Peabutter Cookies

Peanut butter cookies were one of my favourites growing up. The warm buttery nutty flavour, the tan colour, and the infamous criss cross pattern was melt in your mouth goodness. 

In today's nut free zone I have created an alternative. I substituted the peanut butter for peabutter. And the taste is virtually the same. I ended up taste testing three! My usual taste testers were away. Generally, I have one on principal when and if no one else is on hand. I ate the usual one however two crumbled as I was placing them on the cooling rack. I blame the cookie spatula and the cooling rack.

A few hours after I made them I had to dash out to the shop. Upon my return, entering the house was one that I can only describe as warm, sugary, and divine. Absolute comfort. If ever there was a need for smell-o-vision it would have been yesterday afternoon.   

This is the No Nuts Golden Peabutter I used. It is nut free, peanut free, gluten free, and trans fat free. Most grocery stores will carry this brand. However most offer another type Soy Nut Butter. That I have not tried. Any recipe you have that calls for peanut butter may now be replaced with this, peabutter. The texture is lip smacking and the taste isn't so nutty however it comes very close.   

Peabutter Cookies

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1/2 cup caster sugar

1/2 brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup peabutter

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 large egg

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 375º

In a large bowl beat the caster sugar, brown sugar, peabutter, butter, and egg with an electric mixer on medium speed. You can also mix with a spoon however the electric mixer makes it easier. 

Then stir in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt with a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon. 

Note: I used self-raising flour therefore I omitted the baking soda, baking powder and salt.

Shape the dough into about 1 1/4 inch balls. Place about 3 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Flatten with a fork dipped in sugar or flour creating a criss cross pattern. Or take a flat bottom glass and press gently down to flatten and place a chocolate chip in the centre. 

Bake for 9 to 10 minutes or until lightly brown. Cool for about 5 minutes, remove from baking sheet and onto a wire rack. 

Notes: Modify baking times can prove positive...

Ovens vary therefore temperatures may vary .. the first batch I cooked for 9 minutes and this is what the bottoms of the cookies looked like. Just a tad bit over done. 

So I tweaked the baking time to 7 minutes and this is what the bottoms looked like. Golden perfection. What a difference. Amazing what 2 minutes can do! 

Have a good weekend everyone! - JW  

Leftovers #10 - Rice Salad

While putting away leftovers in the refrigerator a slight clanking sound kept repeating. Foraging my hands towards the back of the shelf I couldn't help but feel a bit apprehensive. Pulling the glass dish towards more of a recognizable light I popped the lid and realized the contents were leftover rice. I could not have been more delighted and immediately decided that it was going to be the inspiration for my rice salad.

Since I already had rice that was cooked and a few days old, all that was needed were a few vegetables, black beans, cheese and a dressing. A trip to the grocery store found everything that I was looking for. Green leafy, potato and pasta salads may take a back seat after you have tried this rice salad.           

You can make this salad using freshly made rice however I like to used cooked day old rice. It seems to absorb the flavours better. My leftover rice was a mixture of jasmine and brown rice. The veggies, fresh and crisp and the thinly sliced spinach leaves added little shards of greeny goodness.    

Rice Salad

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2-3 cups cooked, few day old rice 

1 red pepper, diced

half a red onion, diced

1/3 of a cucumber, sliced and then quartered or halved

1 small can of organic black beans, rinsed and drained 

1 tomato, diced

A handful or two of thinly sliced spinach leaves

feta cheese, crumbled 

Dressing

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In a glass jar add the following ingredients:

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup olive oil

1 clove of garlic, minced/crushed

2 teaspoons oregano 

a bit of freshly ground black pepper

Put the lid on tightly and shake madly. Blending all the ingredients. This will help you vent any frustration you may have. 

I placed the leftover rice into a large bowl. I used a fork to separate any clumps... in fact you can probably use your clean hands to break up all the clumpy bits. Rinse and drain the black beans and set aside. In the meantime... chop, dice, and slice the veggies.   

I pre-chopped the veggies however you don't have too. Place the red pepper, red onion, and cucumber in the bowl with the rice. Once the black beans have drained for a bit add the beans to the bowl as well. Giving everything a gentle stir. 

Pour half of the dressing over top of the rice and veggie mixture. Stir to make sure everything gets coated with the dressing. Place in the refrigerator for a few hours so that the everything can absorb the flavours from the dressing.  

An hour before serving pour the rest of the dressing over the salad and toss. Add the sliced spinach leaves and the diced tomatoes. Stir. Place the crumbled feta cheese on top. The salad is ready to be served.   

Notes: You can also add some freshly grated lemon rind to the dressing or salad. You can use other veggies or different kinds of cheese. Try adding wild rice. 

I added the tomatoes last because, I find, as tomatoes sit they tend to get mushy so either add them at the last moment or use them as a garnish.

  

Sunday Roast

Usually every Sunday when we have dinner we do what is called the Sunday Roast. A proper family meal. I grew up with Sunday dinners being some sort of roast, ham, turkey, meatloaf, it was the one day when a solid square meal was provided with all the trimmings. During the weekday provided leftovers and room for more relaxed dinners. This wasn't so much of an Easter feast however Sunday roast and holidays possibly make for an easy, if not regular, dinner. 

And this was how everything was plated. Yorkshire pudding included. Lashing of gravy. Plenty of leftovers. Which we had on Monday.   

Hope everyone had a great weekend! - JW  

Leftovers #9 - Chili Con Carne Pizza

Things have definitely warmed up in the half cut cook's kitchen. Last night I made chili and there were leftovers. Considering that I was making pizza for tonight's dinner I decided to make it a chili con carne one. Green peppers, mushrooms, cheddar cheese and freshly dried parsley were added on top of the homemade chili and homemade pizza dough. There was enough spice to give this pizza warmth and a festive kick however I did add a dash or two of hot sauce on my slice. - JW   

Thumbprint Cookies

These are not so nutty thumbprint cookies and quick to whip up. I used strawberry jam however you may use peach or apricot jam to give them more of an Ostara or Easter feel. I absolutely luv how the jam is nestle amongst the biscuity sweetness. 

Classic Thumbprint Cookies

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1/2 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1 egg yolk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg white

3/4 cup finely chopped nuts  * I used sweetened coconut

strawberry jam 

Heat oven to 350º

Mix butter, brown sugar, egg yolk and vanilla thoroughly. 

Blend flour and salt together. Stir into the butter mixture until combined. 

Roll 1 teaspoon dough into balls. Dip into the slightly beaten egg white. Roll in nuts. Place 1 inch apart on a baking sheet; press thumb gently into centres. Bake 10 to 12 minutes. Cool. Fill holes with strawberry jam.

Loamhedge Legacy NutBread

I woke up early this morning and made this recipe from the Redwall cookbook. Subtle nuttiness and after the fact cayenne pepper sensations with every bite. Delicious with butter or maple butter. Simple easy and suitable anytime. To make this recipe you will need few ingredients. 

Loamhedge Legacy Nutbread

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2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cubed

2/3 cup milk

1 cup chopped pecans

1. Preheat the oven to 425ºF. In a bowl stir together the flour, baking powder, salt and cayenne pepper. Add the butter and rub it into the flour with your fingers (alternately, pulse the dry ingredients and butter in a food processor) until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

2. Stir in the milk and 2/3 cup of the pecans. Knead lightly to form a dough.

3. Turn the dough onto an ungreased baking sheet and pat it lightly into an eight-inch square. Use a knife to mark the dough into sixteen squares, cutting only partway down. Press the remaining 1/3 cup of nuts firmly into the top of the dough.

4. Bake until firm and golden, 22 to 24 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes, then break into squares and serve. 

Notes: I found the dough to be a slightly dry therefore I added a bit more milk. If this happens to you I suggest adding more milk in small additions... a tablespoon at a time.

Hope everyone had a great weekend! - JW 

Coconut and Curry Butter Cookies

These cookies are absolutely delicious! The aroma as they baked was completely intoxicating. The curry gave a subtle flavour and the toasted coconut was warm and sweet. Just make sure you do not use a curry powder with garlic. After the cookies had cooled I added my own personal touch by sprinkling edible rose petals on top of them. Which despite giving them a beautiful and exotic appearance, added another layer to their delicate flavour.   

Elegant Coconut and Curry Butter Cookies (from the book Luscious Coconut Desserts)

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1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup sweetened flaked coconut, toasted

2 1/2 teaspoons curry powder (with no garlic)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 teaspoon pure coconut extract

2 large egg yolks

1. Stir together the flour, toasted coconut, curry powder, and salt with a fork in a medium bowl.

2. Beat the butter, sugar, and coconut extract with an electric mixer in a large deep bowl, beginning on low speed and increasing to medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks and beat until will combined. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in two batches, beating just until blended. With a rubber spatula, stir in the coconut mixture.

3. If the dough is too soft, chill it for 1 hour, or until firm. Press the dough together with your hands and divide it in half. Place each half on a sheet of wax paper and form into a 7-by-1 1/2- inch log. Smooth sac log with damp fingers. Wrap the logs in wax paper and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, until thoroughly chilled and firm, or for up to 2 days.

4. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and pre-heat the oven to 400ºF. Line two large heavy baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper, or use two large nonstick baking sheets.

5. With a sharp knife, cut each log crosswise into generous 1/4- inch-thick rounds. Arrange the rounds 2 inches apart on the baking sheets.

6. Bake one sheet at a time, turning the baking sheet around halfway through, for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are golden brown. Let cool completely on the baking sheets on wire racks. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. 

Notes: I could not find pure coconut extract so I used pure vanilla extract instead. The sugar I used was caster sugar however I wonder if using brown sugar would make a difference. I toasted the coconut in a nonstick pan on medium-high heat, stirring constantly until mostly browned. I used parchment paper to line the baking sheets. I baked the cookies for 12 minutes turning the baking sheet around at the halfway mark, 6 minutes. I only have one heavy baking sheet so making the cookies took a bit longer. Having another sheet possibly would have been handy. I noticed that the cookies did spread as they baked and therefore had a bit of a rough edge, while they were cooling on the baking sheet I trimmed the edges of the cookies with a turner spatula. I found it easier to do while the cookies were still warm. Although no decoration was needed I scattered rose petals on top for my own personal touch.

**You can make your own curry powder by mixing ground coriander, fenugreek, turmeric, cumin, black pepper, bay leaves, celery seed, nutmeg, cloves, onion, red pepper, and ginger. 

Decadent! Apart from eating them on their own, I served them with some vanilla chocolate chip ice cream. - JW   

Luscious Coconut Desserts

Anything with coconut catches my eye and my stomach. This simple and indulgent cookbook offers over 50 recipes dedicated to the fragrant and delicate coconut. Until most recently coconut seemed exotic... reserved faraway on tropical islands. With coconut water surfacing on shelves, nutrient rich coconut sugar placed on tables and coconut oil becoming a pantry staple. The coconut has made a culinary resurgence.

Throughout the 143 pages and 8 chapters the recipes focus entirely on sweet than savoury. I suppose when one does think of coconut one leans towards the sweeter rather than the savoury side. I would have preferred a more rounded cookbook on coconut seeing how this is the only cookbook I have focused on coconut. Regardless I will enjoy this cookbook for what it has to offer. The photographs are full page and not overly glossy. The front cover reminds me, and I do not know why, of the many food photographs from vintage Betty Crocker cookbooks. It could be the colour combination, the font... who knows. The table of equivalents always comes in handy as with any cookbook. If you luv coconut then you will absolutely enjoy this book.

Recipes that I want to try are the Elegant Coconut and Curry Butter Cookies, Classic Toasted Coconut Cream Pie, Coconut-Caramel Popcorn, Ginger Beer Ice Cream Float, Luscious Coconut Layer Cake, Deep Dark Chocolate, Coconut, and Ginger Brownies and the Coconut and Pistachio Baklava.  

If you luv coconut then you will absolutely enjoy this book. And even if you do not these recipes could change that. I think I will make the Elegant Coconut and Curry Butter Cookies today. And I will post about it and the recipe tomorrow.

Have a good day everyone! - JW  

      

Lemon Butter Biscuits

Like the sun I wanted a cookie that was bursting... bursting with lemon flavour. To achieve that I had to tweak this recipe a bit. And the end result was a fabulous one. I know lemons do not grow on evergreens however that was the only tree cookie cutter I had.  

Lemon Butter Biscuits

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1/2 cup butter, soften

1/2 cup white sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon of lemon zest 

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup granulated sugar for decoration

1. Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with and electric mixer until creamy. Beat in the egg until light and fluffy. Mix in the flour, lemon juice and lemon zest, baking soda and salt. Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours or until firm. 

Notes: I mixed all the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl first. After creaming the butter, sugar and egg I added the lemon juice, lemon zest of 2 lemons and about 1/4 -1/2 teaspoon of pure lemon extract and gently stirred. Then I mixed in the dry ingredients. Increasing the lemon zest and adding pure lemon extract completely intensified this rather subtle biscuit and made it burst with flavour. 

2. Preheat oven to 350º F ( 175ºC) 

3. Roll out the dough, a small amount at a time, to 1/4-inch thickness on a floured surface with a floured rolling pin. Keep remaining dough in the refrigerator. Cut with a 3-inch round cookie cutter. Transfer to ungreased baking sheets. Sprinkle with sugar.

4. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly brown on the edges. Cool for 1 minute on the baking sheets. Remove and place on wire racks to cool completely. Store in an airtight container. 

Notes: I found that baking the biscuits for 8 minutes was enough. However ovens vary. This recipe is easy and fool proof. The lemon can be switched out with lime or orange. With just this basic recipe the flavour possibilities are virtually endless. 

Hope everyone has a good weekend! - JW   

Curry Baked Beans

I found these at one of the British Import Shops in the city. Why I did not think to combine curry powder or curry sauce in baked beans before I will never know. I have put salsa, chopped tomatoes and onion and bacon. The people at Heinz are on to something. 

And they look like regular baked beans in tomato sauce. The beans were tasty and more on the medium side of a flavourful curry. I also bought another flavour, Chili. Now that sounds spicy! - JW 

Red Orange Jaffa Cakes

Cruising the aisles at the Italian Centre here in E-town I found these limited edition Red Orange Jaffa Cakes. The flavour is subtle less bitter orange then the original jaffa cakes. Now a days there are many flavours of jaffa cakes however nothing beats the original.

Hope you all had a great weekend! - JW