Magic Peanut Butter Cookies!

It was the super bowl and TJ started a tradition of everyone joining for the festivities. The men enjoyed the game and the women the commercials with lots and lots of food throughout the process. TJ missed it this year because he moved to Utah but we held it any way (not as much shouting from the family room, kind of calm) (TJ, you should think of joining us next year) I do like to try new recipes and this one jumped way off the page calling to me. I found the recipe on the web site Tasty Kitchen (The Pioneer Woman's outlet for the cooks that follow her), posted by Karly Campbell thanks Karly . It's my new favorite cookie. The recipe follows at the bottom of the page, or click on the link and go right to the recipe.

I only changed one small way that they cookies were made and that is that she said to make 30 balls (cookies) but I found it easier to make them into 32 by dividing the dough into fourths, and then divide equally again and again until I had 32 of both the filling and the dough. I find this easier than guessing and making 30. What can I say I need structure, I'm not for much free form. OK, I have issues, but if you know me you already know that.
Dividing the dough.
Rolling the peanut butter/powdered sugar into balls for the filling. It is wonderfully yummy!
My hands don't look so wrinkly on this side just a little pink and I thought that the undertone of my skin was yellowish.

Make sure to completely cover the filling with the Chocolate/Peanut Butter cookie dough.
I then placed them seam side down on my cookie sheet. I love, love, love my silpat mats. I ordered them from ebay (huge ones, and then cut them exactly to fit my cookie sheets, all four of them) boy do they make cooking and removing cookies easy. I also use them for candy making, just pour the candy or carmel corn or whatever you don't want to stick out on the sheet, this way you save having to butter a pan and save a few calories so that you can have more cookies or candy, it's a win/win and easy.
Then I dipped a glass in granulated sugar and gently pressed down on the dough and you get great looking and tasting cookies.

Out of the oven and ready for their fate of making us smile and say yum.
Putting out the cookies for the game, see I'm leaving another spot for the other two types of cookies that I made.
One bite leads to another, and soon they are all gone. Just look at the creamy filling surrounded by a crunchy chocolate/peanut butter cookie. I know you want some!! Better get cooking, it's not too late today.
Just wanted to add this picture, it's our new glasses, yes!! we needed new glasses. I love dishes/glasses and this set was calling our name it's a Riedel, they are crystal but-- a new crystal without lead-- instead they add titanium and their feel is so light yet strong (a little on the pricy side). They are wonderful. Doesn't the milk (in the previous picture) look perfect in the glass?
ENJOY!!

Magic Peanut Butter Cookies

FOR THE COOKIES:

• 1-½ cup All-purpose Flour

• ½ cups Cocoa Powder

• ½ teaspoons Baking Soda

• ½ cups White Sugar

• ½ cups Packed Brown Sugar

• ½ cups Butter

• ¼ cups Peanut Butter

• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

• 1 whole Egg

• _____

• FOR THE PEANUT BUTTER FILLING:

• ¾ cups Powdered Sugar

• ¾ cups Peanut Butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a small bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda. In a large bowl, beat together the sugars, butter, and 1/4 cup of peanut butter until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla and egg. Slowly mix in the flour mixture. Set aside.

For the peanut butter filling, combine confectioners’ sugar and 3/4 cup peanut butter. Beat together well. Roll filling into 32 small balls. Try to keep the balls all the same size—around 1 inch.

For each cookie, use 1 tablespoon of chocolate dough and roll into a ball (32). Squish the ball of chocolate dough flat and place a peanut butter ball in the center. Wrap the chocolate dough up and around the peanut butter ball to completely cover. Place 2 inches apart on a baking sheet. Dip the bottom of a glass into white sugar and use the cup to lightly flatten the cookie balls. Bake for 7-9 minutes.

Pecan Graham Cracker Chewy Bars

I have promised several people that I would get them the recipe for these yummy bars (finally posted Danielle). So when I made them to take to the 4th of July celebration I took a couple of pics while I was cooking (sort of Pioneer Womenisk) (is that a word?) This recipe is adapted from a cook book "Celebrating With Julienne". They have a pecan pie taste with a great toffee undertone and a really yummy crunch from the graham crackers. Make and enjoy, if your lucky enough to get one, they were all gone after the pot luck and I didn't take one to munch on so I guess I'll be making some for me to eat! The complete recipe is at the bottom of the post.

Some of the ingredients, the major ones anyway, I assume you have the basics of the rest in your pantry. ie: salt, flour, baking powder and powdered sugar, that's it.
This is how I get my crumbs. Good ole zip lock bag and a rolling pin. Yeah, no mess.
Graham crumbs, butter, sugar and flour, this makes up the crust. I just mix with my mixer and then press firmly into a 9x13 pan, I used a glass one.
While the crust is cooking I whip up the this rich custard filling. If you noticed I didn't clean the bowl after the crust because the filling has some graham crumbs in it also.
Oh these pretty pecans, such pretty halves. Soon to be in pieces.
When the crust is done pour the filling right onto the crust and then just slide it back into the oven for the custard to cook.
Almost there.
If you could smell my kitchen it would make you happy.
I added a dusting of powdered sugar to the top, this hides any uneven surfaces, oh, I didn't have any, it still tastes great with this added addition. Cut when cool and enjoy, then watch the faces of those enjoying as they taste all of great flavors and smile, smile, smile.

Graham Cracker Chewy Bars

From Julienne’s bakery in San Marino

Crust:

3 cups graham cracker crumbs (2 pkgs)

¾ (1 ½ sticks) butter, at room temp.

¼ cup sugar

2 tbsp. flour

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the graham cracker crumbs, butter, sugar, and flour until moist and well-blended. Press the mixture firmly and evenly over the bottom of a 13-inch by 9-inch baking pan. Bake until the crust is golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Do not over-bake the crust.

Topping:

2 ½ cups brown sugar

4 extra-large eggs

2/3 cup graham cracker crumbs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

¾ tsp. salt

½ tsp. baking power

1 cup pecans, chopped

1 prepared crust

Powdered sugar, to sift over the top.

1. While the crust is baking, in a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and eggs to blend. Whisk in the graham cracker crumbs, vanilla, salt, and baking powder until well-blended. Stir in the pecans.

2 2. Spread the mixture over the baked crust and return to the 350-degree oven until the filling is dark-golden on top and jiggles slightly when tapped, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and cool completely.

3. Sprinkle a light coating of sifted powdered sugar over the pan, cut into 24 bars. The bars can be made 1 day in advance. Wrap in plastic and keep at room temperature.