A family favorite every time.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies

Makes about 18 cookies

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 egg
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour

Combine the sugars and softened butter. Add the egg and peanut butter and stir until combined. Add the salt, baking soda, and vanilla and stir in. Finally add the flour and stir until all ingredients are combined.

To shape, roll gobs of dough into one inch balls with your hands. Place the balls on a greased cookie sheet an inch or two apart. Gently press with a fork to flatten the cookies, then rotate the pan ninety degrees and press down again.

If you want to add jelly, use the back of a spoon or your thumb to make a well in the center of the cookie. Add a spoonful of jam.

Bake on the middle or upper rack of the oven at 375 for 12 to 15 minutes, rotating the pan once so that they bake evenly. Remove before the bottoms get too dark.

We've been reading a ton of Petzi books to our son. All of the drawings of Petzi eating crepes forced me to make crepes this weekend (yes, forced me... my life is so tough).

These were good in the morning, but the best part has been having extras in the fridge. I pull one out, spread on some Nutella, and zap it in the microwave for 20 seconds and they are as good as new.

I've used a few different recipes in the past, but I really like this one from Beth Hensberger's Bread Bible. It is extremely simple.

Crepes

Makes 15 to 20 crepes

3 eggs
1 cup whole milk
2/3 cup water or light beer
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons melted butter (add a dash of salt if you are using unsalted butter)

Mix everything together with a blender, hand mixer, or whisk until it is smooth and the consistency of cream. Cover with plastic and refrigerate.

Lightly grease a skillet or crepe pan and heat over medium heat. Pour a scoop of batter onto the pan and tilt the pan to spread the batter around (or use a plastic scraper to do so). After a minute or so flip the crepe over and bake until the other side is slightly browned, 30 seconds or so.

Serve with whatever filling you like. We did Nutella and black current jam. Both were excellent.

As I mentioned, leftover crepes can be wrapped in plastic and stored in the fridge for a good long while. We actually didn't have any left over, but I made a second batch the next morning because we enjoyed them so much. It is almost time for me to make a third batch!

waiting for jam and cream

Quick, simple and delicious.

Savoury scones, with added chopped black olives, onion and cheese, cut with a small 1 1/2 inch round cutter, ideal for party food, or sweet scones with added dried fruit, split and buttered or even plain sweet scones split spread with jam and cream, yum,,,,,,,,,,,,,

qahtan

From a recipe we found in Sunset Magazine (Jan 2005)

1 cup fresh blueberries, rinsed, or frozen blueberries
1/4 cup apple juice
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1/4 lb.) cold butter, cut into chunks
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
3/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 cup sliced almonds

A very tasty cake which earns extra bonus points for making the house smell wonderful and for staying moist for days.
It uses whole oranges and lemon rinds, and almonds and barely any flour for a really interesting taste. Goes great with tea.

Orange, Almond, and Olive Oil Cake
Ingredients:
2 small oranges
1 lemon
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
4 eggs at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) almonds, toasted and finely chopped
2/3 cup olive oil
some Confectioners' (powdered) sugar for dusting

- Put the oranges and the lemon in a large pan and add enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil, then simmer and cook uncovered for 30 minutes. (That's the instant air-freshener aspect)
- Drain and let cool so that you can handle them without burning yourself.
- Cut the lemon in half and throw out the pulp and seeds.
- Cut the orange in half and throw out the seeds (but not the pulp).
- Put the citrus into a food processor/blender and chop it up finely, then set aside.

-Preheat oven to 350
-Sift flour and baking powder together into a bowl and set aside.
-In a large bowl, combine eggs and salt, beat until foamy.
-Gradually beat in the sugar.
-Gently fold in the flour mixture.
-Stir in chopped citrus, almonds, and olive oil until just incorporated (The recipe book states here "Do not overmix.")

-Pour the batter into a 10-inch springform pan.
-Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until center of cake is set (toothpick comes out clean.)
-Let cool completely in pan on wire rack, then unmold, place on a serving plate, and dust the top with confectioners' sugar.

This evening, unable to go to the store due to ice, I wanted to make cookies, but had to do it with what I had in the pantry.
Here's what I came up with!

Pumpkin White Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup canned pumpkin
2/3 cup white sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup apple sauce
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon milk
1 cup white chocolate chips

Mix wet and dry ingridients separately, except for the sugar which should be mixed with the wet ingridients. Mix the wet and dry together and add the white chocolate chips. Nuts can be added as well, if you like.

Guilt-free "Hippy Cookies"

- 3 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda

- 3/4 cup applesauce
- 3/4 cup honey
- 2 teaspoons vanilla

- 1/2 cup walnuts
- 3/4 cup carob chips

Mix solids and liquids in separate bowls, then mix together.
Add nuts and chips.
Bake 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

1/2 cup butter
2 and 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
dash salt
1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel

Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
milk

- Mix ingredients and chill for 1 to 2 hours.
- Roll out and shape cookies.
- Bake at 375 for 7-8 minutes.
- Glaze.