pb and o so early cookies

i'm that person

the one that is rarely late

the one that calls restaurants

to say i'm running behind schedule

i'm that person

leisurely sauntering through the airport

who

doesn't huff and puff when someone has 7 layers of clothes to remove

along with lace up knee high boots

at security

because

i am neurotic

i always have time to spare

i missed a plane 

once

in the 90s

because of an accident on a country road

traffic was stopped dead

no fighting it

it was 3 days before my sister's wedding

i was maid of honor

and

 i hadn't had my dress fitting

consequently

it took me more than a day of travel

 which meant

a last minute dress fitting

resulting in

a poorly made dress

which meant

when my dance partner accidentally stepped on the bottom of my dress

most of it (the dress)

ended up lying in a heap

on the dance floor

and i stood

in my very classy

maroon stockings

a slip

3 inch heels

and crop top

now

i am neurotic

about airline travel

2 hours before flight time

i like to be sitting at the gate

not 

at the check in

or

security

but 

at.the.gate.

which brings me to today's recipe

recently

while enjoying the sights and sounds of milwaukee international airport

for hours on end

i purchased a peanut butter oatmeal cookie as big as my head

hubster and i both thought it was genius

peanut butter and oatmeal

sadly

genius it was not

great idea

poor execution

i knew i could make something that tastes better

and i did

peanut butter and oatmeal cookies

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter

1 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

2 tsp vanilla

1 1/4 cup crunchy peanut butter

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs

3 cups old fashioned oatmeal

mix the salt,baking soda, flour, graham cracker crumbs and oatmeal in a large bowl.  in a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat together the butter, dark brown sugar and granulated sugar, until fluffy.  add the egg and vanilla..and beat until fully incorporated.  beat in the peanut butter and beat for 1 minute.  add the dry ingredients all at once and stir until fully mixed. form into balls and flatten with the tines of a fork.  bake at 350 for about 10 minutes.

these are delicious right out of the cookie jar, but also wonderful with a scoop of peanut butter chocolate ice cream sandwiched between.


linking these up to
sweet as sugar cookies

sweets

i have decided that dropping pies on the

 abandoned and soiled (dinner) table-tops

isn't going to cut it this year

so

i am having a 

sweets table

which means

i can't just serve pie

and there has to be a variety of tastes

creamy, crunchy, chewy, citrus, chocolate

warm, cold

and visual intrigue

apparently

feeding 20 people 

isn't stressful enough

as it stands now

my sweets menus is this

pecan pie

pumpkin pie

banoffee pie

pavlova with lemon curd and cream

chocolate torte

sticky toffee pudding

shortbread cookies with almond glaze

clementines

assorted nuts in shells

figs stuffed with walnuts

homemade chocolates

holy smokes

as i see it written here, i realize

i've gone overboard

yet again

i have a brother

that is the picture of health

and nary a sugar or fat

shall pass his lips

except for these

my peanut butter cups

which i have 

formed into turkeys

in a post modernist

close one eye and look at it

 in a darkened room 

kinda way

peanut butter turkeys
(printable recipe)

molded chocolate oval cups

bittersweet chocolate ganache

1 cup chunky peanut butter

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

1/2 cup +/- powdered sugar

piped chocolate "tail feathers"

fill the cups about 1/3 of the way with cooled but still runny ganache. place in refrigerator to cool completely.  mix together the peanut butter, graham cracker crumbs and powdered sugar. add more powdered sugar to taste and to get the right consistency...like a firm cookie dough.  remove the cups from the refrigerator and place an mound of peanut butter on top of the ganache--forming a rounded top. cover with a layer of ganache and pop in the tail feathers.  let cool at room temperature or in the fridge if you are pinched for time.

megpies

in a few short days

my niece and god-child

is heading off to college 

i am filled with pride

intelligent, engaging, athletic and determined

she has grown up so very fast

in these last few days of summer vacation

the entire family has been together 

relaxing in the sun, 

by the pool and at the beach

and when the sun goes down

playing in the kitchen

"meg pie" is a nickname

meg pies are a serious dessert

conjured up, tested and refined

by meghan herself

and she has graciously

allowed me

to blog it

as a going away gift 

meg pies
(printable recipe)

good white sandwich bread

peanut butter

jelly or jam

1 1/2 cups pancake mix

1 tsp baking powder

1 egg

1/2 cup cold milk

approx 3/4-1 cup cold lemon-lime soda or soda water

oil for frying

ice cream for eating

in a skillet with deep sides, heat about 2" of oil to 350f.  meanwhile

mix together the pancake mix, baking powder, egg and milk. slowly pour soda in to make a batter, thick enough to coat the bread---but not as thick as pancake batter.

make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, being generous with both.  you can cut the crust off, but it is not necessary. fully immerse the sandwich in the batter and lift to let the excess drain off a bit.  do not let it sit and soak, you want the bread to be firm. immediately fry in batches. turning as necessary.  cut into quarters and serve with ice cream. 

**these are also yummy with nutella, bananas, dulce du leche and chocolate