Peanut Butter Cookies and Tart Cakes

Welcome dessert fans and cookie monsters! 

I know, I know, what's a cookie doing on a health food blog? Well, these cookies are remarkably healthy when baked from scratch...as healthy as cookies can be, anyway. 

These cookies are part of my regular favorites that I've been making for years. The recipe was adapted from a recipe given to us by our family friend, Nancy Kampmeyer. I hadn't made them in a very long time, and my brother mentioned them a few months ago, so, by special request....

The Recipe: Peanut Butter Cookies and Tart Cakes

• 1 3/4 flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp baking soda

There are a few ways to make these cookies...I generally end up baking a few different types from the same batch: barely baked for my brother, crispy for my father, and in the middle for my mother. 

The Process: For Softer Cookies

• Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees
• Combine flour, sugar, and baking soda in a bowl
• Melt butter in the microwave for 45-60 seconds, or until it is 3/4-completely melted
• Combine peanut butter, egg, melted butter, and vanilla extract in another bowl
• Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients
• Mix with a hand mixer until completely blended and creamy. 
• Butter a baking pan (you may need more than one; the batter makes 40-60 cookies depending on size)
• Using a regular spoon, make small balls of batter about an inch apart on the baking pan.
• Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until edges begin to form. 
• Allow to cool before serving. 
• Try to stop eating ;) 

The Process: For Crisp Cookies

• Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees
• Combine flour, sugar, and baking soda in a bowl
• Melt butter in the microwave for about 10 seconds, or until it loosens slightly
• Combine peanut butter, egg, butter, and vanilla extract in another bowl
• Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients
• Mix with a hand mixer until completely blended. It will first become a more rice-like batter and then will combine again into a more sticky single batter.
• Butter a baking pan (you may need more than one; the batter makes 40-60 cookies depending on size)
• Make small balls of batter with your hands, about 3/4-1 inch in diameter. Place them about 1 inch apart on the baking pan. 
• Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until edges are clearly visible and darken slightly 
• Allow to cool before serving. 
• Try to stop eating ;)

The Process: For Medium-Baked Cookies

• Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees
• Combine flour, sugar, and baking soda in a bowl
• Melt butter in the microwave for about 30 seconds, or until it becomes 1/2-3/4 melted.
• Combine peanut butter, egg, butter, and vanilla extract in another bowl
• Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients
• Mix with a hand mixer until completely blended. It should have a more creamy texture, but low viscosity.
• Butter a baking pan (you may need more than one; the batter makes 40-60 cookies depending on size)
• Make small balls of batter using a spoon, about 3/4-1 inch in diameter. Place them about 1 inch apart on the baking pan. 
• Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until edges are formed. 
• Allow to cool before serving. 
• Try to stop eating ;)

The Process: For Soft Tart Shells

• Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees
• Combine flour, sugar, and baking soda in a bowl
• Melt butter in the microwave for about 30 seconds, or until it becomes 1/2-3/4 melted.
• Combine peanut butter, egg, butter, and vanilla extract in another bowl
• Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients
• Mix with a hand mixer until completely blended. It should have a more creamy texture, but low viscosity.
• Line a mini cupcake tray with cupcake paper. 
• Fill each cupcake paper 1/2-3/4 full. 
• Add mini chocolate chips, if desired.
• Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until they rise.
• As they cool, the batter will fall and become tart shells. You can eat them empty or fill them with anything you like. (We added raspberry jam)
• Enjoy with a spoon.  

The Calories:

Flour:

Sugar:

Egg:

Butter:

Peanut Butter:

Vanilla Extract:

Baking Soda:

_______________________________

TOTAL:

If desired, add....

Raspberry Jam: 

Strawberry Jam:

Chocolate Sauce:

Caramel Sauce: 

Applesauce and cinnamon: 

Custard:

Pudding:

What went right:

           They were finished in a day and a half. 

What went wrong: 

           The tarts were good, but I had initially intended on making cupcakes...I think I needed to bake the batter longer and add baking powder as well. We ate them with spoons and they still tasted fantastic. 

What would I do next time?:

            Next time I would bake the tarts longer to be tarts, or add baking soda to be cupcakes. I would also  try the different fillings and toppings. I would also like to try folding in other mix-ins such as cinnamon. 

Would I do this in college?: 

            I might have to make half batches of them in college so I don't eat 60 cookies in one night! Just in case....

The Workout: For abs, hamstrings, and pelvic alignment

8 sets of 8 normal crunches

10 pelvis lift bridges

8 sets of 8 bicycles

10 pelvis lift bridges

8 sets of 8 crunches with legs at 90 degrees

10 pelvis lift bridges

4 sets of 8 normal crunches twisted to each side

10 pelvis lift bridges

Approximate time: 8 minutes (hint hint wink wink nudge nudge, this is also the baking time for the cookies)

This batter is exceptionally easy to make, and has a whole world of potential. Watch out for more peanut butter cookie experiments in the future!