Weeknight Steak Chili

The wind is cold and it’s finally time to pull the jeans and sweaters out of the back of the closet. It’s also time to let a pot of chili welcome the boys home after a long day. This time it won’t have to cook all day, I have my handy dandy pressure cooker, which doubles as a enhanced slow cooker, to cut the usual cooking time in half! If you don’t have a pressure cooker I’ve put the alternate instructions in red where they differ.

Pressure Cooker Steak Chili

1 pound trimmed Chuck roast ( I buy mine Organic from Sprouts) chopped into 1/4″ chunks – it’s easiest to chop raw meat if you freeze it for 30 minutes or so
1/2 of a medium onion chopped
1 block XLNT chili con carne
1 small can S&W low-sodium red beans drained of most of the liquid
1 small can Hunt’s petite diced tomatoes
1 large can store brand dark red kidney beans drained of most of the liquid (my store didn’t carry a large can of S&W)

Turn your pressure cooker on to the brown setting and toss in the onions.
For non-pressure cookers: heat a Stock Pot to medium-high heat with a splash of olive oil and add the onions, then follow the instructions below through #8.
Allow to cook for about 2 minutes then give them a quick stir.
Add chopped meat to the pressure cooker.
Cook, stirring occasionally for about 8 minutes.
Add the block of chili. If thawed, stir into the meat and onion. If frozen, skip this step.
Add both cans of beans and the can of tomatoes.
Stir the mixture, getting chili block to the bottom if it’s frozen.
Close the pressure cooker.
Set to slow cooker setting (mine has one) – mine defaults to 2 hours of cooking time. At the end of 2 hours my kidney beans needed a little bit more time, so I added an additional 30 minutes and they were perfect.
If you don’t have a pressure cooker you can finish cooking 1 of 2 ways: Put everything into the crock pot and cook on low for about 4 hours (or 1 hour on high and 2 on low); or you can finish this chili on the stove top in your stock pot. You will need to add some more liquid, in which case I would go with a beer and make sure that you are cooking it low and slow – you’ll need to simmer and stir occasionally for about 4 hours.

I grated some white cheddar cheese to sprinkle on top and grabbed a package of Trader Joe’s Cheesy Bread Sticks that toasted up perfectly in the oven in 6 minutes. No one was in the mood for a salad, but if you wanted a perfectly rounded meal a salad would do the trick!

If you’re on Facebook and are interested in the things I may not devote an entire blog post to, recipes, food facts, nutritional information, photos and other things that make my mouth water, I have a page on Facebook you can visit too: https://www.facebook.com/ThisGirlLovesHerFood

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Tales of Kitchen Disasters

My motto is, “If it tastes good, it doesn’t matter if it doesn’t look like the picture.” Chatting with the girls before Thanksgiving dinner we all got giggles talking about the things we’d tried and failed (Pinterest Fails) to create in our kitchens.

But once I shared the story of a friend’s attempt at a turkey shaped cupcake creation with a neck just a touch too broad and a shade too brown with feet on a pair of stones that ended up looking like a really well endowed man’s crown jewels adorned with flaming red, orange & yellow feathers (like Mardi Gras Plumage)….well, let’s just say the wine bottles emptied a little faster and the conversation went downhill from there. 😉

None of us can point fingers. We have all had kitchen mishaps:

I know that I have failed spectacularly!

Spent a fortune on the ingredients I’ve needed to make a recipe that got rave reviews
Bought special pans and/or cooking devices
Slaved all day to make it
Tasted it when it’s done, gagged, called a neighbor over to confirm my opinion that it sucks
Thrown it in the trash and
Ordered Pizza for dinner;

I’m sure we all know others who’ve committed these kitchen crimes too:

Thrown things into the blender, turned it on and forgotten to put on lid or not put lid on tight enough; spent an hour cleaning the ceiling, cupboards and everywhere else

Opened a can of Chef-Boy-R-Dee (No judging, we were all starving college students once), poured it into a bowl, set the microwave for 2 minutes (uh oh), and walked away. #CleanUpAisle5

Thrown popcorn into the microwave, set the timer for too long and had to live with burned popcorn smell in the whole house or the office for days.

While these are all funny when they happen to someone else, they all share a common problem: They can leave you with a lingering odor reminding you that you aren’t quite yet Julia Child or Rachel Ray in the kitchen.

Luckily there are a few great tips for helping to rid your home (or the office if you have fouled the air & microwave of the lunchroom with your culinary disaster) of the smell left behind. Unless you are covering up something else you’ve left in your wake….then, rock on with your bad self. 😉

If you’ve microwaved something smelly (especially something with a heavy garlic or tomato smell) and an odor has been left behind, or if you’ve burned popcorn: Soak a sponge in vinegar then coat the top of the sponge in baking soda. Place the sponge on a plate in the microwave and set to run on high for 30 seconds. Wipe the interior of the microwave with the sponge and leave the door open to air dry the inside.

Another option is to take a one cup measuring cup, slice a lemon or orange and squeeze both halves into the measuring cup, place both halves into the measuring cup, and fill the cup up the rest of the way with water. Cook on high for 5 minutes. The steam will clean the microwave and the fresh citrus will deodorize. Wipe with a cloth when the cycle is over. Pour the remaining water and citrus into the garbage disposal with 1/4 cup baking soda, run the disposal with hot water and deodorize your drain.

If you’re trying to remove the odor from a room you can fill a stockpot about 2/3 up with water, 3-4 tsp of vanilla, 2 to 3 sliced lemons and 4 to 5 good sized sprigs of fresh rosemary from the garden. Simmer it for a few hours (or all day if you’re home to make sure that the pot doesn’t boil dry) an your house will smell fresh and inviting. If it isn’t too cold and you can bring some fresh air in for a few hours that would help too.

If you are on Facebook and are interested in the things I may not devote an entire blog post to, recipes, food facts, nutritional information, photos and other things that make my mouth water, I have a page on Facebook you can visit too: https://www.facebook.com/ThisGirlLovesHerFood

Easy Turkey Day Appetizer

mb1 One of the things I am in charge of this Thanksgiving is an appetizer. I was going to get fancy and knock myself out with something that would be difficult to keep warm and wouldn’t likely taste that great cold, but I’ve decided to take another tack.

Instead of going in a direction that is completely opposite of the main meal, I thought instead that I would create something that would compliment and whet the appetites of the rest of the guests for the main event, plus I’d be able to incorporate one of my favorite Thanksgiving side dishes from last year, Zinful Cran-blueberry Sauce!

Turkey Meatballs with Zinful Cran-Blueberry Sauce

Zinful Cran-Blueberry Sauce

1 & 1/3 Cups Granulated Sugar
1 Cup Zinfandel Wine (Best Quality you can afford – if you wouldn’t drink it, don’t cook with it)
1 – 12 oz Package Ocean Spray Fresh Whole Cranberries
1 Cup Frozen Blueberries
1 Whole Cinnamon Stick
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
1/2 tsp Vanilla
Orange or Tangerine Zest

Bring sugar, wine and cinnamon stick to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add remaining ingredients and return to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low and simmer 15-20 minutes. You may want to use a splatter shield to avoid splashing when cranberries pop. Remove and discard cinnamon stick. Set aside to pour over cooked meatballs.

Make the Meatballs

Canola Oil Spray or PAM
4 Pounds Ground Turkey
2 Cups Bread Crumbs or Panko
4 Eggs
4 Cloves Garlic Chopped
1 Large Granny Smith Apple Grated
1 tsp Crushed Fennel Seeds
8 tsp Chopped Fresh Sage
3 tsp Freshly Ground Salt
1 1/2 tsp Freshly Ground Pepper

Preheat oven to 450°F and spray 2 large baking sheets with non stick spray

Combine turkey, breadcrumbs, eggs, garlic, grated apple, fennel seeds, chopped sage, salt and pepper on a large mixing bowl
Using a 1″ cookie scoop, portion out the meat into balls, roll and put as many as you can on both baking sheets
Bake for 15 minutes until meatballs begin to brown
Remove meatballs from baking sheet and place into serving dish, chafing dish or crock pot (set to low or warm setting) and pour cran-blueberry sauce over until all are well coated.
Garnish with whole sage leaves if desired.

Snickerdoodle Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

Don’t get me wrong, nothing says fall, Halloween and Thanksgiving more than pumpkin pie, but the same old pumpkin pie year in – year out can get boring. I thought I’d shake things up a bit with a curveball and a bit of unexpected flavor that I hope we all will enjoy!

saraleepumpkinpie

I’ll still make a regular pumpkin pie, and if you are planning to make a regular pumpkin pie too, there is a hotline setup to help you in case you get in a bind: Sara Lee Pie Hotline 1-888-914-1247, Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. CST. The hotline is open Thanksgiving Day from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. CST.

Snickerdoodle Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

Assemble the Crust

4 TBLS (1/2 stick) Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
1 TBLS Unsalted Butter for greasing the pan
2 TBLS Cinnamon
1/2 Cup + 2 TBLS Sugar
3/4 Cup Flour
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Salt
1 Large Egg Yolk
1 tsp Vanilla

Preheat the oven to 375°F and generously butter the bottom and sides of a 9″ regular (not deep dish) pie pan.

Combine flour, salt and baking soda. Set aside.
Whisk together the cinnamon and 2 tablespoons of the sugar.
Sprinkle 1/2 of the cinnamon-sugar mixture into the buttered pie pan and spread it around until the entire pan is well coated
Beat the 1/2 stick of butter and 1/2 cup sugar for about 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
Add egg yolk and vanilla. Beat until combined.
Reduce speed to low and slowly add flour mixture beating just until well combined.
Transfer dough to work surface covered with a very light coating of flour and cinnamon. Flatten cookie dough into a disc and then press into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pie pan.
Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon and sugar all over the surface of the inside of the pie crust.
Poke holes all over the bottom of the crust and put into the freezer for 15 minutes.
Bake the crust about 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool completely before filling.

Prepare the Pie Filling

4 ounces room temperature Cream Cheese
1 Cup Pumpkin Pie Purée
3/4 Cup Pure Maple Syrup
3/4 Tsp Ground Ginger
1/2 tsp freshly Ground Nutmeg
1/4 tsp Salt
3/4 tsp Cinnamon
1 TBLS Bourbon
1+3/4 tsp unflavored Gelatin
1/4 Cup Water
1/2 Cup Heavy Cream

In small saucepan dissolve gelatin in the water over low heat.
As soon as the gelatin is dissolved, remove from the heat and stir in the Bourbon.
In the bowl of the stand mixer, mix the cream cheese until light and airy. Set aside.
On medium-high speed, mix the pumpkin purée, maple syrup, ginger, nutmeg, salt, and cinnamon and beat until well combined.
Add the cream cheese and beat on high until smooth.
Stir gelatin mixture into the pumpkin mixture and move all into a large chilled mixing bowl.
Clean and dry the stand mixer bowl.
Beat 1/2 cup of the cream on high until stiff peaks form and then stir into the pumpkin mixture.
Pour filling into crust and chill overnight.

To prepare for serving

To prepare for serving, beat 1 cup whipping cream, 1/2 cup sugar and 1 tsp vanilla until stiff peaks form
Top pie with whipped cream and sprinkle with 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Make up to one day ahead and keep refrigerated until time to serve.

Disneyland Peanut Butter Cookies

Last week I shared the recipe for Debbie Fields (A.K.A. Mrs. Fields) Peanut Butter Cookies and promised to find the recipe for the amazing Peanut Butter Cookies sold at Disneyland when I could find it.

There are many imposters and “copycat” recipes out there that were close, but none that I could find that were exactly like the cookies I remembered. I finally came across a blog that focuses solely on the foods made and sold by the Disney Resorts. Here I found out that Disney chefs do not bake the cookies, full of chunks of smooth peanut butter, they are made by Selma’s Cookies and packaged for Disney, but they are so good, does it really matter?

A little more Internet research led to a cookie blog linked to the Disney food blog that had great pictures and instructions for recreating the Disneyland Peanut Butter Cookie (with the added bonus of chocolate chunks!).

The important thing to making these cookies is to understand that you cannot simply put peanut butter chips into the cookies and expect them to taste like the cookies from Goofy’s Kitchen! You have to take the added step (first) of making the peanut butter fudge that gets broken into chunks and pressed into the rolled cookie dough just before placing on the cookie sheets for baking. It makes the difference between a good cookie and a great one!

As Close As You Can Get To Disneyland Peanut Butter Chunk Cookies

Peanut Butter Chunks:

1/4 cup + 2 TBLS Peanut Butter Chips (Reese’s)
1/4 cup + 2 TBLS Creamy Peanut Butter
1+ 1/2 TBLS Butter

Cookie Dough:

2 sticks (8 oz) Unsalted Butter, room temperature
1 cup tightly packed brown sugar — (8 oz)
1 cup Granulated Ssugar — (8 oz)
1 + 1/4 cups Chunky or Smooth Peanut Butter — (11 7/8 oz jar)
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
2 Large Eggs
1/2 tsp Vanilla
2 + 2/3 cups All-Purpose Flour
1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunks

Instructions

Make the peanut butter chunks first. Mix the peanut butter chips, peanut butter and butter in a small bowl and microwave on high for 30 seconds. Stir until smooth. If chips aren’t melted, heat for another 30 seconds.
Make a small 2×5(ish) mold with foil (see photo). Pour the peanut butter mixture into the mold and chill it for about half an hour or until firm. Unmold the peanut butter log and cut into chunks.
Proceed with the cookie dough. Cream butter and both sugars with an electric mixer. Beat in peanut butter, then baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add eggs one at a time, beating on a lower speed, then beat in vanilla. By hand or using lowest speed of mixer, Stir in the flour. When flour is mixed in, stir in chocolate chunks.
Chill the dough for about an hour.
Preheat oven to 350° F. Using slightly less than a quarter cup measure, scoop up balls of dough and arrange on cookie sheet a few inches apart. Stick peanut butter chunks into the already-scooped dough.
Bake for 12-14 minutes, until set and brown around the edges. Remove from oven and cool on pan for about 10 minutes to set. Remove from pan and set on a rack to finish cooling.
Makes 24 big cookies

I cannot wait to make these! Can you imagine taking two of these and putting a scoop of vanilla ice cream between them? Yum!

Thanksgiving Night Helper

Bon Appétit is always such a lifesaver!

When we are at a loss for how to wow dinner guests, they have just the recipe for us.

glazed-and-lacquered-turkey-overhead-horizontal When we’ve agreed to host the feast and bitten off a more than we could ~~chew~~ , I meant do, they’re there for us with Live (yes! Live) help via Facebook, podcasts we can play again and again, and even via shared tips and tricks on Instagram.

Tonight they seek to come to our rescue yet again, this time with a recipe to help all of us digest the mass amounts of food that we all intend to stuff into our bodies on Thanksgiving day.

Mint, ginger, fennel, and cayenne are known for their digestive properties.

Their recommendation is to have this ready for the morning after, but why suffer all night with a bloated belly? I would make this the day before, when you are prepping the rest of your feast, and make a double batch so it’s ready to go before you hit the hay on Thanksgiving night.

Makes about 3 cups

3 sprigs mint
1 1½-inch piece turmeric, peeled, thinly sliced
1 1-inch piece ginger, peeled, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon fennel seeds or aniseed
Pinch of cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon aromatic bitters

Muddle mint sprigs, turmeric, ginger, fennel seeds, and cayenne in a 4-cup measuring glass until turmeric and ginger are broken up into bits.
Add vinegar, honey, bitters, and 3 cups cold water; stir to dissolve honey.
Chill until very cold, at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
Strain.

Tip: Turn this into a spritzer by using club soda instead of water.

Chicken Teriyaki Bowls

I had nothing planned for Sunday family dinner after spending the afternoon enjoying the unexpected 88° day outside. I swore not to order pizza 2 Sundays in a row, so I quick thawed a few individually wrapped chicken breasts that I bought at Costco and checked the cupboards for what I could do with them.

My first thought was that I had snipped some fresh basil from the garden and knew that I had some pine nuts and olive oil, I could do a quick pesto and throw the chicken over some pappardelle pasta. That got vetoed because we had enjoyed a block of cream cheese covered with some jarred Trader Joe’s pesto Saturday afternoon with some pita crackers. Damn!

I opened the refrigerator and saw the fresh pineapple that I had ripening to slice and soak in Malibu Rum and inspiration hit. I’d make some homemade teriyaki and we’d have chicken bowls for dinner. Whew! Crisis averted.

Quick Teriyaki Sauce

4 TBLS Honey
1/2 Cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce
1 + 1/2 Cups Water
8 TBLS Brown Sugar
1 tsp minced ginger
1+1/2 tsp minced garlic (preferably roasted)
4 TBLS Corn Starch dissolved in 1/2 Cup Cold Water
3 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
3 tsp Sesame Seeds

In 1 +1/2 Quart Saucepan whisk together honey, soy sauce, water, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, and crushed red peppers over medium heat. Dissolve cornstarch in water and whisk into sauce cooking about 2 more minutes until sauce thickens. Remove from heat and stir in the sesame seeds. Makes about 4 cups. Store any unused sauce in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator.

Bowl Prep:

Prepare 6-8 Servings of White or Brown Rice
Thinly slice a green bell pepper, 2 ribs of celery, 2 carrots (julienne or matchstick sized), and 1/4 of a medium onion (if desired)
Quickly stir-fry the vegetables in a splash of olive oil until onion is translucent and other vegetables have softened
Cut 3-4 Boneless skinless chicken breasts into 1 x 1 inch strips (give or take), salt and pepper, and stir fry in a well oiled pan over medium-high heat until chicken is cooked through.
Thinly slice the green portions only of a green onion

Assemble Bowls:

Scoop some rice into the bottom of the bowl
Add a layer of the vegetable mixture
Top with a generous portion of the chicken
Generously spoon teriyaki sauce over the top of the chicken until well coated
Sprinkle with sliced green onion

This is a really easy make ahead meal. Prepare everything and store separately in covered containers in the refrigerator. It is easily and quickly reheated for a weeknight meal!

All-American Meal

During the entire Election 2016, this admitted Political Junkie made every night of both conventions and each of the 3 debates, plus a few other random “big political news” nights, events for a special meal to eat in front of the television.

So, when my husband asked me what gourmet meal I’d be preparing I was surprised to find myself unprepared with a ready-to-answer menu. Uh Oh! He suggested meatloaf which I immediately shook off as not fancy enough for a night I anticipated would involve a lot of anticipatory butterflies for the historic, ultimate glass ceiling shattering moment in history I hoped would be happening for women while we’d be eating our dinner on the west coast.

As the day wore on I started to change my mind about the simple, unassuming meatloaf.

What screams Americana more than the steady weeknight fare of everyone’s youth more than meatloaf, mashed potatoes and peas? Nothing I could come up with. Throw in an apple pie and the perfect Tuesday Election Night 2016 meal vote was cast! 😉

Simple Weeknight Meatloaf

2 1/2 – 3 Pounds 85% Lean Ground Beef
1 Sleeve Saltine Crackers Crushed
1 Can Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
2 Large Eggs
1/3 Cup Ketchup or Jarred Spaghetti/Marinara Sauce

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In bowl of stand mixer (or large mixing bowl if combining ingredients by hand) put (in this order) crackers, eggs, can of tomatoes (undrained), meat, and ketchup.
Using bread hook attachment, turn stand mixer to lowest setting and mix until ingredients start to combine and form a loaf shape.
Remove hook and using a large wooden spoon or rubber spatula, finish combining until no dry crackers show through the meat.
Mound into a loaf pan but don’t pack too firmly.
Put loaf pan into preheated oven and set timer for 1 hour and 20 minutes. At about 30 minutes use a turkey baster and suction off any fat that has begun to accumulate along the edges of the loaf pan. Also, use your ketchup or spaghetti/marinara sauce to top the meatloaf.
At 60 minutes again suction the fat from the edges of the pan with a turkey baster. I do this to avoid spillage into my oven and also to avoid having my meatloaf sit in fat during the entire baking time.
At an hour and a twenty minutes, slide your meatloaf out of the oven and insert a meat thermometer into the middle, making sure not to let the tip of the thermometer touch the bottom of the pan. Your meatloaf should read 160°F for medium in the center.
If you want your center to be more medium well, put your meatloaf back into the oven for another 5 minutes or so and check the temperature again. For medium-well it should read 165°F and the rest of your meatloaf will be more well done at or above 170°F.

If you want mashed potatoes to be ready when your meatloaf comes out you can throw some small red potatoes (skin on or off) into a pot of boiling water and cook them for 15 minutes. Turn them off, drain the water and throw them into the bowl of your stand mixer with some milk, salt & pepper and butter. Using the paddle attachment mix until well combined but don’t over mix. Throw some foil over the top of the bowl and they’ll stay hot until you’re ready to eat.

Mushroom-Spinach Spaghetti

Knowing that tonight will be a long one while we stay up late to watch the results of Election Night 2016, I am prepping dinner for tomorrow night ahead of time. A recipe I love, that has no sauce, is easy to assemble, throw in the refrigerator a day ahead, and, as a bonus, is one that my husband will take to work for lunch afterward without complaint!

Mushroom-Spinach Spaghetti

1 Pound Spaghetti, Spaghettini, or Angel Hair Pasta
24 oz Sliced White and/or Baby Portobello Mushrooms (I used a combination of both)
4 oz Fresh Spinach
1 Stick Butter (8 TBLS)
2 TBLS + 2 TBLS + 2 TBLS (all separate measures) Olive Oil
4 oz Shredded Parmesan Cheese
3 TBLS Garlic and Onion Spice Blend (You can combine equal amounts of onion powder and garlic powder if you don’t have a prepared blend on hand)
Fresh Ground Sea Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper

Put your stick of butter (8 TBLS) into a large skillet, I prefer a well seasoned cast iron skillet, over medium-high heat.

When your butter has melted, add your mushrooms and 2 TBLS olive oil poured over the top. Cook, stirring occasionally so that mushrooms don’t stick to pan, for about 2 minutes, then add your garlic and onion spice blend, salt and pepper. Continue cooking and stirring the mushrooms for about another 3 to 4 minutes until most of the moisture has been absorbed by the mushrooms. Remove the mushrooms to a large mixing bowl and set aside.

spin1 Add 2 TBLS olive oil to the skillet and add your spinach to the pan. Using tongs to toss the spinach with the oil, cook tossing constantly until all of the spinach is wilted but not cooked all the way. Immediately remove from the pan to the same spin2 bowl as the mushrooms and stir the mushrooms and spinach together. Set bowl aside and allow to cool while you prepare the pasta. When your mushroom-spinach mixture has cooled, sprinkle your 4 ounces of shredded parmesan cheese over and stir it in completely.

Prepare your pasta according to package directions with one important change: Make sure that you break the noodles in half lengthwise before you put them in the water. When your pasta has finished cooking drain it and toss it with your remaining 2 TBLS olive oil then add it to your mushroom-spinach mixture. Use your tongs to make sure your mushroom-spinach mixture is well combined and coating your pasta completely then either serve immediately or pour it into a 9 X 13 Pyrex baking pan and cover to keep warm.

mushspinspag

If you plan to make this a day ahead like I am, place covered baking pan in the refrigerator. To prepare for serving the next day, top cold pasta with a couple of TBLS butter (divided into small pats) and reheat in a 350°F oven for about 30 minutes. You can also just toss individual servings into the microwave. 😉

With this easy (and inexpensive) make ahead dinner, the only decision you’ll need to worry about making tomorrow night is which wine to drink!

Mrs. Fields Peanut Butter Cookies

pbcookie I love peanut butter cookies, something about them feels more special than a chocolate chip cookie. Just like a sugar cookie tells me it’s Christmas, peanut butter cookies feel like a cold winter night with a warm cup of cocoa. My mom wasn’t big on cooking dinner, but she did bake. Cookies were easy, and peanut butter cookies were my dad’s favorite, so they were one that she made once in a while.

I’m not in bakeries often, but when I do get enticed by their heavenly smell and break down and buy them, I’m usually disappointed. I’m impatient and can never wait to get home, I rarely even make it to the car, before I’m unfolding that waxed bakery bag and taking a big bite of salty peanut butter goodness. More often than not, they are either too dry, too doughy or too greasy and leave me sorry that I bought them.

There have been very few exceptions, but among my favorite peanut butter cookies are: Mrs. Fields, French’s Bakery (Costa Mesa, Irvine, Mission Viejo, and Orange, CA), and Disneyland.

Lucky for all of us, Debbie Fields shared her recipe for her peanut butter cookies on her blog in 2012. A bonus for the Gluten-Free crowd, there is no flour in it!

Mrs. Fields Peanut Butter Cookies

mfpbcookies 1 cup peanut butter, creamy or chunky
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
coarse salt or sugar, your choice

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large mixing bowl, combine peanut butter and sugar. In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg, then add vanilla directly to it and stir. Add egg mixture to peanut butter mixture and stir until well combined. Roll dough into walnut-sized balls and place on a prepared cookie sheet. Using the tines of a fork, create a crosshatch pattern, flattening the dough about half the thickness. Sprinkle the top of each cookie with a pinch of coarse salt or sugar, depending on your tastes. Bake for 10 minutes, or until barely golden brown around the edges. Makes 30 cookies

HINT: A good-quality, natural peanut butter adds even richer flavor, but you may need to add more sugar. Taste dough to determine.

HINT: Kick these cookies up another notch by dipping cooled cookies in melted semi-sweet chocolate. Allow to cool completely before serving.

I never realized that there was no flour in these, which makes them gluten-free, but also explains why they never taste dry or doughy to me.

Next I’ll see if I can hunt down recipes for my other favorites so I can do an unscientific side by side taste test with my family to see which ones they prefer.

This Girl Loves to Eat!

Weeknight Steak Chili

Pressure Cooker Steak Chili

Tales of Kitchen Disasters

Easy Turkey Day Appetizer

Turkey Meatballs with Zinful Cran-Blueberry Sauce

Snickerdoodle Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

Snickerdoodle Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

Disneyland Peanut Butter Cookies

As Close As You Can Get To Disneyland Peanut Butter Chunk Cookies

Thanksgiving Night Helper

Mint, ginger, fennel, and cayenne are known for their digestive properties.

Overeater’s Tonic

Per 4 servings: Calories (kcal) 60 Fat (g) 0 Saturated Fat (g) 0 Cholesterol (mg) 0 Carbohydrates (g) 13 Dietary Fiber (g) 0 Total Sugars (g) 8 Protein (g) 0 Sodium (mg) 10

Chicken Teriyaki Bowls

Quick Teriyaki Sauce

All-American Meal

Simple Weeknight Meatloaf

Mushroom-Spinach Spaghetti

Mushroom-Spinach Spaghetti

Mrs. Fields Peanut Butter Cookies

Mrs. Fields Peanut Butter Cookies

Pressure Cooker Steak Chili

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Turkey Meatballs with Zinful Cran-Blueberry Sauce

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Snickerdoodle Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

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As Close As You Can Get To Disneyland Peanut Butter Chunk Cookies

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Mint, ginger, fennel, and cayenne are known for their digestive properties.

Overeater’s Tonic

Per 4 servings: Calories (kcal) 60 Fat (g) 0 Saturated Fat (g) 0 Cholesterol (mg) 0 Carbohydrates (g) 13 Dietary Fiber (g) 0 Total Sugars (g) 8 Protein (g) 0 Sodium (mg) 10

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Quick Teriyaki Sauce

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Simple Weeknight Meatloaf

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Mushroom-Spinach Spaghetti

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Mrs. Fields Peanut Butter Cookies

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