PEANUT  BUTTER  COOKIES

INGREDIENTS :

• ½ cup butter
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 ¼ cup flour
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt ( only if the peanuts aren't salted )

PREPARATION :

1. Beat together butter and peanut butter until well combined.
2. Add sugars and beat again.
   
   
   
   
   
3. Add egg, milk and vanilla extract and mix until smooth.
4. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and mix until blended
5. Roll balls of dough and place them on an ungreased baking sheet . 
   
   
   
   
   
   Flatten in crisscross pattern with fork and sprinkle with a little sugar .
   
   
   
    
   

   
   
   
   
   
   
   

   
   
6. Bake at 180 degrees Celcius for 10 to 12 minutes.

ENJOY WITH A CUP OF TEA ; )

PEANUT BUTTER RECIPE

The origin of peanut butter can be traced back to the Aztecs, who ground roasted peanuts into a paste.

The actual invention of peanut butter can be credited to a Canadian Marcellus Gilmore Edson in 1884. In the USA, it was popularized in 1895 by  John Harvey Kellog (the creator of cereal).

Americans use peanut butter in pastries but also as a spread in their sandwiches. Peanut butter and jelly sandwich is a classic !

Did you know that : 

• Americans are the third largest producer of peanuts after China and India. 
• An average American eats about 6 pounds ( about 2.7 kgs) peanut butter a year.
• Americans have a National Peanut Butter Day !

INGREDIENTS :

• 2 cups roasted and salted peanuts ( about 275 grams )
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• 1 or 2 tablespoons peanut oil or other oil ( neutral taste)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• 1 or 2 tablespoons honey

PREPARATION :

• Put the peanuts into a food processor and pulse the peanuts until ground.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   → For chunky peanut butter, remove 1/2 cup of chopped nuts and set aside. 
  
  
  
   
• Process for 1 minute: Run the food processor continuously for 1 minute. At this point, the peanut butter will look gritty and dry, almost like couscous. 
  
  
  
   
• Process for 1 minute: Run the food processor for another minute. At this point, the butter will start clumping together. 
  
  
  
   
• Process for 1 minute: Run the food processor for another minute. At this point, the butter will be glossy and soft, like very thick peanut butter. 
  
  
  
   
• Add the salt, oil, sweetener: Sprinkle the oil, sweetener over the top of the peanut butter.
• Process for 1 to 2 additional minutes: Continue processing the butter until it becomes completely smooth. If you reserved some nuts for chunky peanut butter add them now and pulse a few times to incorporate.
  
  
  
   
• Transfer the peanut butter to storage container: Scrape the peanut butter into a storage container, cover, and refrigerate. The peanut butter can be used immediately and will keep for several weeks in the fridge.
  

APPLE  PIE POPS

We know apple pies, we know cake pops, but how about apple pie pops ?

Our penpal Liam from New Jersey suggested that we could bake an apple pie. Unfortunately, we don't have enough time to cook, bake and eat a traditional apple pie in the span of our 2 hour session. Therefore, apple pie pops sound like a good compromise.

Preparation time : 30 minutes

Cooking time : 20 minutes

Serves 10 cakes

INGREDIENTS :

• one pack of ready-made shortcrust pastry
• 2 or 3 apples
• a teaspoon cinnamon or more according to your taste
• a teaspoon of lemon juice
• one egg white
• some milk and brown sugar to glaze
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  

  Cutters, cake pop sticks, a brush and a set of spoons

  
  
                                

METHOD :

1. Preheat the oven to 180° C.
   
   
2. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper. Set aside.
   
   
3. To make the filling, peel the apples, core them and cut them into tiny cubes.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Put them into a bowl, add cinnamon, lemon ( and if necessary brown sugar ) and stir .
   
   
   
   
   

5. Place this mixture in a saucepan on low heat, continue to stir for 5 to 10 minutes. You can add a few tablespoons of water if the mixture looks too thick. Set aside to cool.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
6. Roll out the ready-made shortcrust pastry. Using a cutter, cut out two shapes for each apple pie pop.
   
   
   
   
   
7. Place shapes on the baking tray leaving plenty of space around each. 
   
   
8. Add a stick to each shape about a centimetre from the edge and press the stick firmly.
   
   
   
   
   
   

   
   
   
   
9. Put some apple mixture in the centre of the shape.
   
   
   
     
   
    
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
10. Cut out a hole with a cutter or a knife in the centre of the second shape.
    
    
    
    
    
11. Brush with egg white the edge of the first shape.
    
    
    
    
    
12. Place the second shape over the first one, and press the edges  of the 2 shapes down to stick them together. You can press the edges with a stick .
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
13. Brush up the top of the apple pie pop with milk and sprinkle it with brown sugar. You can add a small shape of pastry on the top of it .
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
14. Bake for approximately 20 minutes. Eat them warm.
    
    

    
    
    
    
    
    

ENJOY WITH A CUP OF TEA  ; )

(We love Alexandre's mother's Oolong tea )