Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

There's nothing particularly patriotic about these... 

Except that they are a deliciously chocolaty cookie that you can have ready in under 15. 

I picked up a few jars of the Chocolate Peanut Butter spread from Grocery Outlet. And I thought hmmm.... if you use peanut butter for peanut butter cookies, why not try this for chocolate peanut butter cookies?!?!?! 

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies 

1 Cup chocolate peanut butter (or sub regular peanut butter) 

1/2 unrefined sugar 

1 egg 

Either extra sugar or chia seeds to coat 

Preheat the oven to 350F. Mix the first 3 ingredients in a bowl and then attempt to shape into balls (it's tough) and roll in sugar or chia seeds. 

You can't lick the bowl because there is a raw egg, but you can lick the measuring cup!!! 

Place them on a greased cookie sheet, press down a criss-cross with a fork and then bake for 10-12 minutes. 

They will harden as they cool - trust me. Or you can do like I do and try to eat one too quickly: it will crumble, but then it's OK to eat because it was a dud anyway. There are still 11 more cookies. And it's gluten free! 

We have a feast in the making for this afternoon - BBQing with some hot buns, fresh salad from our CSA, chips with homemade mango salsa and guac, corn-on-the-cob (or "corn" as Ross insists; that's how corn comes), and watermelon, possibly blended with rum. And vodka. It's actually very likely. And these cookies! 

Happy 4th of July!!!

Cinnamon Iced Oatmeal Cookies

I have had a sweet tooth lately! Chocolate cake, carrot muffins, and now COOKIES?!?!? Whew... I guess that's what happens around a birthday.

These Cinnamon Iced Oatmeal Cookies were requested by John Bessey as the winner of my birthday contest. I mostly followed this recipe, but I halved the icing recipe. I just knew it would be too much - and even half was plenty of icing. Never thought to add cinnamon to icing before - it is AMAZING.

I would be lying if I didn't seek out a rich, buttery, sinful recipe. I figure that if you were making cookies anyway - a "healthy" snack really isn't your goal. Unless it's for mental health. And oh boy - they are sinfully delicious and good for the spirits, especially with the cinnamon icing on top!

So I put on my birthday present from Ross.... 

Gathered some organic oats... 

And got to work. 

Put 1/2 cup of oats in a food processor and process to a powder, then all in the rest and process until there are only a few larger flakes left. 

Mix all your dry ingredients... 

with your wet ingredients... 

Right, the only two "wet" ingredients: eggs and butter. BUTTER! 

Here's a tip about cracking eggs that I actually learned from John Bessey, the person to whom I am sending said cookies: crack eggs on the counter or a flat surface as opposed to the side of a bowl or pan because it gives you a much cleaner break. It's so true!!!!! Never had a problem with shells in my eggs ever since. Best advice ever. 

Roll out the cookies into small balls and space them about 3 inches apart on your greased cookie sheet. 

Bake at 350F for 20 minutes, switching between an upper and lower rack half-way through (because you'll definitely need more than one cookie sheet!) While they are baking whisk together all the icing ingredients. 

Once they've cooled a bit drizzle the icing on top. I laid out wax paper on the counter and attempted to make letters. 

And then just did criss-cross. You really must let them sit and cool and allow the icing to harden before storing or transporting them. Of course you can sample them right away! 

The cinnamon icing really does the trick for these babies - I am not normally a huge oatmeal cookie fan, but I am absolutely delighted by these! 

Too bad they will all be on their way to Olympia tomorrow... that's a lie. I kept all the ugly ones, and sampled them to make sure they weren't poisonous or anything. 

Ingredients: 

2 1/2 cups oats                                   Icing: 

1 1/2 cups flour                                   1 1/4 cups powdered sugar 

1 Tbsp + 1 tsp baking powder             3 Tbsp milk 

1 tsp baking soda                                1/2 Tbsp cinnamon 

1 tsp salt                                             1 dash of salt 

1 cup dark brown sugar

1 cup sugar 

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg 

8 ounces or 2 sticks of BUTTER 

2 eggs 

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P.S. Best late and random birthday present EVER- the "keep your friends far away" present from Ian and Katie. Thanks!!!!! =) Ah, I love garlic - in BULK size.