Peanut Butter Snickerdoodles

My mom baked peanut butter cookies and Snickerdoodles all the time, but never thought of combining these two flavors--my favorites.

Peanut Butter cookies date back to 1910 in the United States. George Washington Carver, an American agriculture educator who stressed that peanuts could replace the cotton crops that were damaged by Weevils for the farmers wrote a book, "How to Grow the Peanut and 105 Ways of Preparing it for Human Consumption" and in the book, there were three recipes for Peanut Butter Cookies.  However, it wasn't until 1932, published in the Schenectady Gazette that the criss-cross marks made with the tines of a fork appeared.  Pillsbury instructed cooks to do this because peanut butter cookie dough is dense and by pressing it with the fork, the cookie cooks more evenly.

Snickerdoodles are likely German in origin called Scheneckennudal.  Somewhat like a sugar cookie, except Cream of Tartar is substituted for baking soda and the cookie is rolled in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar.  Cream of Tartar, chemically referred as Potassium bitartrate, crystallizes in wine casks during the fermentation of grape juice.  Removing these crystals and straining through cheesecloth is called beeswing.  The white powder is used in many culinary and household purposes. It gives the "crunch" is these Peanut Butter cookies that are normally soft and chewy.

Peanut Butter Snickerdoodles
1/4 cup (4T) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. Cream of Tartar
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt

1/4 cup granulated sugar
1T cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.  In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars together for 5 minutes, until fluffy.  Add the peanut butter, vanilla, and egg and mix on medium until combines.  Scrape down sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.  Add the dry ingredients and mix on low until combined; the dough will be stiff.

Form 1-inch balls from the dough and roll in the sugar/cinnamon mixture.

Place on the parchment lined baking sheet, about 2-inches apart.  Use a dinner fork to create the criss-cross pattern.  Bake for 10-12 minutes until brown.

These recipes makes almost 3 dozen.  Now, grab a glass of milk, take a bite and imagine you're a kid again coming home from school and mom has baked cookies.  Enjoy!

Apple Snickerdoodles...now, it's Home & July's Give-Away Apron Winner...finally!

I've been so discombobulated these last few weeks with packing, traveling across country, and now unpacking to even think about doing anything like blogging, but receiving my copy of The Baking Sheet from King Arthur Flour and seeing a recipe for Apple Snickerdoodles made me smile.  Snickerdoodles are probably my favorite cookie from childhood; looking forward to my mother baking a batch when I got home from school is a fond memory.  These have a definite twist with apple, but the aroma coming from my kitchen made me feel like home again.

The difference in taste is the addition of Boiled Cider and Apple Pie Spice, but the cinnamon-sugared, crunchy cookie tells you it's a Snickerdoodle.

Apple Snickerdoodles
3/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup (4 T) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup Boil Cider
1 tsp. Apple Pie Spice*
1 large egg
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
2 3/4 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. Apple Pie Spice*
2 tsp. Cinnamon

*The original recipe calls for 2 tsp. Apple Pie Spice with the sugar to roll the cookies in before baking.  I used 1 tsp. in the dough and 1 tsp. in the sugar mixture, plus I added 2 tsp. cinnamon.

Preheat oven to 400F-degrees (I bake using the Convection setting and lowered the temperature to 380F-degrees)  Line a baking sheet with parchment.

In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the shortening, butter and sugar together thoroughly.  Add the egg, boiled cider, and apple pie spice and mix on medium to incorporate.  Scrape the sides of the bowl as need with a rubber spatula.

Add the dry ingredients and mix on low just until combined--don't over mix.  I actually used the rubber spatula to stir in the dry ingredients.  Prepare the sugar/spice mixture and scoop up some dough, roll into a ball, then, roll in this mixture.

Place balls onto the prepared baking sheet and flatten slightly with the bottom of a glass or as I used, my "meat tenderizer."

Bake 9 to 11 minutes--with convection, it took exactly 9 minutes.

Remove pan from the oven and allow to cool slightly before transferring the cookies to a rack to cool completely.  

The crispness is delightful and the slight tartness of the apple is a nice touch, especially with Fall around the corner.  I'm missing Washington a little, but the more exploring we do, the more I'm liking beginning a new chapter in my life.  I promise photos of these beautiful area soon. Enjoy!

Now, the important thing...the Winner of July's apron is Happy Cottage Quilter.  Please email me your mailing information and the apron will be winging it's way to you, XOXO

I'd like to promise that there will be an apron up in the next few days for August, but with just a week left in this month, I'm shooting for September!


 

Snickerdoodle Biscotti

It seems like ages since I've been in the kitchen to bake; between work and a quick trip to North Carolina, it's only been a week, but still, that's a long time for me.  We've decided to list our home and try, once again, to relocate to the east coast and be closer to family, hoping the real estate market will be kind to us:-))

The "Triangle" (Raleigh, Durham, Wake Forest) area is our destination and I was able to find a builder who will be building our last home! I'm emphasizing last because that term has been used (by hubby) in our past three locations:-D  We've driven through North Carolina several times on the way to Hilton Head and Orlando and Kelly lived in this area for about a year after college, but unlike the Seattle area, I felt I needed to go there and see if I got the "feeling."  I never visited the Pacific Northwest because my grandfather had been stationed at Bremerton and my mother had told me about the area; her brother was born here.  Happily, upon my brief visit to North Carolina, I got the same feeling...in a big way!

Now, the stress begins to list our home once more while juggling a very hectic work schedule.  I've already started the cleaning and sorting, which I do love about a move, but all of this does make for very long days.  So, this morning, I decided to create one of the most comforting foods I remember from childhood, Snickerdoodles, but in a biscotti version.  Simple and satisfying while I assemble kits for workshops and continue to clean and sort.

Snickerdoodle Biscotti
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 T vegetable shortening (I used the butter-flavored)
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. ground Cardamon
2 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 tsp. salt

Topping:
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  
In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter, shortening and sugar together until fluffy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl, as needed, with a rubber spatula.  Beat in the vanilla and cardamon.

Mix the flour, cream of tartar, and salt together, then add to the bowl.  Mix on low, just to incorporate the dry ingredients--DON'T OVER MIX!  The dough will be somewhat sticky, but resist adding additional flour.  

I use a cookie scoop of dough to create the "log".  Wet your finger tips and smooth the surface, then heavily sprinkle the topping over the logs.

Bake in the preheated oven for 28 to 30 minutes.  Remove and allow to cool about 10 minutes before transferring to a cutting board.  Use a serrated knife to cut into 3/4" to 1" slices.  Place the slices on the baking sheet and return to the oven.  Bake 10 minutes more.

Remove the pan and turn the biscotti over to the opposite side and bake another 6 or 7 minutes.  Allow to cool completely before storing cookies.

Makes approximately 30 biscotti.

Simple and satisfying...now back to work! Enjoy! 

My beautiful granddaughters, Madison (4 1/2 yrs) and Emersyn (14 mos)

[If you'd like to visit my daughter's blog to China to bring Emmie home, you can read about it here.]