GZ Tai-Tai

Chocolate Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Cookies

I was in the mood to bake some cookies today... I actually was craving some cookies that I make that have everything in them. Well I did not have some of the ingredients... then I asked myself what is it that I really wanted out of the cookies... I wanted the bittersweet loveliness of dark chocolate, the salty smooth richness of peanut butter and the texture of oatmeal.  Then I searched the internet for those three ingredients and low and behold found this recipe on Epicurous.

The recipe called for chilling the dough, an extra step I just did not have time for today. It also called for grated chocolate, but, I omitted the grated chocolate and added extra chocolate chips.

Below is my adaptation of the recipe or you can go to the link above for the original recipe.

Chocolate Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

1 Tbsp vanilla

2 eggs

3/4 cup peanut butter

Cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy, then add the vanilla and eggs, beat until well mixed. Add the peanut butter and mix well.

Dry ingredients:

1 1/2 cups oatmeal  - In food processor or blender, pulse 1 cup of the oats to make flour. Leave the other half cup of oats whole.

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

Add the dry ingredients, to the creamed sugars, egg and peanut butter mixture. Mix well on slow speed of mixer to combine cookie dough. 

20 oz. semi sweet chocolate chips

Add chocolate chips and combine into the cookie dough.

Drop by spoonfuls onto un-greased, cookie sheet and lightly flatten the top of the cookie with the back of a fork or spoon. Bake 12-15 minutes at 325F. Remove to racks for cooling. 

Resurrection Cookies

We will be doing this again for Easter this year, it is a tradition that started long ago in our home.
Have a blessed and Happy Easter!

Resurrection Cookies

Make the evening before Easter

·       1 cup whole pecans

·       3 egg whites

·       1 cup sugar

·       1 tsp vinegar

·       pinch of salt

·       wooden spoon

·       zipper bag

·       Bible

·       tape

Preheat oven to 300F

Place pecans in zipper bag and let the children beat them with a wooden spoon, to break nuts into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested he was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read John 19:1-3

Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp vinegar into a mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross he was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30

Add egg whites to the vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave his life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11

Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand, let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23:27

So far the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add 1 cup of sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because he loves us, he wants us to know and belong to him. Read Psalms 34:8 and John 3:16

Beat egg whites on high-speed until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus.        Read Isaiah 1: 18 and John 3:1-3

Fold in the broken pecans. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto parchment or wax paper lined cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid. Read Matthew 27:57-60

Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF.

Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed. Read Matthew 27:65-66

GO TO BED! Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight  Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed. Read John 16:20 and 22

On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie, notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first Easter Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty.                                                                                           Read Matthew 28:1-9

Gourmet Seven Layer Bars

 

 

This morning I had a cuddle with Expat Son; these are getting fewer and further between as he gets older. I mentioned while we cuddled that I did not have to go anywhere today, I could even stay in my pajamas if I wanted today. His reply was," you could make cookies too."

Well I showered and dressed as usual before 7:00 A.M. After Expat Son left for school I organized my closet. When that was finished I decided to see what type of cookie I could make. I scanned the Pantry and came up with Seven Layer Bars, but not your average Seven Layer Bar, a gourmet version.

 

Gourmet Seven Layer Bars

1 ½ cups Anna's Pepperkakor ginger thin crumbs

½ cup butter, melted

1 cup Marabou milk chocolate cut into chunks

1 cup white chocolate chips

1 1/3 cups baking coconut

1 cup pecans, chopped condense

1 can (370g) sweetened condensed milk Eagle brand

 

Mix cookie crumbs and melted butter then press into 9 x 13 pan. Layer the rest of the ingredients on top of cookie mixture. Pour sweetened condensed milk over top of everything. Bake at 180 - 190 C or 325 – 350 F for 20 - 25 minutes, or until golden. Cool. Cut into bars.

Resurrection Cookies

These are great cookies to make and they really get the message of what Easter is really about. Get the family together in the kitchen this Saturday and make up a batch of these lovely cookies. It will be a meaningful, spiritual and good time for the whole family.

Resurrection Cookies

Happy Easter!

Christmas Cookie Exchange

  I hosted a cookie exchange with our cooking club group. We are trying to find our identity and a few of the ladies decided we should be called the Hot Chillies. This hot tamale thinks that is a good name for us... hehe..We will see what our husbands think of our name at our dinner that is coming up on Saturday night. I regress..

The cookie exchange went really well. I had talked  with the ladies about a cookie exchange as I had been to one about 8 years ago, and it was a nice way to get into the spirit of Christmas. So the other ladies intrigued, thought this an interesting thing to do. What do we have to do? they said, well most cookie exchanges have a lot of rules and you have to make a dozen cookies for each person invited which could be a lot of cookies. Some cookie exchanges only ask for 6 dozen cookies. This seemed like a lot to the ladies that don't make cookies in their culture for Christmas. So I decided to change things a bit for our cookie exchange.

We each baked 4 dozen cookies, one of the ladies did not bake cookies but she made a Panettone for everyone to have! Wow! She is amazing! When she told me she would like to bring Panettone I told her no problem, I thought she would bring one and we would all share the one. This was even better!

I made Spinach Quiche for us to eat before we started tasting the cookies.I also prepared  coffee,tea and glogg.

After having some refreshments we tasted the cookies and talked about different things going on in our lives. We talked about different customs at Christmas and we talked about how we met our husbands and fell in love.Girl Talk!  At the end of our party we went around the table and took 2 cookies from each plate and kept taking them until they were gone.  At the end we all had a lovely tray of assorted cookies and a lovely panettone to take home. Once again we had a lovely day together.

 

Resurrection Cookies

This recipe has been around for years. When expat daughter was small I used to do this with her to help celebrate and also to help her understand about Easter. Since we are back in China again and did not attend church in Hong Kong, like we did last year, the kids and I made these cookies, and we had a good discussion about Jesus while making the cookies. Of course I had to tell the kids not to lick the bowl etc.  because of the raw egg whites.

Kids of all ages will enjoy this recipe, so what are you waiting for, go find that Bible and blow the dust off of it. You and the kids will learn something and have fun together in the kitchen too. It's never too late, to make these cookies, and it is a good reminder of what Christ did for us.

The cookies are really yummy and  practically fat free too!