My Sweet Granny

 

 

When it rains on a Saturday I plan my afternoons around baking in the kitchen.  It's just meant to be - rain and sweet smells coming from the oven while cozy on the couch.  Having a little helper makes it such a joy, and our rainy days become something I look forward to.

My Granny was an amazing baker (and cook).  She made the best fried chicken, biscuits, and coconut cake you could ever imagine.  She cooked with real ingredients, everything from scratch and knew nothing better.  No substituting coconut oil, or greek yogurt, or applesauce but real butter, real sugar... and she lived to be almost 90.  I have inherited her cookbook (with her handwriting in it - something that makes it so priceless and my most prized possession).  She was the classiest lady you would have ever met.  She was a true southern lady, always polite but spoke what was on her mind.  She grew up from the farm, enjoying whole milk from her family's dairy farm and fruits and vegetables from her own garden.  She worked hard but enjoyed dining in the country club as often as she could.  She was my most favorite person, always has been, always will be - and I loved watching her bake (and cook) as often as I could.  When I bake with Chloe I find myself hoping she will love to be in the kitchen as much as I did as a child with my Granny - where food is love, and cooking for others is something that makes my heart grow exponentially.  Granny has been gone now for 10 years, but her presence remains and my love for her and baking is something that I hope to pass down for generations to come.

Granny was known to have a bit of a sweet tooth.  These PB cookies came from her cookbook - easy but yet delicious, and we had everything on hand, ready for an afternoon on a rainy day to bake away.

// Peanut Butter Cookies //

- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter)
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 all natural peanut butter
- crushed up reeses cups, as much or as little as you like (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
In a small bowl mix together flour, baking soda and salt.  In a medium bowl, use a handheld electric mixer to cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.  Add the egg and beat until fully incorporated.  Add the vanilla and peanut butter and beat until full incorporated.  Add the flour mixture and beat until well mixed.  Stir in reeses cups lightly to the batter.

Using a tablespoon, drop the cookie dough onto the cookie sheets, lined with parchment paper.  Press each cookie with a lightly floured fork.  Bake about 15 minutes and let cool.

Makes about 30-35 cookies.



Granny would have enjoyed these with a side of ice cream, and coffee with lots and lots of cream.