If you don’t like peanut butter … well that’s just wrong … but also you won’t like this post much either.
We’ve long been fans of Alton Brown and “Good Eats” … even saw his stage show in PDX a few years ago.
Brown’s take on cooking and food is unique and always entertaining. Check out his YouTube channel.
As the days at home stretch out, you might be looking for a treat and this recipe has five ingredients, is quick, flourless and full of peanut goodness. Enjoy!
Preheat oven to 350º and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Cream peanut butter together with sugar(s) until fully incorporated.
Add egg, soda, vanilla, and salt. Beat until smooth.
With a 1 ½ Tbsp scoop (1 oz), measure and transfer balls of dough to cookie sheet. Leave 2 to 3 inches of space - that is 8 dough balls on each sheet.
With a fork press to flatten the balls and then slide the fork off, first in one direction and then 90º to those indents to create the classic cross hatch pattern.
Place both sheets roughly in center of oven and bake for 5 minutes. Turn the pans and bake an additional 5 minutes (10 minutes total).
Cool on sheets for 5 minutes and transfer to racks. Allow to cool completely before storing in cookie jar.
Notes
Here is the YouTube video with Alton making these cookies.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nalyEGpuSs&t=0s
Recently I was reading a book where the main character baked her signature “Persimmon Cookies.” All the book characters absolutely loved the treat … I figure what better endorsement is there?
Since this was the first time either Jack and I have heard of these cookies we decided to do some research. If your lucky there might be persimmons in the produce section of your local grocery. This is one of the rare fruits that is still sold seasonally. But, have you ever tasted one?
As Jack tells it … growing up the Schommer kids were exposed to a lot of exotic foods … they even had serving utensils for escargot. But Jack couldn’t remember ever tasting any variety of this bright orange fruit.
Persimmons originated in China where they have been cultivated for centuries. There are two varieties … non-astringent (Fuyu) and astringent (Hachiya). You may have trouble finding either in your local market.
Fuyu is round and flat or donut shaped and it’s skin is more golden orange.
These can be eaten regardless of ripeness and are great sliced onto a salad and should be eaten when the flesh is firm.
The Hachiya (ideal for baking) is typically larger and acorn or oblong in shape, with skin in a deep orange. It will frequently have black sun spots (not a problem).
This astringent-variety must be ripe to eat, and by that we mean soft, very soft. If you should take a bite of an un-ripened Hachiya it will turn you throat to dust (… you have been warned). On the other hand, ripe ones are the best for baking, making excellent cookies.
Persimmon and Cocoa Drop cookies accompanied by drams of Michter’s Whiskey
Persimmons taste of honey with a touch of cinnamon and once you’ve found them you’ll be back.
The cookie recipe we are sharing uses Hachiya and adds seasonal spices to the ripe fruit to bring out their flavor.
Then they are topped with a sweet orange glaze that is perfect with eggnog or whiskey.
1cupgolden raisinsSubstitute chopped cranberries or dates for raisins.
Glaze
2cupsconfectioners sugar
2tbsporange juice Reserve a couple of extra tablespoons in case you need to adjust the consistency of the glaze.
1tbsppersimmon puree
1tsporange zest
1/2tsporange extract
Instructions
If available, use hachiya persimmons (ideal for baking). They should be very ripe and completely soft to the touch. Use a spoon to scoop out the pulp. Discard any seeds or membrane that might be there. Each hachiya persimmon should yield approximately 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of pulp.
Prepare persimmon pulp: Using a blender or foot processor, puree the ripe persimmon pulp until smooth. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon bakiing soda.
Beat together the butter and sugars in a large bowl. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract. Mix in the persimmon puree and orange zest.
In a separate bowl, vigorously whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ground cloves, ground nutmeg, and salt.
Make cookie dough: Add dry ingredients to persimmon mixture a third at a time, stirring just until flour is incorporated. Stir in nuts and dried fruit.
Chill dough for 1 hour.
Bake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drop cookie dough rounds on stick-free cookie sheets, leaving at least an inch between the cookies. Bake for 13-14 minutes or until cookies are browned around the edges and spring back when lightly touched in center. Let cool on baking racks before frosting.
Prepare glaze: Sift confectioners sugar, then whisk with 2 tablespoons of orange juice until smooth. Add 1 tablespoon of persimmon puree, 1 teaspoon of orange zest and 1/2 teaspoon orange extract (optional). Mix until smooth. Dip spoon into glaze mixture and dribble over cookies. Let harden before serving.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together shortening, sugar and the egg.
Add in buttermilk and vanilla mix until combined and smooth.
Add the dry ingredients, 1/3 at a time to the liquid and mix until combined before adding next third.
Stir in chopped nuts and refrigerate dough for one hour.
Preheat oven to 400º
Using a cookie scoop, place balls of chilled dough on to parchment lined baking sheets. 2 tablespoon measures (30g) will yield about 24 2” cookies. 1 tablespoon measures will give you 1 ½ inch cookies and yield about 45.
Brown Butter Icing
Melt butter in sauce pan over medium heat, stirring regularly until it comes to a boil, reduce heat to med. low and continue stirring until it turns a golden brown color. Remove from heat and pour over 1 ¾ cup of powdered sugar in a medium bowl, add in cream and vanilla, whisk until you have a thick, spreadable icing. You can add the reserved sugar to help get the proper consistancy.
Today we flavored, colored and whipped half a dozen different types of heavy cream, dumped a dozen macarons that were an odd blue color and made buttercream that was way too sweet.
For the past few weeks our kitchen has remained in a constant state of disarray. We are in the process of settling a menu for our Pumpkin Tea. Every fall we host an english tea party, a tradition that goes back to when our dining room couldn’t really seat all the people waiting to sip tea and butter scones.
I’m really not sure who christened it Pumpkin Tea, but this party recently started back up again. Usually mid to late September our house hosts a party generating a few dozen different baked goods and tables of goodies.
Freeze dried raspberries
Powdered in processor
Raspberry Whip Cream…Yumm!
The crux of the event from our prospective is being able to try a lot of different baking techniques and recipes without eating too many calories. Of course too many calories is a relative term, but with Pumpkin Tea we get to play with a wide range of methods and flavors.
This year we are doing more traditional english tea party fare.
Think … finger sandwiches, tea cakes and tarts. There is also an almond cake with a variety of flavored creams and fresh berries as toppings.
One year we made four different cakes to find the right flavor and texture.
This year we went through several batches of macarons, realizing how hard it is to get those cookies consistently right.
Tea cake with Fiori di Sicilia extract (vanilla, orange and floral notes)
French macaron, nice foot, smooth top
Over the course of a month the menu expands, contracts and shifts as the testing points out items that may be tasty but require too much work. It also presents bakes that never seem to work out.
However, in the end we have a party spread and lots of good tastes … and we hope a good time is had by all.
Rarely does this occur when you actually have time to make a batch.
The other issue? Once made, cookies, in our house at least, rarely last more than a day.
We’ve discovered a system that allows small amounts of cookies, oven fresh, anytime and eliminates a cookie jar full of temptation.
For fifteen bucks or less you can get two Casabella freezer cookie trays, enough for a batch. Order online at either Amazon or King Arthur Flour. Each tray holds 15 tablespoon sized scoops of your favorite dough (chocolate chip, right). Easy seal lids protect cookie nuggets from the taste of last month’s frozen burrito’s. The scoops pop out easily. We found that cooking time is maybe a minute or two longer than the original recipe. It may be a bit too easy, but very convenient.
If you don’t like peanut butter … well that’s just wrong … but also you won’t like this post much either.
Since this was the first time either Jack and I have heard of these cookies we decided to do some research. If your lucky there might be persimmons in the produce section of your local grocery. This is one of the rare fruits that is still sold seasonally. But, have you ever tasted one?
Fuyu is round and flat or donut shaped and it’s skin is more golden orange.
The Hachiya (ideal for baking) is typically larger and acorn or oblong in shape, with skin in a deep orange. It will frequently have black sun spots (not a problem).
This year we are doing more traditional english tea party fare.
One year we made four different cakes to find the right flavor and texture.
