Peanut Butter Cookie Therapy

You know how sometimes there’s this thing that you need, you crave, but you can’t quite put your finger on it? You know you’re hungry, have a hankering for something, but you have no idea what it could be. And then, magically, it jumps out at you: “ahha! that’s what I’ve been wanting!”.

Well, I was having a full-on PMS day: grumpy, moody, craving that unknown something. I took a shower, thinking that would help me shake off my bad mood. When I got out of the shower, my house smelled like cookies. Like the Keebler Elves snuck in while I was in the bathroom and whipped up a batch of something yummy.

Well, it was better than that. My Sweetie had baked peanut butter chocolate chip cookies! I followed my nose down the stairs, and found these waiting for me.

The recipe is from the Foster’s Market Cookbook, a perennial favorite of mine. It has everything from simple summer salads to savory roasts and delightful desserts. Definitely worth checking out. (Note:while looking up the link I noticed she has some new books–must check them out!)

These peanut butter cookies turn out great every time, and with the addition of some mini chocolate chips are sure not to last long in my house. Thank you, Sweetness!

So Many Berries, So Little Time

Summer harvest yields a multitude of irresistible sunshine-enhanced berries. When I saw the bounty of blueberries and strawberries for sale at the market this week, I couldn’t pass without buying some. I froze half of each for later, then started thinking about what to do with the fresh berries I had leftover. Since it was about a zillion degrees outside, I wanted to do something that involved as little cooking as possible. Hence, the fresh fruit tartlettes:

These are super simple to make, either in the mini or full size version. As a shortcut I used store bought pie crust and instant pudding; normally I would make both from scratch, but it’s hot and I wanted to spend time relaxing, not slaving over a hot stove stirring custard…

Chocolate and strawberries: a winning combination.

If you want to make these at home, simply use your favorite pastry dough or store brand. Roll it out to about 1/4″ thick and cut into circles using a cookie cutter or glass that is about 1/2 inch larger than your pie tin. If you’re making an 8 or 9 inch pie, just roll out the dough, put the pie plate on it and cut a circle about 2 inches wider than the plate. Press the dough into the pie tin, making sure to trim the edges. I stab the bottoms of mine with a fork a few times before baking so the pastry doesn’t puff up. Bake the shells empty as directed by your recipe. Let them cool, then fill with pastry cream, chocolate mousse, pudding, lemon curd, whipped cream, or whatever else you can dream up! Decorate with as many fresh berries as you can and enjoy.

Eat something fresh today.

What’s your favorite way to use fresh berries?