Weekend baking II (only 5 days late)

I committed myself to bringing a dessert to the zombie movie afternoon event with Aaron (which featured Night of the Creeps, tacos, and kittens!), so Sunday evening brought more baking. Until like 11:30 at night. Jeez.

This church was right across the street
from my grandma's house.
Sadly, it no longer exists. The church, that is.

When I need to bake something delicious, and I'm not really sure what that something is, I turn to my Centennial Cookbook, published by St. Peter's Catholic Church, Dumont, MN (1899-1999). I decided on peanut butter cookies because I didn't have any chocolate in the house, and then I realized I didn't have any peanut butter. OK, that's a lie. I did have peanut butter, but it had been in the waaaaaay back of the fridge and was all crusty and white, so I tossed it (wisely, I think). I did have a lovely jar of almond butter, safe and unopened in the cupboard. It seemed like fate.

For reals.

Peanut Butter Almond Butter Cookies
by Drusilla Friedly (seriously)

1 cup butter (softened)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 cup almond butter
1 tsp. baking soda (dissolved in 1/4 cup hot water)
2 3/4 cup flour (or 1 cup, depending on how things are shaping up)
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla



Cream the butter and brown sugar. Mix in the white sugar and almond butter (or peanut butter if you have to). Dissolve the baking soda in hot water and add to the bowl. And you guessed it: mix that shit up. After all that mixing, you'll want to add the flour a cup or so at a time. Mix some more until everything is all mixed up. (Maybe take a little rest after that. You should probably also sample the dough. Heck, have a little more. By now it's almost midnight and everyone else is asleep, dreaming delicious dreams. Back to it.)

Imagine the perfect cookie dough and then
make that dream a reality.

The dough should be firm--I don't know how to describe it and Drusilla certainly doesn't provide any hints. You don't want it dry, but also not overly moist--that's where your reserve flour might come into play. (The original recipe calls for 3 cups. 3 whole cups? That's last resort flour right there. I find that less works best.) Shape the dough into little balls about the size of a walnut. Press them flat with a fork so it makes that nice peanut butter cookie lattice (the part I forgot). Bake at 350 degrees on an ungreased cookie sheet for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Be generous with your sampling.



Don't you bring that flat baby in here!

The end result is not actually that pretty...this time. I forgot to make the cross-hatch marks. I've only got one hatch and it's nowhere near crossed. And I'm quite aware the cookies came out looking like giant-eared, flat baby heads. I know! But they are very delicious, and the almond butter adds a subtly different flavor. Recommend.