Wednesday, May 13, 2009

3 Ingredient Peanut Buttter Cookies


Yesterday afternoon my MIL sent me an email with a recipe for "Three Ingredient P. Cookies".

Along with the recipe she mentioned how they'd be just right for a "Half-Past May Celebration" - a made-up old family celebration from when my dh was a kid (based on the words from the Frog & Toad book by Arnold Lobel ""Wake me up at half past May").

Since the oven was already hot from baking bread, and I had all the necessary ingredients - I thought I'd surprise the kids and make some.

I hesitated as I added the ingredients as it seemed like too much fat and too much sugar - ugh (never thought I'd be one of those moms who would be concerned about such things). I decided to cut down the sugar and peanut butter by a 1/3 and hoped it will still turn out.

They were WONDERFUL!

I've never been a fan of peanut butter cookies - especially the ones I remember from when I was a kid...big fat thick cookies with a fork pattern pressed on top...they were dry and oh-so-peanut buttery. I remember when I delivered newspapers one of my customers gave me a couple of cookies - yum! Until I realized they were peanut butter - ugh!

Anyway these cookies were soft and chewy and sweet. I did add a couple more ingredients just to "fancy" them up a bit...half a maraschino cherry and some melted chocolate. The boy especially was so excited to see the cookies - before he even chomped on one he asked if I could make them again some day!

To cut down on the risk of eating too many of these - even with the reduced ingredients - I only made about 12 very small cookies and then in an act of wastefulness (but for the sake of waist-full-ness) I pitched the remaining dough.

So if you are looking for a super fast, super easy recipe and you happen to have some peanut butter in your cupboard right now - here's the recipe.

Three Ingredient P. Cookies

1 egg
1 c sugar (white)
1 c peanut butter (crunchy or smooth)

Directions: Combine egg and sugar really well. Add PB. Roll mixture into 1 inch balls (mine was way to sticky to try that - I just used two spoons and placed little mounds on the cookie sheet - they flattened out nicely). Place on ungreased cookie sheet and flatten each ball with a fork (criss cross). Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Cool for 5 min on wire rack. Makes 10-15.


2 comments:

Jennifer said...

I remember making these in middle school home ec class.

Is the recipe you posted the reduced sugar/fat version? Or the original?

Edi said...

The recipe posted is the original w/out the lower sugar/fat.

My MIL said that she read someone used 1 c Splenda and reduced fat PB for their cookies and they tasted fine...I'd be curious to try them that way too.