Peanut Butter Cookies

     The creation of these cookies led to the most embarrassing baking-centered disaster I have ever had. That is not to say that if you make these cookies this will happen to you, because quite frankly, it could only happen to a person at their most illogical and flight-minded moment. Let us begin:

      The other day I had an hour and a half before work. I needed to cook and eat lunch, pack dinner, and bake cookies to photograph. I finished making lunch and simultaneously placed my cookies in the oven. I took off my mitt and went over to the table to eat. I thought something smelled off about my dish-was the mustard bad? Was the tofu funky? Finally, I realized the bottom edge of the oven mitt was touching the burner that had just been on and was still wicked hot. I examined the oven mitt that was pouring smoke, and I could see the embers in it. 

      I calmly went to the outside door of my building, held it open and proceeded to do the stupidest thing I could have. I tried to hit the mitt against the stone wall...swinging it back and forth in the sweet oxygen-fueling air that fires love so much. At this point, the back parking lot was full of smoke and the glove was obviously beginning to pick up speed in its disintegration. I realized my absent mindedness, folded up the glove so the hot part was on the bottom and stepped on the un-damaged area with my barefoot. The smoke was dissipating and I relaxed. However, I relaxed to the point that my arm let the building door gently close. No shoes, no phone, no key, I was locked out...meanwhile, the oven mitt was still burning away.

      The parking lot was empty so I decided to walk around to the front, carrying the burning mitt. Lucky for me, a police car happened to be sitting right on the side of the block. When I explained to him what had happened he looked down and just said, "Um, yeah, that oven mitt is still on fire, so I am going to need you to put that out..." When I responded that I didn't have shoes on and he got out to assist. 

      We went around the building and he tried to pick the lock. With no success, he had me bang on the front door, as he walked around and hit all the windows he could with his flashlight to try to get someone to answer. I knocked away with looming knowledge that I still had cookies in the oven and work in an hour.

      We couldn't get anyone so he walked back down to the street and radioed in "...The party cannot gain entrance to the building..." Within four minutes though, I realized how dramatic he must have made the situation seem. A multitude of sirens were coming from all directions. No less than five fire trucks, three police expedition cars, and an ambulance rushed to the scene of me covering my face with my hands, simultaneously crying and laughing in embarrassment, barefoot in my sweatpants. Neighbors came out to see the spectacle and stare at me, while in the meantime I prayed no one tell them this was simply over peanut butter cookies.

     The firefighters busted into the building, carrying their giant extinguishers and returned to the front door about a minute later to ask me to come with them. Upon entrance, they had pulled the cookie out of the oven and turned it off. Miraculously, they had not burned and still looked and smelled delectable. So, I did what any baker would do in this situation. "Oh my goodness, I am so sorry. I am so embarrassed. Oh my goodness...do you guys want cookies??"

      One of the firefighters and I chatted about the use of Silpats and I highly recommended them for even browning and easy clean up while also continuing to apologize about every five words. After a few minutes, the men left, I finished my lunch, put in new cookies with no disaster or oven mitt involved. RIP Mitty, looks like its just me and kitchen towels for protections for now. You did me well, I am sorry I cannot say the same for you. 

Adapted from Alice Medrich's "Chewy, Gooey, Crispy, Crunchy, Melt-In-Your-Mouth Cookies"

Ingredients:
1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1/2 TSP baking soda
3/4 fine sea salt
8 TBSP butter, unsalted, melted
1/4 C packed brown sugar
3/4 C granulated sugar
1 egg
1 TSP vanilla extract
1 1/4 natural, salted peanut butter, smooth (stirred)
1/3-1/2 C roasted, salted peanuts 

Instructions:
1. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium mixing bowl.
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the butter and sugars. 
3. Add the egg, vanilla,and peanut butter and mix until incorporated. Add in the peanuts stir to incorporate.
4. Add the flour mixture to the wet-ingrediants and stir until no more flour streaks are visable. It is a thick dough.
5. Flatten into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refridgerate for 2 hours to 3 days. 
6. When you are ready, take out the dough to warm up for 15 minutes and preheat the oven to 350F. Then, scoop the dough into balls and flatten with your hand or the back of a glass.
7. Bake for 13-17 minutes (less if you want softer and chewier and longer if you want a bit more crumbly-they are good both ways but the lesser time was my favorite!)
Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks!

Love, 
Boulder Butter

Salted Nougat Brownies

Fudgy Centers...

      There is a beauty in brownies that I hold dear to my heart. Their rich, chocolaty decadence, their simplicity, and their comforting fudgy, yet gooey quality speak strongly to memories of childhood sweets. Yes, brownies are one way to get me to stay in one place for a while.

Glossy Tops...

        I do have some requirements for my brownies though. Nothing over the top picky, but heck, I think there are things that do make your brownie over the top better. First of all, leave the cake brownies to cakes. In other words, just make a cake, and indulge in icing if that is what you like in texture. I find nothing more disappointing that buying a brownie only to find out I really just bought a slightly dense square of cake with no frosting. Nu-uh. I want a thickset, fudgy, chewy square of goodness if you are going to call it a brownie. The other main requirement, I do not want every bite to be the same. Texture, bursts of flavor, exciting finds of variety strewn through a brownie are what make me a happy camper.

Gooey and Crunchy Surprises...

       These two things are very important when it comes to biting into the famed-classic dessert. So when I recently looked through The Beekman 1802 Heirloom Dessert Cookbook for the first time, I was about five pages into the recipes when I saw these and stopped. I went to the store to buy the missing ingredients and make them immediately. There was no need to finish looking at the book to see if there was something I would rather make later on. I did not want any delays. When these brothers called something a Salted Nougat Brownie and promise me a fudgy center, I was all in from the moment I read their glossy text on a page.

Pockets of melted carmel and chocolate...

       I have to say, I was right not to delay. These brownies smelt amazing, with the rich, intense chocolate dancing its scents around my tiny apartment. Then I pulled them out of the oven and they had a perfectly, glossy sheen to the top, making them look even more delectable and irresistible. Finally, after a true test of patience, I cut into them. Oh they were fudgy all right; even at first glance you could see these were the brownies the Beekman Brothers had promised. The pockets where the caramel, nougat and chocolate had melted were tantalizing. The promised crunch of the peanuts were calling my name. Finally, I indulged in one of the little squares and I could not have felt more satisfied. Now these, my friends, are brownies.

Got to eat them now!

       I brought the cookies (oatmeal-coconut chocolate chip from last week) and brownies to the final night of the Rooster Cat Romp, a variety show in Denver that ran in the alleyway of a trendy coffee shop all summer. The crowd's verdict was to make the brownies. You have got the try them out. My only sadness is that they all disappeared so quickly. I think I have another batch in store very soon, because to be honest, I cannot get enough of an outstanding brownie.

Adapted from The Beekman 1802 Heirloom Dessert Cookbook
Oven Temp: 350 F

Equipment: 8X8 Square Pan 

Ingredients:
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
6 TBSP unsalted butter
2 large eggs
1/2 C sugar
1/2 C packed brown sugar
2 TBSP light corn syrup
3/4 TSP salt
1 TSP espresso powder
2/3 C all-purpose flour
3/4 C dry roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
1 package "Snickers 2 to Go" (3.3 ounces) roughly chopped

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven and prepare your baking dish by pushing aluminum foil down and around the sides, then greasing the foil.

2. Place a heatproof bowl over a pot of gently simmering water. Make sure the water in the pot is not high enough to touch the bowl. Add the butter and chocolate and stir to melt.

3. Once melted, remove from heat and mix in espresso powder and salt.

3. In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, sugars, corn syrup, and vanilla until combined.

4. Mix in the cooled chocolate mixture, and then the flour.

5. Fold in the nuts and candy bars, and then scrape the batter into the pan.

6. Bake for 40 minutes until edges are set and an inserted toothpick comes out only with moist crumbs. Let the brownies cool in pan before lifting out with aluminum foil. Cut into squares with a pastry cutter or sharp knife.

         Make yourself a brownie sundae with one of these while its still warm. Let that vanilla ice cream melt slightly and pool around the edges to make soft, chewy, chocolate crumbles. Top with some refreshing berries so with each bite you get the deep, warm chocolate, cold, sweet ice cream, and tart, bright fruit together in harmony.  Dig in deeply with your spoon and enjoy one of my favorite childhood treats. 

Happy Baking.

Love, Boulder Butter