Baking Extravaganza (with something for everyone)
Hosting a work meeting should always mean providing snacks, of course. I took advantage of the opportunity and decided to try a few new recipes. I knew I wanted to do something vegan and using pawpaws (see previous food porn post). And then a cookie that had ALL the good bad things in it.
As I was hauling out my sack of Bob's Red Mill Whole Wheat Pastry flour (and that is some good shit right there. Go get some.), I noticed a recipe for Peanut Butter Honey cookies on the back of the bag.
I have a crazy co-worker who tries to avoid processed sugars. Hmmm.
Finally! A cookie for breakfast. OK, so we all eat all kinds of cookies for breakfast anyway...but these have HONEY in them, so that makes it better. Right?
Peanut Butter Honey Cookies
(credit Bob's Red Mill, and check out a non-dairy version)
- 1 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup peanut butter (I used natural smooth PB, but recommend using crunchy for more texture)
- 1 cup honey
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 tsp vanilla
Preheat oven to 350. Grease cookie sheet or line with parchment.
In one bowl, whisk together flour, soda and salt. In separate bowl, combine peanut butter, honey and butter. Add egg and vanilla, mix well. Add flour mixture to peanut butter mixture and stir until combined.
This will produce a very very soft and sticky batter. Like, you're going to look at it and think "This can't be right." It's OK. It's gonna be FINE.
Using a spoon, scoop the dough onto the parchment, about 1 inch apart. They aren't going to spread much, despite the softness of the batter. I used a fork wiped with a little oil to press into the top of each cookie, to provide the standard "this is a peanut butter cookie" code.
Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on rack. Eat them ALL.
Hello vegan friends. I have something for you too, an adaptation of a Thug Kitchen recipe for a delicious muffin!
Don't be afraid of the vegan! These are really some of the best muffins I have ever made.
Thug Kitchen has a very excellent recipe for Peanut Butter Banana Nut muffins in their first cookbook (new book, Party Grub, is just out). Scared of Substitutions In Baking? This one is easy.
Almond Butter Pawpaw Craisin Muffins
(thanks Thug Kitchen!)
- 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 TBS baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup almond butter (or any nut butter, although I didn't think PB would be good with the pawpaw)
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 3/4 cup plain almond milk (or any non-dairy milk)
- 1 1/2 cups mashed pawpaw
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2-1 cup craisins (or any dried fruit - or nuts for that matter)
Heat oven to 375 and prepare 12-muffin tin either by greasing or using muffin papers.
In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, mix the almond butter and brown sugar until well-blended. Stir in milk, pawpaw and vanilla, mix well.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until just combined. This is a job for a spoon or spatula, not the mixer. Add craisins and fold in.
Plop the batter into the muffin cups - they should be almost filled. Bake 18-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of one comes out clean.
Using spoon or spatula, scrap any remaining batter from the bowl and eat. After cooling about 15 minutes, eat a muffin. Or two.
Like your baked goods with sugar and fat and all of that?
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
(credit to "Michele" who posted this recipe at allrecipes.com)
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour (yes, you could sub the whole wheat pastry flour for the whole flour shebang!)
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup oatmeal
- 1/2-1 cup chocolate chips
Heat oven to 350.
In a bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate large bowl, cream the shortening, butter, sugars and peanut butter until well-blended. Add eggs one at a time and mix. Add flour mixture and mix. Stir in oatmeal until evenly distributed, then fold in chocolate chips.
Drop by spoonful onto cookie sheet and bake about 10 minutes or until just golden brown at the edges. Don't overbake!
Makes about 3 dozen cookies, minus whatever you ate in dough.