaughter!)

I have been wanting to make cookies different from what I usually make and then I got the December edition of Cooking Light. I decided to try Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies, with some adaptations, of course. I used Barney Butter (see picture), an Almond Butter that I have been reading about on some other blogs. I also used ¼ SmartBalance blend rather than canola oil.

These were surprisingly delicious. My husband really liked them, which was surprising because I don’t think he likes peanut butter cookies, but the almond butter is very subtle. My daughter’s kindergarten class gobbled up the ones I sent in. The recipe says it makes 3 dozen, but I made 4 dozen. They were nicely chewy and not as flat as in the picture, although now I think that is maybe because I didn’t add the water.





CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES WITH ALMOND BUTTER
(Source: Cooking Light)

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
½ cup creamy peanut butter (or almond butter)
¼ c water (whoops, I never added that, didn’t even notice it until now)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large egg whites
1 large egg
12 ounces all-purpose flour (2 2/3 cups)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate minichips (I used more like ¾ cup)


DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Combine first 8 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth.

3. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Add flour mixture to peanut butter mixture, stirring just until combined. Stir in minichips. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart on 2 baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 12 minutes or until golden. Cool on a wire rack.

Guest Post: Fresh Berry Cake

This is another guest post from my cousin. Father's Day was a beautiful day here so it looks like the perfect dessert for a nice summer BBQ, I'm sorry I didn't get to try it.

For Father’s day, I wanted to make a berry cake for my husband because he prefers lighter desserts in the summer and really enjoys berries. I made the cake in a bundt pan. Rather than frosting it, I sprinkled powedered sugar on top and filled in berries in the middle and then served it with berries and whipped cream.

I got the original recipe from Good Things Catered but adapted it a bit.







Fresh Berry Cake

Ingredients:
2 c. plus 4 Tbsp all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
12 Tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/4 c. granulated sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla
2 eggs, at room temperature
¾ c. egg beaters
2/3 c. Fage 0% fat greek yogurt
3/4 c. blueberries
3/4 c. raspberries

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a bundt pan.
-In medium bowl sift together 2 c. plus 2 Tbsp flour, baking soda and salt.
-In bowl of large stand mixer with flat beater attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5-6 minutes, scraping as needed.
-Add the vanilla and beat until incorporated, about 1 minute.
-Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
-Reduce speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the yogurt and beginning and ending with the flour.
-Beat each addition just until incorporated, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
-In the bowl the flour mixture was in, add berries and 2 Tbsp reserved flour and toss to combine.
-Using a rubber spatula, gently fold berries into batter.
-Spoon batter into prepared pan and bake until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes.
-Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes.
-Invert cake to release from pan and let cool completely on wire rack before frosting and serving.

I made the cake in a bundt pan and then sprinkled powdered sugar on top and filed the middle with strawberries and blueberries. I served it with some whipped cream.

Guest Post: White Chocolate and Macadamia Nut Cookies

My cousin Allison is part of the reason why I started this blog and is an excellent baker and cook. She recently made these cookies for a PTA meeting at her son's school. They were all gobbled up!




Ingredients:
2 cups plus 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
12 Tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted & cooled until warm
1 c brown sugar, packed
1/2 c granulated sugar
1 large egg plus 1 yolk
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
11 oz bag white chocolate chips
1 cup macadamia nuts

Directions:-pre- heat oven to 325. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
-Mix dry ingredients together; set aside.
-With electric mixer, or by hand, mix butter & sugars until thoroughly combined.
-Beat in egg, yolk and vanilla until combined.
-Add dry ingredients & beat at low speed just until combined. Stir in chips.
- Drop in tablespoon size drops on cooking sheets
- Bake about 12-13 minutes
-Cool cookies on sheets until able to lift without breaking and place on wire rack to cool.