Peanut Butter Cookies

I love peanut butter cookies, and I have this great recipe I love. I love them plain, but there's no better food combination than peanut butter and chocolate, so we like to dress them up a little, too. Here are two of our favorites that we like to make for FHE. I love getting the kids involved in the kitchen. They love making these and of course eating them, too!

Peanut Butter Cookies
1/2 c peanut butter
1/2 c butter
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
1 egg
1-1/4 c flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

You know how to make cookies. Cream the butter and sugars. Add the egg. Sometimes I add vanilla, too. Mix the dry ingredients and mix them in with the wet. I love to add chocolate chips (I prefer milk chocolate) to make the best chocolate chip cookies EVER. This batch makes about 2-1/2 dozen tablespoon-size cookies.



Peanut Butter Kisses
I know everyone knows how to do this, but I thought it was worth mentioning anyway because it's so-o-o delicious. Unwrap kisses and press them into the cookies when they come out of the oven. Don't put them on the cooling rack first unless you want to poke a kiss-sized hole all the way through your cookie. With all the varieties of Hershey kisses available, you can easily find a taste combination you adore.


Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

For this one you need mini muffin tins and mini peanut butter cups. Roll a ball of dough about an inch in diameter. (I use the Pampered Chef small scoop to measure the dough, and the kids roll them into balls.) Place ball in mini muffin cup and press up the sides. Repeat until you run out of dough or muffin cups. Bake at 350 for approx. 10 minutes. As soon as they come out of the oven, press peanut butter cup into center of cookie. Carefully remove from muffin tins and cool.

Lion House Chocolate Chip Cookies

I love cookies loaded with oatmeal and nuts, but sometimes I crave a basic, no-frills chocolate chip cookie. If you're in the mood for a simple, smooth, chewy and delicious chocolate chip cookie, this is it. Don't forget the milk!

Lion House Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 3/4 cups softened butter
1 3/4 cups brown sugar
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
5 1/2 Tbs water
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
6 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp soda
3 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a cookie sheet with wax paper. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars. Add eggs, water, and vanilla and mix until creamy. Add the flour, salt, and soda. Mix well. Gently fold in chocolate chips, mixing only until chips are evenly distributed. (Overmixing results in broken chips and discolored dough.) Drop by spoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 5 to 6 dozen 3 1/2-inch cookies.

Notes: Be sure to pay attention to the 5-6 dozen yield. If you're making this only for your immediate family, I strongly recommend halving the recipe. These cookies are also great for making ice cream sandwiches. They stay moist for a long time and are even better cooled than warm in my opinion, so they are ideal for making ahead of time for a get-together.

Cinnamon Roll Puffs

This is a perfect FHE treat. It doesn't take long to make, it's fun for kids to do, and it's delicious! You'll need frozen roll dough, cinnamon-sugar, melted butter, and frosting if you want it. No measurements - just eyeball it. :) Start by thawing your roll dough. I usually use the Rhodes jumbo rolls which are about twice the size of their regular rolls. Roll each ball of dough into a snake - not too long and skinny, just a little longer than you want your puffs to end up. (This one is on a tea cup saucer if you want to get an idea of the size.) Roll the dough in the melted butter, then in the cinnamon sugar, and finally place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 for about 15-20 minutes. You can top with frosting or drizzle with glaze. These were drizzled with cream cheese (pink) and choclate frosting that was leftover from someone's birthday cake. And there you have it - cinnamon rolls don't get much easier than that!