Recipe - Peanut Butter Cookies

I don't think I've made peanut butter cookies since the kids were little, but last night I got me a real hankerin' for some, so I made a batch and boy! Were they ever good! Thought I'd share the recipe with you here today! Enjoy! 

PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup shortening (I used canola oil)

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 egg

1 1/4 cup flour (I used Prairie Gold whole wheat)

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix ingredients together and chill dough for at least 3 hours. 

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Shape into 1 1/4-inch balls. Place 3 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten in crisscross pattern with fork dipped in flour. Bake 10 to 12 minutes.

Cool slightly before removing from cookie sheet; cool completely. 

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Until next time...

~Rebecca

Recent and related posts that you might enjoy reading...

And The Winner Is...

Master To-Do List and Menu Plan Monday - February 27, 2023

Winter Food Challenge Update - February 21, 2023

Note: The link to this recipe has been posted on the following sites, as well...

Grammy's Grid

Vintage Style Gal

Recipe: Braided Easter Egg Bread

I made this pretty braided bread last year to serve with lunch on Resurrection (Easter) Sunday. Even though I didn't get my ends sealed good and it kind of came apart on the back side, it still turned out nice. It was really good and everyone liked it! I thought I'd share the recipe with you here in time for Resurrection (Easter) Sunday this year! 🐇

Braided Easter Egg Bread

Do not cook the whole eggs. They will bake at the same time the bread does. The eggs can be dyed for extra color, if you desire.

BRAIDED EASTER EGG BREAD

2 1/2 cups flour, divided

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 package (2 1/2 teaspoons) active dry yeast

2/3 cup milk

2 tablespoons butter

2 eggs

5 whole eggs, dyed if desired

2 tablespoons butter, melted

In a large bowl, combine 1 cup flour, sugar, salt, and yeast; stir well. Combine milk and butter in a small saucepan and heat until milk is warm and butter is softened but not melted. 

Gradually add the milk and butter to the flour mixture; stirring constantly. Add two eggs and 1/2 cup flour; beat well. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out on a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic.

Lightly grease or oil a large bowl (or spray with pan spray); place the dough in bowl and turn to coat. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into two equal size rounds; cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Roll each round into a long roll about 36-inches long and 1 1/2 inches thick. Using the two long pieces of dough, form a loosely braided ring leaving spaces for the five colored eggs. Seal the ends of the ring together and use your fingers to slide the eggs between the braids of the dough.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place loaf on a buttered baking sheet and cover loosely with a damp towel. Place loaf in a warm place and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes. Brush risen loaf with melted butter.

Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 30 minutes. 

Yield: 1 1-pound loaf

Servings: 10

Braided Easter Egg Bread Before Baking

Until next time...

~Rebecca

Recent and related posts that you might enjoy reading...

Master To-Do List and Menu Plan Monday - April 11, 2022

Master To-Do List and Menu Plan Monday - April 4, 2022

Spring Bucket List 2022

Recipe - Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

My husband's dad first introduced me to pineapple upside-down cake when I was just a kid. It was his favorite cake and it's one of mine, too! I decided to make one last night and thought I'd share the recipe with you here today. 

PINEAPPLE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

1/4 cup butter

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

9 pineapple rings (drained) (or, as you can see, I used pineapple tidbits instead - 1 20 oz. can drained)

1 1/3 cups flour

1 cup sugar 

1/3 cup oil 

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup milk

1 egg

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a 9-inch square pan, melt butter in oven. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over melted butter. Arrange pineapple tidbits over brown sugar.

In a medium bowl, beat remaining ingredients with electric mixer on low for 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour batter over pineapple tidbits.

Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. If desired, immediately place heatproof serving plate upside down over pan; turn plate and pan over. Leave pan over cake a few minutes so brown sugar mixture can drizzle over cake; remove pan. Serve warm. Store cake loosely covered.

My Husband's Late Father and Great Lover of

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake, Rudy Knox

Until next time...

~Rebecca 

Recent and related posts that you might enjoy reading...

Master To-Do List and Menu Plan Monday - October 18, 2021/Trip to Stockton Photos

Master To-Do List and Menu Plan Monday - October 11, 2021

Recipe For A Fall Favorite - Apple Cake

Don't forget to enter the drawing for the Sue Hooley 2022 Daily Planner giveaway! For more details click HERE.

Recipe For A Fall Favorite - Apple Cake

I had several fresh apples that needed used up in a hurry, so, this afternoon, I'm making a fall family favorite...apple cake! This time, though, I'm experimenting with cutting the amount of sugar called for in the recipe in half. Instead of using the two cups of sugar called for, I'm using one-cup of crystalized cane sugar and a half-cup of THM Super Sweet. I'll let you know how it turns out. If that works I will cut it by even more next time. 

Apple Cake

APPLE CAKE

4 cups peeled, finely chopped apples
2 cups sugar (I generally use 6 tablespoons of THM Super Sweet now instead of sugar, but either will work)
1 cup oil (I use olive)
2 eggs, well beaten
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3 cups flour (I use half unbleached white/half wheat)
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9 x 13 inch baking pan with non-stick cookingspray. In bowl stir together apples and sugar; let stand for 20 minutes, stirring often, to allow moisture to make juice. Add oil, eggs and vanilla to apples. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt; add to apple mixture. Stir in nuts. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Top with sifted
powdered sugar.

Apples @ Stoplight Market in Butler, Missouri

Until next time...

~Rebecca

Recent and related posts that you might enjoy reading...

Wisdom Wednesday - Proverbs 6:6-8

Instant Pot Cooking

Master To-Do List and Menu Plan Monday - October 4, 2021

2022 Homemaker's Friend Daily Planner Free Giveaway

Don't forget to enter the drawing for the Sue Hooley 2022 Daily Planner giveaway! For more details click HERE.

Recipes For Sourdough Starter, Pancakes, and Biscuits and Link To a Beginner's Sourdough Bread Recipe

It's been a while since I've made any sourdough starter, but due to a renewed interest in my own health and healing, I determined, this morning, to find a half-gallon jar and get some starter going.

I've shared these recipes before, but it's been a while, so I've decided to share them again. 

What about you? Have you tried your hand at sourdough before? If so, what's been your experience? Do you have any recipes to share?

Here are the recipes that I have to share and, since I can't find my mother's recipe for sourdough bread, I will share a link to the Beginner's Sourdough Bread Recipe that I am going to try next. You can get to that recipe by clicking HERE.

NOTE: You can use the following starter for the 2 teaspoons of sourdough starter called for to make the 1/4 cup of Active Sourdough Starter in the recipe mentioned above at Little Spoon Farm.

Should you choose to do so, have fun experimenting with, cooking, and baking with sourdough! 

SOURDOUGH STARTER

1 package active dry yeast
1/4 cup lukewarm water (potato water is good)
2 cups warm water
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar

Using a quart size (or half-gallon) mason jar or crock, dissolve yeast with 1/4 cup water. Allow to stand several minutes then stir in water, flour, and sugar. Cover with a cloth. Leave overnight at room temperature. Stir down several times as mixture rises to top. The longer the mixture stands at room temperature, the stronger the sour taste. Replace cover and refrigerate until ready to use. To maintain an ample supply of starter, each time you use it, replenish it with equal amounts of warm water and flour. Makes about 2 cups.

SOURDOUGH PANCAKES

(This is the sourdough recipe that we usually use.)

Mix the night before using:

2 cups flour
2 cups milk
1 cup starter

Let stand overnight at room temperature.

When ready to cook, add:

2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Stir batter until well mixed. Grease griddle if necessary. Pour or spoon pancake batter onto hot griddle. When bubbly and puffed, turn and brown other side. Serve with your favorite syrup. Makes 16 pancakes.

For future use, add to starter:

1 cup water to original jar
1 cup flour
1 tablespoon sugar

Keep refrigerated.


SOUR DOUGH BISCUITS

Mix the night before using:

1 cup sourdough starter, at room temperature
1/2 cup warm water
1 cup flour

Let stand overnight at room temperature.

1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon sugar
Bacon drippings or butter or olive oil

About 1 hour before serving, turn dough out on 1 cup of the flour on a bread board. Combine remaining 1/2 cup flour with baking powder, soda, salt, and sugar. Knead flour lightly into batter. Make a well in the dough and mix dry ingredients into the batter, kneading lightly to get correct consistency for rolling dough without sticking. Roll to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut biscuits with a cutter or into 2" x 3" rectangles. Brush tops with warm bacon drippings or warm butter or olive oil. Place biscuits 1/2 inch apart on baking sheet, or close together in a 9-inch square pan, and set in a warm place to rise about 1/2 hour. Bake at 400 degrees about 20 minutes. Makes 14 biscuits.

Until next time...

~Rebecca

P.S. - After posting this post I found my original Sourdough Bread recipe. You can get to it by clicking HERE. 

Recent and related posts that you might enjoy reading...

Wisdom Wednesday - August 18 - Proverbs 18

Master List and Menu Plan Monday - August 16, 2021

Thursday Things - A Visit From Youngest Daughter, a Crescent Moon, Meteor Shower, Splendor, and More

Recipe: Almond Butter Cookies

Almond Butter Cookies

In cleaning out the fridge today I came across an open jar of almond butter. I didn't want it to go to waste, so I did a Google search on ways to use up almond butter. I got lots of ideas, but settled on cookies. I found a recipe that called for ingredients that I had on-hand, tweaked it a bit, and came up with two-and-a-half dozen of these soft and chewy almond butter cookies. I thought I'd share the recipe with you!

ALMOND BUTTER COOKIES

1 stick of butter

1/2 cup almond butter (I use Maranatha brand)

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)

1 egg

1-1/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl cream together the butter, almond butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Beat in the egg and add the dry ingredients. Combine thoroughly. Roll into 1-inch balls and place on baking sheets. Press a whole almond into the center of each cookie. Bake for 10 minutes or until cookies begin to brown. Cool on a wire rack and enjoy!

Until next time...

~Rebecca

Recent and related posts that you might enjoy reading...

Master List and Menu Plan Monday - July 26, 2021

Master List and Menu Plan Monday - July 19, 2021

My Husband's Obituary

Recipe - Good Earth Rolls

Sue Gregg's Good Earth Rolls are a family favorite. They taste great and are super healthy!

GOOD EARTH ROLLS

1. (Optional) Soak 1/3 cup sunflower seeds in water and let stand overnight (preferred) or while mixing dough.

2. Blend in a 2 cup glass measuring cup in order given and let stand until bubbles up (5 to 10 minutes):

   1/2 cup very warm (but not hot) water

   2 envelopes (2 tablespoons) active dry yeast

   1 teaspoon honey

If yeast mixture threatens to bubble over top of container before you are ready to use it, stir it down.

3. Meanwhile, blend in mixing bowl:

   1 1/2 cups very hot water (not boiling)

   1/3 to 1/2 cup honey

   1/4 to 1/3 cup olive or canola oil

   2 teaspoons salt

4. Add and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon about 3 minutes:

   1 1/4 cup hard white wheat flour or whole wheat flour

   dissolved yeast mixture

5. Add water, yeast, and honey mixture, as well as, the remaining flour as needed to prevent sticking while kneading about 10 minutes:

   2 cups hard white wheat flour or whole wheat flour or      

      unbleached white flour

   2 1/2 to 3 cups hard white wheat flour or whole wheat            flour

   sunflower seeds, drained, optional

6. Place dough in bowl, lightly grease top, cover, and let rise until double, about 1 hour.

7. Punch dough down in center with fist, knead down and divide in half. Shape each piece into 12 rolls.

8. Place rolls in greased pans so that they are barely touching. Let rise in warm place 15 to 20 minutes.

9. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Brush rolls immediately after baking while hot with soft or melted butter. 

Makes 2 dozen rolls.

Until next time...

~Rebecca

Recent and related posts that you might enjoy reading...

Master To Do List and Menu Plan Monday - February 15, 2021

Valentine Vignettes

Tuesday Tidbits

National Chocolate Cake Day

It's a cold, wintery afternoon here in southwest Missouri. In fact, we woke up to snow this morning.

My husband and I are still a bit under the weather so we're just staying in and taking it easy. I made a pot of taco soup and a pan of cornbread this morning for us to enjoy as we felt like it throughout the day and I started a jigsaw puzzle...Great Painters...The Impressionists.

Great Painters - The Impressionists

While scrolling through Facebook I discovered that today is National Chocolate Cake Day! To celebrate I made our favorite chocolate cake with a new-to-us, but very old-fashioned frosting recipe. Here are the recipes for both...

COCOA FUDGE CAKE

1 2/3 cup flour

1 1/2 cup sugar

2/3 cup cocoa

1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup oil

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour (or spray with pan spray) a 13x9x2-inch pan. Mix all ingredients together well and pour into cake pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until done. Ice with Broiled Butterscotch Frosting.

   Broiled Butterscotch Frosting

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup margarine or butter, softened

1 cup chopped nuts

2 tablespoons milk

Mix ingredients together (I omitted the nuts) and spread over warm cake. Set oven control to broil or 550 degrees. Broil cake about 5 inches from heat until frosting bubbles and browns slightly...about 3 minutes. (Watch carefully as frosting burns easily.) Frosts one 13x9x2-inch cake.

I wasn't sure about this frosting at first, but my husband and I both really like it and I will definitely make it again.

How about you? How's your Wednesday going and what's the weather like where you're at?

Until next time...

~Rebecca

Recent and related posts that you might enjoy reading...

Master List and Menu Plan Monday - January 25, 2021

Master List and Menu Plan Monday - January 18, 2021

Women's Ministry

Recipe For Soft Batch M & M Christmas Cookies

 

SOFT BATCH M & M CHRISTMAS COOKIES

A yummy holiday treat!

1 cup M & M's

1 1/2 sticks butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups flour 

2 teaspoons corn starch

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coarsely chop 1/2 cup of M & M's candy and set aside. In a large mixing bowl cream together butter and sugars. Mix in egg and vanilla. Add flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just combined. Stir in chopped M & M's. Form dough into balls (I used a heaping tablespoon's worth for each one) and space evenly on a cookie sheet that has been greased or sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Press five whole M & M's into the face of each dough ball. Bake for 10 minutes or until edges just start to brown.

Until next time...

~Rebecca

Recent and related posts that you might enjoy reading...

Christmas Tree #2 - Pink Victorian

Christmas Bucket List 2020

Master List and Menu Plan Monday - December 7, 2020

Around The Yard and A Couple of Cobbler Recipes

Hello, Ladies! 💗 

I pray that your day has been a good one and that your Holy Week is progressing beautifully! Did you see that moon last night??? Absolutely gorgeous! Our day here has been a good one!

Dogwood Buds

What's the weather like where you live? Here, in southwest Missouri, today has been considerably cooler than yesterday (60 degrees as opposed to 90) and, in a few short hours, we will be under a freeze warning. The weather is as crazy as everything else is right now! 

Purple Iris

I spent much of the morning in prayer and Bible study, then, my husband and I worked outside for a bit this afternoon. He weeded flower beds and I decided to repaint a couple of the cheap little lawn ornaments that have been hanging around the yard for a couple of years or so now.

Before

After

 They're far from perfect, but are definitely more colorful than they were before repainting them!

Before

After

I painted with acrylic paint, then, sprayed with a clear sealer. That should help them to hobble along for another year or two, even though they're not in the best of shape. I have no idea what happened to the frog's tummy, but it's gone. If I find it I will paint and repair! (ribbit!) 🐸

Our youngest son and his family came by today. Walmart in Lamar had gotten a shipment of toilet paper in, so they brought us a couple of packages. While they were here, Tony repaired my computer. I don't know how I did it, but I had lost several crucial screws and both hinges had popped exposing the insides of the computer at both back corners. I'm glad he got it fixed! I was afraid that it was going to completely come apart on me and here I'd be! (Thanks, Son!) 💗

I've probably shared it before, but I thought I'd share my mother's Easy Peach Cobbler recipe with you tonight. 

What made me think of it is, I've seen a similar recipe going around Facebook for a while now, but it called for one quart of fruit and mentioned blackberries. 

The recipe that's been going around Facebook...

Melt butter in baking pan. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and milk.
Pour batter in pan on top of butter; cover with fruit. Do not stir;
batter will rise to top as it bakes and absorbs the flavor of the fruit.
Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream.

A friend of ours had recently given us a gallon each of frozen blackberries and frozen mulberries. This morning I decided to try the "Lazy Man's" Pie Peach Cobbler recipe using half a quart of blackberries and half a quart of mulberries.

Lazy Man's Cobbler

It turned out okay and tasted good, but something wasn't right. It was way too thin and a bit rubbery. I determined to find Mom's recipe and find out what was different.

Mom's recipe uses more baking powder, no salt, and, specifically, calls for canned peaches, but, other than that, it's the same recipe. The size of the pan used, the temperature of the oven, and the length of baking time, I'm sure, is what made the difference. 

Mom's recipe calls for an 8x8 pan and bakes @ 400 degrees for 25 to 35 minutes, whereas, the other recipe doesn't specify what size pan to use at all (I used a 9x12) and bakes @ 350 degrees for an hour. 

Next time, I will use Mom's recipe and just substitute the mixed berries for the peaches. I'm sure it will result in a much nicer product in the end.

Here is my mother's recipe...

EASY PEACH COBBLER

1 stick butter or margarine

1 cup sugar

1 cup milk

1 cup flour

2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 large can of peaches

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix all ingredients, except butter and peaches together. Melt the butter in an 8x8x2-inch cake pan in oven. Pour batter over the melted butter, then top with fruit. Add juice accordingly as to how moist you want the cake. Bake at 400 degrees until done (approximately 25 to 35 minutes). Enjoy!

Until Next Time...

~Rebecca

Recent and related articles that you might enjoy reading...

Easter Story Snack Bags, Passover, Sedar, Matzah, and More

Passion Week - Resurrection Cookies (Recipe)

Home Management Monday - April 6, 2020

Stress-Relief Baking and My Mother's Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Recipe

In the midst of this pandemic, I've read from multiple sources that baking is a great way to relieve stress and I believe it! I've been baking up a storm here! 

In fact, I sent a GIF of this guy to my daughter-in-law the other day and told her that this was me in the kitchen that day. 😆

(To view the GIF click HERE.)

The day that I sent it to her I had made cookies, three small loaves of French bread, and four loaves of Amish Friendship Bread. That was a lot of baking in one day...even for me! 😅 

So, what about you? Are you a baker? If so, do you find that you are baking more now than usual? What are some of your favorite things to bake?

Today I'm including this family favorite recipe...my mother's Best-Ever Oatmeal Drop Cookie recipe. 

Mom used to bake these cookies for me when I was a child and I made them for my own children as they were growing up. Now, my daughter and her children make them, so this is a recipe that spans at least four generations...maybe more!

Not only are these cookies wholesome and comforting, but this recipe makes a big batch...approximately 4 dozen cookies. 

MY MOTHER'S BEST-EVER OATMEAL DROP COOKIES

2 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 c. oats
1 cup softened butter or margarine
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. white sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1/2 c. milk
1 c. raisins
3/4 c. chopped nuts

Mix all ingredients until well blended. Drop by teaspoonfuls on cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes.

Until next time...

~Rebecca

Recent and related posts that you might enjoy reading...

Home Management Monday - March 30, 2020

Like A Tree (Jeremiah 17:7-8 and Psalm 1:1-3)

The Steps of a Good Man (Psalm 34:23-24)