Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Peanut Butter and Bacon Cookies

One of the simple pleasures in life for me is peanut butter. I, personally, am a Jif guy, but if I'm trying to be healthy, I'll choose Adam's. And, I usually go with crunchy. I practically grew up on peanut butter sandwiches. A good peanut butter sandwich was the one and only thing about the States I missed during our month in Vienna this past summer. Here's my list, and in no particular order, of favorite peanut butter sandwiches.

  • Peanut butter with spun honey (Spun is better.)
  • Peanut butter with red or purple jelly (Grape is first, and raspberry is a close second.)
  • Peanut butter with dill pickle (I read about it in a book as a kid, tried it, and loved it.)
  • Peanut butter with marshmallow cream (I've heard that back east it's called a fluffernutter.)
  • Peanut butter with chocolate chips (milk chocolate, semi-sweet, dark, white chocolate, whatever)
  • Peanut butter with potato chips (salty and crunchy)
  • Peanut butter with banana (Elvis knew what he was doing.)
I think peanut butter just makes everything better. What's one of my favorite ingredients on pizza? Yep, you guessed it. And I'm not talking about peanut butter on one of those dessert pizza things. This is real pizza. All you do is spread a thin layer of peanut butter on your crust, add the sauce, sprinkle on cheese, put on toppings of your choice, and bake. Now, wipe that disgusted look off your face and go try it. It really is good!

Why am I writing about peanut butter? Well, recently I heard about someone making peanut butter and bacon cookies. Really? Peanut butter and bacon together? Two flavors that I love? In my opinion, pure genius! I had to give it a try. I took my favorite and extremely easy peanut butter cookie recipe and added diced cooked bacon. And, it worked! First, you taste the peanut butter. Then, you hit a chewy little piece of bacon. As you chew the bacon, both flavors combine into absolute yumminess.

Seriously, give this recipe a try. If you still can't get past the idea of meat in cookies, just leave the bacon out. This is still a great peanut butter cookie!


*Sidenote* I'm sure that some of you who know me are thinking, "Isn't Curtis a flexitarian and doesn't he avoid sugar?" Well yes, that's true. Sugar is only for special occasions, and I try to eat meat only sparingly. But once in a while, you come across a recipe like this, and you've got to give it a try.



The ones with chocolate–no bacon.
The ones without chocolate–with bacon.

Peanut Butter and Bacon Cookies
(If you can't handle it, just leave the bacon out. They're still great.)
 
Ingredients:
  • 1 cup peanut butter (creamy, chunky, healthy, whatever)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg, slightly beaten
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 6 pieces of cooked bacon, chopped into small pieces
Preheat oven to 325˚. In medium bowl, combine all ingredients. Shape dough into 1-in. balls. On ungreased baking sheepts, arrange cookies 2 inches apart. With fork, gently flatten each cookie and press crisscross patter into top.

Bake 8 minutes or until lightly browned and slightly puffed. Immediately top, if desired, with a few chocolate chips. Once chocolate melts, spread with a knife. On wire rack, cool completely before removing from baking sheets.

2 comments:

  1. LOLOL When you said, "Now wipe that disgusted look off your face and go try it," I really DID have a disgusted look, one of incrudulity. (is that even a word?)
    So I don't know if I really could bring myself to do the peanut butter on pizza thing. And this from a woman who was raised on - you ready? - Peanut butter and mayonaise sandwiches! Yep, my dad made them for us all the time. (and no, he didn't keel over from a heart attack, he's still doing great at 83.) Oh, but when my uncle rolled up peanut butter in a slice of bologna, I was amazed that even tasted edible, let alone delish. Lately I've been putting peanut butter on Everything Crackers from Trader Joes, and also on their chocolate Cat Cookies. Yum. Thanks for the ideas, keep sharing!

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  2. I wish we had Trader Joes here in Utah! I don't think they can deal with our liquor laws. The next time I head down to California, I'll have to pick up some Everything Crackers and Cat Cookies. I would love to try them with PB. But seriously, I double-dog-dare you to try the PB pizza!

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