The only word to describe the past week is horrifying. I’ve listened, cried, and tried to make sense of everything, but there’s no making sense of murder. We all have to move forward and do our best to create change so we see fewer and fewer moments like this. Call or write your representatives and tell them what you want, then use your vote.
For now, hug your family tighter, tell them you love them, and appreciate every moment you have together.
I don’t know about you, but when times get tough, I retreat to my favorite place, the kitchen, for cooking, or baking therapy. I highly recommend it and it’s easier on the liver than drinking.
I tried a good, fast chocolate chip skillet cookie recipe my friend Dawn sent that was perfect. Dawn is not only beautiful, she’s a fabulous cook, baker and artist. (If I didn’t love her I’d probably hate her.) Check out her gorgeous, nature prints at Heliographics.com. The tropical prints are especially lovely in a summer home, or beach house, and she does others like this beautiful fern print that looks great anywhere.
But back to cookies. This skillet chocolate chip recipe is so easy, you can slap it together fast for that last minute barbecue your neighbors decided to have. Trust me, everyone will love you for it. These cookies are pure deliciousness. Bite into them warm and get the melted chocolate chips with the buttery, perfectly dense chew of the cookie. And this batter doesn’t have to be refrigerated overnight!
I also tried a recipe a friend at work was raving about. He said his wife makes scrumptious Peanut Butter Fingers and he looked so full of love when he talked about her, I thought, Man! I have to make these! Clearly, they make people adore you.
I made them with Kirkland Organic Creamy Peanut Butter from Costco. They were delicious. The peanut butter and oatmeal bottom layer is the perfect combo of sweet, salty, and slightly crunchy. It’s even more delicious with chopped peanuts. I was told this was a recipe from the 60s, when choosy mothers chose Jif.
However, when I went to the store, Jif was being recalled for potential salmonella, so this choosy mother decided my Costco brand natural peanut butter was fine.
I made a few small changes, but I have to give credit to Lauren Hancher, who kindly shared her family’s recipe with me. I added a few twists of the salt shaker to the crust and the icing. I used 3/4 cup more chocolate chips because one cup didn’t look like quite enough. And since I used the Kirkland Organic Peanut Butter, I substituted whipping cream instead of milk, for the icing, and the color was a creamy, golden brown. This recipe is absolutely delicious. The crumble and crunch of the bottom oatmeal, peanut butter layer nestled against the smooth chocolate layer and topped with swirled peanut butter icing means you will not be able to stop at one. I’m just warning you.
If you have any recipes you think are awesome (because I only blog about awesome recipes), please write to me and fill me in. If I go insane over it, I will happily feature your recipe in my blog and give you all the credit.
So, here are both recipes. I hope they take your mind off things for a while and you’re able to enjoy a beautiful beginning to summer this Memorial Day weekend with family and friends. I’m going to take some flowers to my dad, my favorite veteran, and give extra thanks and extra hugs to family and friends.
Rachesl Brathen sums life up pretty perfectly in these few words. “To love and let go, love and let go, love and let go…it’s the single most important thing we can learn in this lifetime.”
― Rachel Brathen
As always, please feel free to click on the follow button, repost this blog, or just love it and tell your friends about it. Thank you for always reading!
Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine butter and sugars with a wooden spoon. Stir in egg and vanilla .
Mix together flour, baking soda and salt and add to the butter, sugar, egg vanilla mixture. Stir in chocolate chips.
Spread the cookie in a cast iron skillet so it covers the bottom. Bake until cookie is golden brown and just set in the center, 18 to 20 minutes. Let it cool five minutes.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine butter and sugars with a wooden spoon. Stir in egg and vanilla .
Mix together flour, baking soda and salt and add to the butter, sugar, egg vanilla mixture. Stir in chocolate chips.
Spread the cookie in a cast iron skillet so it covers the bottom. Bake until cookie is golden brown and just set in the center, 18 to 20 minutes. Let it cool five minutes.
Peanut Butter Fingers from Lauren Hancher’s Kitchen
Preheat oven to 350. Cream sugars and butter. Add egg and vanilla. After well blended, stir in peanut butter.
Combine baking soda, flour, oats and dash of sea salt. Add to the butter sugar, vanilla, peanut butter mixture. (Add optional chopped peanuts.)
Press evenly in the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350 for 20 to 23 minutes. Remove from oven.
Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly on top and return to oven for one to two minutes to soften the chocolate chips. Immediately spread the chocolate with a knife or spoon. Let it cool for at least one hour, then spread icing on top.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 350. Cream sugars and butter. Add egg and vanilla. After well blended, stir in peanut butter.
Combine baking soda, flour, oats and dash of sea salt. Add to the butter sugar, vanilla, peanut butter mixture. (Add optional chopped peanuts.)
Press evenly in the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350 for 20 to 23 minutes. Remove from oven.
Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly on top and return to oven for one to two minutes to soften the chocolate chips. Immediately spread the chocolate with a knife or spoon. Let it cool for at least one hour, then spread icing on top.
8 Comments
lafriday
June 3, 2022 at 1:35 amI am sending you a great big virtual hug. I love seeing photos of your baking and regaling in the description—much less fattening. However, oatmeal, peanut butter and a bit of chocolate may be too enticing to resist. <3
Fran Tunno
June 6, 2022 at 1:53 pmOh Linda, I was horrified to learn that I simply cannot resist these. Next time I make them there cannot be any leftovers!
wayne
May 28, 2022 at 10:33 amwalk away from it also works….especially with Grammarly. but that doesn’t solve the issue…call your grandson
Fran Tunno
May 29, 2022 at 9:37 amYeah, sometimes I do have to just walk away. I will be calling you today to check on how it’s going. Well, I hope. Happy Memorial Day to you and Mrs. Wilkins!
JoAnn Jones
May 28, 2022 at 6:29 amThe cookie recipes sound delicious , Fran ! I will try them , my grandkids would eat them all up !!! Happy Memorial to you and the family. Yes let’s hug one another tighter and love always. Love you, JoAnn🤗🤗😘
Fran Tunno
May 29, 2022 at 9:36 amI am having a very hard time NOT eating every last one of them. Happy Memorial Day to you too JoAnn! And thanks for taking the time to read and comment. Hugs to the family.
Theresa
May 27, 2022 at 11:25 pmGood heavens that looks scrumptious!
Fran Tunno
May 29, 2022 at 9:35 amI have to say, they are really good. Those moms in years gone by knew what kids liked!