Pictured are my peanuts drying - more on that below, but first. .
Peanuts...and chocolate. I like both but not necessarily in the form of say a Reese's. They do not have a 'balance' of flavors with the peanut butter over-taking the chocolate.
I found a combination that pleases both myself and my wonderful guy, who loves Reese's but is always willing to try something I make.
A couple of years ago, during one of my holiday baking times, he asked if I would make peanut butter cookies. I said sure, then started looking at recipes and got to thinking how I might add chocolate to it (he is after all a true choco-holic).
After looking at recipes and while shopping later I found the solution. Chocolate Peanut Butter, oh my! And it was DARK chocolate peanut butter - even better.
The brand for your notes is "Peanut Butter & Co. - Dark Chocolately Dreams" and it is non-gmo and gluten-free, if that is a consideration. There is at least one other brand and you could probably substitute something like Nutella - but it has a lot of extra ingredients.
So to the recipe.
It is really simple. A 4 ingredient delight that whips up quickly and turns into a flattened crinkle cookie. If you like to embellish you can add chocolate chips (my guy said when I tried that in one version he felt like it was too much - I said "what did you do with Deane?"), or you could add more nuts. But the plain recipe is just wonderful as is.
1 whole jar (2 cups - 16oz) Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter*
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons baking soda
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
Line your baking sheets with parchment paper - it is just easier to slide them off with all the fat in them.
Drop by rounded teaspoons about 2 inches apart on the baking sheets
Do NOT flatten
Bake 7-9 minutes or until cookies are puffed and cracked (you will see the cracks forming when they are ready)
LET STAND on baking sheet 5 minutes or until firm.
Remove to wire rack to finish cooling and cool completely before boxing up.
They freeze nicely.
NOTE: If your oven runs hot decrease temp to325 and bake 10-12 minutes
Enjoy.
* If you use a chocolate peanut butter which is 14 oz I would not worry about adjusting the other ingredients.
Makes about 53 cookies and gives you a little less than 2 grams of protein each cookie the calories are high, but at least you are getting some decent protein :-)
45 Second Microwave Omelette
This is a super fast breakfast or snack. These minute microwave scrambled egg recipes are all over the internet. I modified one to suit my tastes adding herbs from the garden and/or cheese. This morning I decided to serve over toast with a bit of cheese under the egg to add a little extra to the meal. I used snipped celery, parsley and I'itoli onions from the garden. Many recipes suggest a mug, I use a soup bowl to get the egg to spread out.
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
salt and pepper
Optional herbs and/or cheese
Optional toast
Toast the bread and butter if you like. If you are using cheese put it on the toast.
Mix the egg, milk and salt in pepper in a mug, then pour into a soup bowl. Top with optional snipped herbs and microwave on high for 45 seconds. The omelette slides easily out of the bowl.
Around The Garden
I have been growing peanuts for a couple of years now. I just wanted to try it. The first year I tried, I did not quite get the culture right. I generally mulch much of my beds and/or containers and that is mistake with peanuts as the plant puts out a flower which then "dips" down into the soil to great the "ground nut" meaning they grow as clusters around the roots.
Once I got that figured out the rest was easy. Break up - gently - the shells and plant each peanut with the skin on about 1 1/2 - 3 inches down. Ideally you will be planting in a bed and spaced about 8 inches apart. Plant in April (interestingly they have similar heat requirements as sweet potatoes) and plan on harvesting late fall early winter - the past two years I have harvested mid-December as the plants began to go down.
"FALLED"
Last week the trees, Saturn Peach and Fig - FALLED!
Great mulch. Much of it we rake back into the tree wells, but I also use the dried leaves as mulch for beds, and containers.
TWO More recipe ideas - or not so much recipe as just really cool entertaining ideas - even if it just for a special date night.
I have been gathering various items for my board and hope everyone really enjoys the idea. I usually do big dinners but I have been so wanting an opportunity to do one of these attractive, casual, nibble/graze arrangements.
Besides the choice of this serving container, the recipe uses fresh pine tree tips which have a citrus flavor. If you have fresh pine or fir trees the bright green new growth is perfect for this. You can use older but newer is better. I experimented with pine tips a couple of years ago and it was fun. Of course you could make and serve any cocktail in this so-fun container.
Here is the recipe.
If you missed my January Planting Tips - here is the link.
I wish you a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy New Year and Yuletide. Enjoy your personal celebrations in comfort with peace, kindness and patient understanding.
-- Catherine, The Herb Lady
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