I wonder how these turned out for Susie...I watch two little boys after school one day a week and I always have something fresh from the oven when they get here, today I thought peanut butter cookies sounded good. This past weekend we went to the Milwaukee Public Market where they have a bakery and I had the best p.b. cookie. It was big, very peanut buttery in taste, kind of crisp when you bit it but buttery when you chewed it. I wish I had asked what kind of peanut butter they used...I loved the flavor of natural peanut butter but have not been able to successfully make a p.b. cookie from it.

What kind of peanut butter? I often buy peanuts at a reduced price after the holidays and make my own peanut butter in the food processor. I also use powdered peanut butter and reconstitute it with water and add a little coconut oil to smooth out the texture. (Powdered peanut butter is a home food storage staple.) When Dillons (our Kroger associated grocery store) sends me a coupon for a free jar of Kroger peanut butter, I'll use that. The price of an 18-oz. jar of it has more than doubled over the last few years, so it MUST be good...... If I'm feeling wild and crazy I'll make sunflower seed butter and use that for something different. I'm not one of those "picky" people who choose Jif - because it normally doesn't fit my food budget. We regularly use 18-oz. of peanut butter per month without using it for cookies. This is our newest favorite peanut butter cookie recipe.... PEANUT BUTTER CRUNCH COOKIES Heat or microwave to liquefy: 1 stick of butter 3/4 c. peanut butter Add remaining ingredients: 1 t. baking soda pinch of salt 2 eggs 1 c. unsalted dry roasted peanuts 1/2 c. raw or roasted sunflower seeds 1/2 c. almond flour (or wheat flour) 1/2 c. palm sugar (or brown sugar) 1/2 c. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips 1/2 c. cacao nibs (optional) Use an electric mixer to blend. Use a #50 portion scoop to portion cookies and place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Press dough down slightly. Bake in a preheated 375-degree F. oven for 12-minutes. -Grainlady

I come from a family of serious peanut butter and chocolate lovers -- in other words, you can never have too much peanut butter and chocolate. I'm not a huge fan, but I do have to say that I really love this particular recipe for a frozen peanut butter pie. From one of my very favorite cookbooks, Baked: New Frontiers in Baking, it takes a little extra work, but well worth the effort. The recipe for the fudge sauce is generous and will last beyond the pie (even in my family). Peanut Butter Pie with Cookie Crust Chocolate cookie crust 30 chocolate wafer cookies ( about 6 ounces) 1 tablespoon sugar 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted Chocolate bottom 1/2 cup ( 3 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips 1/2 teaspoon light corn syrup Peanut butter filling 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature 1 cup creamy peanut butter 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract 3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar 1 1/2 cups heavy cream Easy hot fudge sauce 6 ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped 6 ounces dark chocolate (64% cacao), finely chopped 1 cup heavy cream 1/2 cup light corn syrup Preparation Chocolate cookie crust In a food processor, grind the cookies to a very fine powder. You should have about 1 1/2 cups. Put the crumbs in a bowl and stir in the sugar. Pour the butter over the crumb mixture and mix until well combined. The mixture will feel wet. Turn the crumb mixture out into a 9-inch pie plate and press it into the bottom and up the sides. You can use the back of a large spoon to even out the crust. Put the crust in the refrigerator while you make the filling. Peanut butter filling with chocolate bottom Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave oven or in a double boiler. Add the corn syrup and stir to combine. Use a spatula to spread the chocolate in a thin layer on the bottom of the chilled pie crust. Put the crust back in the refrigerator while you make the peanut butter filling. Put the cream cheese, peanut butter, vanilla, and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until well combined and completely smooth. Set aside. In a clean bowl, use the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment to whip the cream until soft peaks form. Remove the bowl form the mixer and, with a rubber spatula, gently fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture until the mixture is uniform in color. Pour the mixture into the prepared crust and freeze for at least 4 hours. Once the pie is frozen, you can cover it with aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 days. Easy Fudge Sauce Place both chocolates in a medium heatproof bowl and set aside. In a small saucepan, bring the cream to simmer over medium heat. Add the corn syrup and stir to combine. Remove from the heat and pour over chocolates. Let mixture sit for 2 minutes. Starting at the center of the bowl and working your way out to the edges, whisk the chocolate mixture in a circle until completely smooth. The hot fudge sauce, cooled to room temperature and covered tightly, will keep for 3 days in the refrigerator. Rewarm the sauce in a microwave oven on medium heat for 30 seconds, stir, and repeat until sauce is warm; or reheat it in a small saucepan over low heat. Place a frozen piece of pie on a large serving plate and spoon 3 heaping tablespoons of the warm sauce directly over the top of the pie. Eat and enjoy immediately. Here is a link that might be useful: Matt Renalto and Renato Poliafito show how it's done

Here is our family favorite... Preheat oven to 375 degrees 1 C. shortening 1 C. sugar 1 C. brown sugar 1 tsp. vanilla 2 eggs, beaten 1 C. peanut butter 3 C. flour 2 tsp. baking soda dash of salt Cream shortening, sugars and vanilla together. Add eggs, beat thoroughly. Stir in peanut butter. Add dry ingredients. Roll into 1" balls. Place unto ungreased cookine sheets and flatten with the back of a fork dipped in flour to make a cross hatch pattern. Bake at 375 degreees for 10 minutes. Makes approx 8 dozen cookies.