Peanut Butter Cookies - The Classic Comfort Cookie

Peanut butter cookies are one of the most popular (the classic after-school comfort cookie), but I only seem to make them about once a year. They're so easy to make--I use all sorts of different proportions of ingredients depending on what I have on hand. One thing I insist on, though, is natural (also called "old-fashioned") peanut butter--none of that phony stuff with stabilizers and shortening and sugar and who knows what all. And I use all organic ingredients.

I've always loved the traditional crisscross pattern on a peanut butter cookie. But there are those people who can't leave well enough alone and decorate the cookie with chocolate kisses or other candies. I admit peanut butter and chocolate are a classic combination, but I'm a purist--just give me my little crisscross pattern! And a proper cup of English Breakfast tea with just a little splash of milk.

If you happen to live someplace where peanut butter is not readily available, you can easily whip some up with a food processor. Natural peanut butter is just shelled and roasted peanuts, skins removed, processed with a bit of peanut oil (maybe 1 tablespoon to 8 ounces of peanuts, just guessing) and salt to taste.

Texture is everything in a cookie--can't stand a gummy peanut butter cookie! You can use 2 1/2 packed cups (12.5 ounces) of unbleached all-purpose flour for my recipe, but I really like the texture and extra nutrition you get by using some coarsely ground old-fashioned oats in place of part of the flour. Try it and let me know how you like it!

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Peanut Butter Cookies

(Makes 40 3-inch cookies)

3/4 cup (3 ounces) old-fashioned rolled oats
2 dip-and-sweep cups (10 ounces/283 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 sticks (8 ounces/227 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup (5.25 ounces/149 grams) sugar

1/2 packed cup (3.5 ounces/99 grams) dark brown sugar

3/4 cup (6.75 ounces/192 grams) natural peanut butter
2 large eggs (medium in UK)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 In food processor with metal blade in place, process oats (I use Bob's Red Mill organic extra thick rolled oats) for about 30 seconds until ground into coarse flour.

2 In small bowl, whisk together flour, ground oats, baking powder, soda and salt.

3 In large bowl of electric mixer, beat butter on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add sugars and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in peanut butter, then eggs and vanilla extract. Slowly beat in flour mixture. Cover and place in refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours.

4 Preheat oven to 375F/190C/Gas5. Shape #40 scoops* (0.8 ounces or approximately 1.5 tablespoons) of dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. Shaping into balls before pressing results in perfectly smooth cookies, edges and all. (If you don't mind a less smooth look, just press the scooped dough down. That's what I often do!) Place 3 inches apart on cookie sheets lined with parchment. With a fork, flatten each in a crisscross pattern into a 2 1/4-inch round. Bake for about 12 minutes, or until lightly golden.

5 Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Store in airtight container.

* If you don't have one of these 7/8 Ounce Size 40 Stainless Steel Round Squeeze Disher (13-0638) Category: Dishers, you need to get one now! How do people make cookies without it! 

Jean 

Bananamisù - Banana Pudding My Way

Banana pudding is a Southern classic, an easy comfort food dessert put together in a bowl, chilled and later spooned out into small bowls. Nothin' wrong with that. It's how I usually make it. But sometimes something a little fancier is called for, and that's when I make it in a springform pan so I can serve it in tidy slices.

It was when I decided to use a little alcohol on the vanilla wafers and a dusting of cocoa powder on the top, as with tiramisù, that I started calling this dressed-up banana pudding "Bananamisu." A lot of people top their banana pudding with meringue, but I prefer whipped cream. Wish I didn't. Meringue would be a "healthier" choice.

And, sure, you can use boxed pudding mix, but homemade custard is so much better. And it allows me to cut back a little on the sweetness. After all, the custard is layered with sweet cookies and sweet ripe bananas, how sweet does it need to be? Just sweet enough!

If you have a nice heavy-bottomed 2-quart saucepan, you can make the custard right in the pan. But if you're new to custard, making it the double-boiler way will help you avoid curdling the eggs. Either way, it takes a bit of time; so I just pull my kitchen stool up to the stove and settle in for some serious stirring. If you didn't grow up in the banana pudding tradition, maybe you want to start one now?

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Bananamisu Banana Pudding

(Makes one 7-inch round, 6 to 8 servings)

1/3 cup sugar
1/3 packed cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 large egg yolks
2 1/2 cups milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
8-ounce box Country Choice Organic Vanilla Wafers
2 or 3 tablespoons dark rum, optional
3 medium (about 1 1/2 pounds) ripe bananas
Juice of half a lemon
2 teaspoons unsweetened natural cocoa powder, optional
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

1 In top of double-boiler, whisk together sugar, flour and salt. Gradually whisk in milk. Whisk in egg yolks until thoroughly combined. Cook, uncovered, over boiling water, stirring constantly until thickened (which might take 10 to 15 minutes; should register 160 degrees Fahrenheit on instant-read thermometer). Remove from heat. Whisk in butter and vanilla.

2 Spray 7-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Cover bottom of pan with vanilla wafers (21 of my brand). Sprinkle rum over wafers. Peel bananas and cut 1/2 of them into 1/4-inch-thick slices, squeeze on a bit of lemon juice to prevent browning (I usually forget this step, and it doesn't really matter unless you're making the pudding 24 hours ahead) and layer over the wafers. Cover with 1/2 of the pudding, making sure bananas are completely covered by pudding. Repeat. Drop the pan on a towel-cushioned counter a couple of times to settle the layers. Sift cocoa powder evenly over top. Cover with a paper towel and a piece of foil, and refrigerate for at least 5 hours or up to 24 hours. (The paper towel keeps condensation from forming and dripping onto the cocoa powder.)

3 To serve, run a knife around edge and release pan sides. Slice into 6 or 8 wedges. Just before serving, whip cream with sugar and vanilla. Pipe a rosette of whipped cream onto each wedge. Garnish with vanilla wafer crumbs and shaved chocolate, if desired.

Note: Nordic Ware 7 Inch Leakproof Springform Pan

Cabbage Soup and Equipment Review - Wusthof Classic 8-Inch Cook's Knife

Cabbage soup has been touted as modern weight-loss magic as well as a cure for the common cold. Even if you don't need a trendy diet or an age-old folk remedy, you can appreciate a steaming bowl of cabbage soup on a cold winter's evening. I was craving it, so I would have made it anyway, even if I hadn't been looking for excuses to use my new chef's knife.

A good chef's knife is the most important knife in any collection. That, a paring knife and a bread knife. Three good ones are better than a whole drawer (or block) full of cheap knives. I had been intending to buy an 8-inch chef's knife for some time, when the Wusthof Classic 8-Inch Cook's Knife 4582 was sent to me for review. This knife is the perfect size for me--large enough for any task, but not so large as to be hard to handle.

The high-carbon stainless steel blade is very sharp and cuts everything with ease. Perhaps even more important, to me anyway, than the business end of a knife is the handle. I love the way the Wusthof Classic handle feels in my hand, whether I'm using the all-fingers-on-the-handle grip or the thumb-and-index-finger-on-the-blade grip.

It's supposed to be dishwasher safe, but I am in the habit of hand washing and drying my knives immediately after use. 'Sides, we've only had a dishwasher for a couple years and my husband assures me things aren't being whirled around in there, but I don't really believe him!

I hope you'll get out your favorite knife, cut up some stuff and make this soup, then tell me all about it.

Update 01/21/21: Also, try my hearty Golumpki Soup - Cabbage Roll Soup.

Cabbage Soup

(Makes about ten 1.5-cup servings)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 large yellow onion, thinly sliced or coarsely chopped
4 medium carrots (about 8 ounces), thinly sliced
1 quart chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
1 quart water
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes (Muir Glen organic fire roasted)
1 small cabbage (about 1.25 pounds), quartered, cored and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
1 pound zucchini (3 or 4 medium), sliced

1 In 5 1/2-quart Dutch oven (I use Le Creuset Round French Oven), heat olive oil. Add the onions and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Stir in the carrots and continue cooking for 5 minutes.

2 Add broth, water, tomatoes, cabbage and seasonings. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes.

3 Add zucchini. Continue simmering for another 30 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Jean

Life Lesson in a Flame-Colored Pot - Le Creuset

Last year Le Creuset held an essay contest in honor of their 85th anniver- sary. Runners-up received a Le Creuset 5 1/2 Quart Round French Oven in the color of their choice. I chose the Black Onyx, but I rather wish I had chosen the Flame (for sentimental reasons). Here is my runner-up winning submission.

Life Lesson in a Flame-Colored Pot

My mother was a world-class cook, turning out fabulous meals for a family of six in the humble kitchen of my early childhood. And there were always extra people at our table. My parents didn't have a lot of money in those days, but they spent a disproportionate amount of the budget on food. My father, having grown up on a rather monotonous diet during the Great Depression, spared no expense when it came to food. It was important to him that his children have a varied and abundant diet.

This extended to anyone, children in particular, with whom he came in contact. Though my mother had never experienced the privations my father had, she was a very compassionate person as well. Needless to say, then, we often had twice our number for dinner.

My mother had acquired her flame-colored Le Creuset Round French Oven (not sure whether it was the 4.5- or the 5.5-quart) second-hand. With so many to cook for, family and guests, that gorgeous pan never had time to cool off.

One Saturday when my father was out pruning the trees and hedges, a man stopped to ask him if he could help. He was a migrant worker looking for some work in the off-season. My dad wasn't in the habit of hiring anyone to do work that he could do himself, but he wanted to help the man. So he hired him to take over the pruning. He was with us for a few days, during which time he was welcomed to our table.

The man did a beautiful job with the pruning (definitely an art) and also had talents in the kitchen. He loved food and insisted on helping, so my mother put him to work. On his last day she was going to be making a beef stew, and he took it over completely and added his own ethnic touches. He was delighted to be cooking in such a fine pot as the Le Creuset, and the stew was delicious.

A day or two later, I noticed the flame-colored pot was nowhere to be seen. I asked my mother where it was. Turns out, it had given the man such pleasure to use it that it gave my mother even more pleasure to give it to him when he left. She never got another.

Macaroni and Cheese - A Comfort Food Classic

Macaroni and cheese - or macaroni cheese, as it's called in England - may not be gourmet fare, but it is one of the most popular comfort foods ever. The dish has been on American menus since the early 1800's, and the packaged version was introduced in 1937. Homemade is no more bother than packaged if you do what I do--divide the recipe between two smaller baking dishes and freeze one for another day.

Some people like stovetop macaroni and cheese, but I've always preferred the baked. It can be jazzed up in all sorts of ways, but this is my basic nothing-in-it-kids-can-object-to Baked Macaroni and Cheese. Sharp white cheddar tastes great. Sometimes I use three or four different cheeses. This week I used a 1-pound block of Tillamook medium cheddar because that's what I had on hand. (Tastes great and has no hormones.) Whatever you use, shred it yourself. The pre-shredded kind is coated with something to keep it from sticking together, and that surely has some effect on the finished dish. (If you know precisely what, do tell me. I like to know these things!)

You can put some breadcrumbs on top before baking, but I don't bother because I'll be getting enough bread in the bread I'll be eating with it. I've always enjoyed macaroni and cheese as a main dish, but in my travels in the South I noticed it was never missing from a long list of "sides." Trouble is, when macaroni and cheese is on the menu, that's all I want. Well, that and a biscuit! Maybe a glass of iced tea, but not "sweet tea."

Tell me how you feel about macaroni and cheese and, if you're from the South, whether you're a fan of sweet tea. And tell me if you have experienced graininess* in your macaroni and cheese and what you did about it.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

(Makes 6 to 8 main dish servings, 12 side servings)

1 1-pound package elbow macaroni
1 tablespoon salt
1 quart milk (will add 1/2 cup heavy cream next time)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 pound medium cheddar, shredded

1 In 5 1/2-quart Dutch oven (I use Le Creuset Round French Oven), bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. Add macaroni and salt; cook for the time specified on the package, or until tender. In heavy-bottomed 2-quart saucepan, heat milk to a simmer; do not boil. Drain pasta in colander and set aside. (It will clump together as it cools, but not to worry, the clumps will separate when you stir the pasta into the sauce. Or you can drizzle on a couple teaspoons of olive oil or melted butter and give it a toss right in the colander.) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly butter 13x9x2-inch baking dish (or two smaller, shallow baking dishes).

2 In same Dutch oven, heat butter until foaming but not browning. Add flour, salt, dry mustard, pepper and cayenne; whisk for about a minute. Gradually whisk in hot milk, whisking constantly until mixture slowly comes to a full boil. Reduce heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, for about 7 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly for 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in cheese. When cheese is fully melted, stir in the cooked macaroni.

3 Pour into prepared baking dish. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes, or until bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

* I must admit this batch of macaroni and cheese was not perfect. It was just a little bit grainy, a common problem with macaroni and real cheese. I'm told using whole milk (I only had 2%) will help prevent graininess. Maybe adding about a half a cup of heavy cream would help. Also, replacing 1/4 of the cheddar with processed cheese is recommended for that reason. I'm sorry, but I can't bring myself to eat processed "cheese;" would rather have a little graininess! But next time I'll try using 1/4 Monterey Jack cheese. Since it is a very smooth, melty cheese, maybe it will have the same smoothing effect as the processed cheese without the ick factor!