Saturday, June 12, 2010

An Ode to the Peanut Butter Cookie

Today is one of the best "holidays" of the year: National Peanut Butter Cookie Day!!!

I loathe the so-called Hallmark Holidays, where pressure is put upon people to buy flowers and diamonds and chocolates and greeting cards to avoid becoming a dreaded pariah. God forbid that how your loved ones treat you on a plain ol' weekday, rather than how much debt they incur to celebrate Valentine's Day or Mother's Day or Administrative Assistants' Day, should matter!

But a day to worship the beauty of the peanut butter cookie??? Oh, this is something I can support wholeheartedly! The simplicity, the richness, the crumbliness, the aroma, the luscious taste!!! There is little in life that satisfies and happifies like a peanut butter cookie ... :)

Because I love these treats so much, I have taken a few moments to write "An Ode to the Peanut Butter Cookie." It's actually a haiku, 'cause I'm a verbose blatherer but I ain't no poet and a haiku didn't take a whole lot of effort. But my heart is in it, nonetheless:

I should write an ode
to peanut butter cookies ...
after I eat one.

Peanut Butter Cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups unbleached flour
1/3 cup honey roasted peanuts, chopped fine

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a baking sheet.

In a large bowl, beat together butter, sugar and brown sugar. Mix in egg, peanut butter, baking soda, salt and vanilla. Stir in flour and peanuts.

Form 1" balls of dough and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Using the back of a fork, press the dough to form indentations in the dough; then press the dough in the opposite direction to form a cross-hatch pattern.

Bake for 10-12 minutes until cookies are golden. Let cool on a rack.

Makes a lot of cookies, but it's still never enough!


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19 comments:

Cranberry Morning said...

Love the haiku! How could I have missed this important event! My calendar has Memorial Day and the phases of the moon, but no mention of National Peanut Butter Cookie Day. :-)

I love them TOO!! :-)

Sharlene T. said...

Hello from Lady Bloggers Tea Party! What a great day to discover your blog...peanut butter cookies!...yummy...come visit when you can...

Bring Pretty Back said...

Oh my gosh! That was great! Ode to the peanut butter cookie! You are so funny! YES! I think you could make an adorable cookbook! with funny wit , recipe's and info!

Natalie said...

Yummy - peanut butter cookies are one of my favorites! And the ode is perfection :)

Swinging by from Lady Bloggers - enjoy your weekend!

Single and Sane said...

I had no idea there was a holiday for Peanut Butter cookies. The recipe looks great and I love the haiku.

Thanks for stopping by my blog. You're one of my Lady Bloggers tea party stops.

I'm following now so I'll be back!

Michelle said...

Love it! I made some retro no-bake peanut butter, chocolate, oatmeal cookies. :)

Lisa @ Grandma's Briefs said...

Yum! Visiting from LBS and it was your cookie photo that lured me here -- especially because I've not yet had breakfast (or coffee, so excuse any typos!). I love that you note National Peanut Butter Cookie Day. I like to celebrate funky days and holidays with my grandson; I should have sent him PB cookies for today. Oh well, there's always next year.

Enjoy the tea party visits!

Debbi Does Dinner Healthy said...

I find it interesting how peanut butter cookies have to have the fork marks. I remember making them once and NOT putting the fork marks and people said they didn't taste as good. Crazy but everyone always puts the fork marks. :-) These look great, thanks!

Anonymous said...

Stopping by from Lady Bloggers Tea! Love your blog - LOVE!

[Following!]

-Meg


Life of Meg
www.megnificentlife.blogspot.com

Chef Dennis Littley said...

I love peanut butter cookies...I have to get a new calender that has all the important days on it!

Leanne said...

YUMM-O!!! LOVE the National Peanut Butter Cookie day (I had NO idea! I should go buy a special dress!) Stopping by from Lady Bloggers Tea, as well! So glad I did! I'm a follwer now - so I'll be back!

Renée said...

My favorite thing, peanut butter anything, artichokes too! Anyway, thanks for visiting Singing With Birds so I could find you. Your pink blog is delightful and I will be back often. Happiness to you!

Robin said...

I didn't know until today that the Peanut Butter Cookie had its own holiday. Well, isn't that delicious? I am not sure whether to share this or not... hmmm... I have the lazy peanut butter cookie recipe. It is... oh, I can't tell you. I know you won't respect me in the morning. Happy Holiday!!!!

Beth Zimmerman said...

I wish there was peanut butter in the pantry so I could celebrate appropriately! There isn't because I have been known to sit down with a jar of peanut butter and a spoon and get up with an empty jar and a dirty spoon. I LOVE peanut butter but it just isn't safe!

Nicole said...

Thank you so much for stopping by! To visit your site and find peanut butter cookies and mutual distaste of sushi - you have a new follower! :-)

Nicole

Anonymous said...

My students made me the best peanut butter cookies ever. love them. I'm writing about food over at Confessions of a Startled Fat Woman. Coconut Almond cookies. Yum. Dropping by from Lady Bloggers Tea Party.

Team Chastain said...

Fabulous blog! I'm starving now! Think I'm going to grab a spoon and the jar of peanut butter! LOL

Rachel (Diary of a Recovering Chocoholic) said...

Stopping by from Lady Bloggers Tea Party. Those peanut butter cookies sound amazing! I'm following now,

Shonda said...

New follower, your picture caught my eye and I love food. My husband's name is Jeremy too! Follow me at www.jsknowlton.blogspot.com. Thanks!


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