Nuts for Peanut Butter!

Ever wondered how this irresistible gooey creamy goodness of peanut butter came to be?  It all began where all things basically started (or so it seems in movies) -- the Aztecs.


The Aztecs had originally used pure roasted peanuts to concoct this paste. Whether they ate it or used it for some other purpose is unclear. We don't know what the Aztecs actually did with peanut butter but they are credited with inventing it. However, we can't give the Aztecs all the credit. Their peanut butter was very bitter and very difficult to work with. It wasn't until George Washington Carver (the scientist...not the president) came along and mixed the peanut paste with sugar and sweet molasses that we got the familiar flavor we know today. It wasn't until someone added vegetable oil and made it...wait for it...SPREADABLE! [ooooh! ahhhh!], that we got the modern Jif and Skippy brands so popular among school children today.


So what is it about peanut butter that makes kids go crazy when paired with jelly/ chocolate/ nutella? Or that it makes dogs smack their tongues relentlessly while we sit back and watch, laughing hysterically? Is it because of it's high in protein or antioxidants?  Is it because it can prevent cancer?  Or is it just because it tastes so damn good?  Who knows!  But really?  WHO CARES!


In honor of this creamy goodness, I decided to make some peanut butter cookies from a recipe I found in one of my cookbooks.  This recipe is EXTREMELY easy.  Don't be surprised of the short list of ingredients...the result will be yummy and wholesome :)


What You'll Need:
52 Hershey's Kisses
2 cups of peanut butter (About a jar and half)
1 - 1 1/4 cups of sugar
2 eggs


In a large bowl, cream the peanut butter and sugar until it becomes light and fluffy.  If you're using a Stand Mixer, I did it with the flat beater on the 6th power for about a minute and a half.  

Now add the eggs, one at a time, making sure it's well beaten into the mix before adding the next.  The dough will be sticky but should fall right off of the flat beater.

With floured hands, roll tablespoonfuls of the dough into balls.

I put the dish of flour in the sink to flour my hands to avoid any flour mess on the countertops.  Place your rolled balls of dough 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 14 - 16 minutes or until the tops have cracked.  Now I must warn you, if you're gonna do what I did and place two baking sheets on the top and bottom rack in the oven, I highly suggest switching them halfway between baking.  But if you want perfect cookies, play it safe and stick with baking one batch at a time on the middle rack or top rack.

While your cookies are baking, now would be a good time to unwrap all those hershey kisses so that they would be ready to place on the cookies right when it comes out.  Also, to add my own flare to the recipe, I used Milk Chocolate, Dark Chocolate, and Almond Kisses to give a little variety.

When the cookies are done, immediately press the Hershey Kisses into the middle of each cookies.  Move to wire racks and let semi-cool before serving.  Usually, you would want to cool these cookies completely before serving as it is a little fragile.  But personally, I think the cookies are better when the chocolate is still gooey.  Here's what the finished product should look like...

Add a cup of ice cold milk and this would a perfect treat for that midnight craving and afternoon snack.  Enjoy! :)




And just for kicks...here are some great uses to Peanut Butter:
1. Plumpy'nut is a peanut butter-based food used to fight malnutrition in famine stricken countries. A single pack contains 500 calories, can be stored unrefrigerated for 2 years, and requires no cooking or preparation.
2, You can make a simple bird feeder to hang outside your house.  Just coat a pine cone with peanut butter and cover with bird seeds.
3. A great home remedy to remove gum from your hair!
4.  For those pesky mice in your home, peanut butter works better than cheese