Peanut Butter Compost Cookies {Gluten-free}

Ok before we get into tasty cookie talk...I need to make a confession: I overcooked them. Like...I either didn't set the timer or didn't hear it go off or I don't know what but all I know is that I'm lucky I decided to go check when I did or all I would have had to share today were blackened hockey pucks.

Luckily these cookies still turned out fine (Michael actually likes the fact that they're probably less soft than they would have been if baked for the proper time)-good, in fact. But I haven't overcooked cookies in QUITE some time, so I just needed to come clean about it. Glad that we got that out of the way.

You know what's great about compost cookies? You can pretty much throw in any random stuff you have into them. I happened to stay fairly close to the ingredients listed in the original recipe but that is because I just so happened to need to get rid of some of those things. Like...guys...I have so much shredded coconut. And I rarely use it. And cornflakes--I have them. Rarely use 'em. So, this recipe was super helpful (although, admittedly, I did not use up much of them...maybe I should make 5 more batches?)

Once again we're doing the healthyish cookie thang. Peanut butter and nuts are the main source of fat (and it's a good kind of fat). There's a minimal amount of flour-like substance that is used to help hold them together (I used almond flour, you can use some other sort of thing, or...just regular flour. Your call. But if you use a non gluten flour-such as oat flour or almond flour-then these cookies are gluten free! Hooray!) And um...yeah you get it. I love how chock full of mix ins they are (you almost think there's not enough dough to hold it all but, don't worry, there is!) so they're full of varying textures and flavors. An adventure for your tastebuds! And I def. dub them able to be eaten for breakfast. And cookies for breakfast are as wonderful and miraculous as unicorns.

Brown Butter Pecan Toffee Cookies-Cookie Week 2014!

Welcome to the day 3 of Cookie Week, hosted by Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic and Susan of The Girl In the Little Red Kitchen! We’ve teamed together with 10 other talented bloggers to bring you 5 fantastic days of cookie recipes to get you in to the holiday spirits. If you are feeling a mid-week slump, then there is no better way to beat it than a big dose of cookie love! Please make sure to check out and enter our fantastic giveaway and check out our #CookieWeek Pinterest board full of all the cookie recipes you’ll see here this week!
Our sponsors for this event have provided us with some great prizes and we’d like to extend a huge thank you for their generosity. Thanks to Imperial Sugar, Circulon, Peanut Butter & Co. and Page Street Publishing for being a part of Cookie Week!

 Let's see what's baking up in the oven today:

Maple Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen

S'mores Cookies by Cravings of a Lunatic

Banana Walnut Biscotti by Chocolate Moosey

Brown Butter Pecan Toffee Cookies by The Cooking Actress

Candy Topped Toffee Squares by That Skinny Chick Can Bake

Maple Walnut Shortbread Cookies by Hungry Couple

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies by Dinners, Dishes and Desserts

Savory Cheddar Coins by Crumb

White Chocolate Cranberry Ginger Cookies by Jen's Favorite Cookies

These are some of the better cookies I've made in awhile. In fact-I gave a couple of these to friends of mine and Michael's and they have two 5 year old daughters. I snuck them the cookies and made it clear that these were adult cookies and would be wasted on children. They just can't appreciate the nuances, the overt amount of taste SENSATION that you will undergo if you eat these cookies. Upon eating his secret cookie, David assured me that I was correct. Way too good to share with the kiddos :P.

That said...I love children. By all means give your kids these cookies-they'll love 'em. They'll love them even more in 20 years. :D

It's kind of hilarious...I think my particular cookie preferences are starting to skew Michael's and my view of the world. Recently I made some perfectly acceptable CCC's-but Michael remarked they almost tasted like a sugar cookie. They didn't. They were much more of a classic chocolate chip cookie, though, and I tend to make a lot of very brown sugar heavy cookies-so in comparison they tasted almost like a sugar cookie. Ah....perspective is a funny thing.

These cookies are browned butter perfection-it's in the dough and the pecans are toasted in the nutty buttery goodness. They are made with dark brown sugar-which adds that extra special mollases-y wonderful flavor. Toffee, my crunchy little friends, are the extra special final element. And salt. Of course. They're crisp yet chewy and sturdy but slightly tender on the insides and then you get a delightful crunch from the pecans and toffee. These are very serious cookies, my friends.

Brown Butter Brown Sugar Toasted Almond Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies with Sea Salt

Today is my Michael's birthday!! It's the day my favorite boy came into this world so that I could then be born 3 years later and then 19 years after that I could fall in love with him and then 4 years after that we could get engaged and less than a year from now we can get married <3 Happy birthday sweetie, I love you more than anything!

And he and I loved these cookies almost that much. Which is like...a lot.

I had something of an ulterior motive to making these cookies (as if I ever really need a reason to make cookies)--I was lucky enough to be sent some samples of Zulka's new sugars to try! You may remember that I've spoken about Zulka's Morena Sugar (my fave granulated sugar, btw) before. To sum up: Zulka is a family owned company that is dedicated to producing more natural sugar through responsible and environmentally friendly cane production. Their products are minimally processed, which helps preserve the flavor and natural properties of the sugar cane (which means it tastes better!)

And Zulka just came out with some new sugars, and I was able to try their Brown Pure Cane Sugar and Powdered Pure Cane Sugar!

Powdered sugar is great and all but....brown sugar is where it's at. It's my boo. My sugar BFF. So when I tested it out I wanted to make sure I chose a recipe that was really going to showcase it, as well as show me how it would behave in my favorite use for brown sugar: chocolate chip cookies. This recipe was perfect because not only is there a big dose of brown sugar in the cookie dough, the almonds are also toasted and caramelized in brown sugar-double whammy! 

And btw-the sugar was phenomenal. Subtly more rich and flavorful than more processed brown sugars, it really took these cookies to the next level!

Browned butter and brown pure cane sugar lend these cookies complexity and warm, delightfully comforting flavors. Brown sugar candied almond slivers add some smokiness and crunch. Dark chocolate is the bite that cuts the sweetness, and then the sea salt just ties everything together into a neat, delicious, cookie bow.

I LURVE THESE COOKIES.

As my fiance' and I were hunched over the cookie jar, shoveling fresh cookies into our mouths, Michael declared (around a mouthful of chocolate and almonds and cookies), "These are some of the best cookies you've ever made."

"Really?" I declared, probably causing bits of cookie goodness to escape and fly into his face, "EVER?!"

"They're up there," he confirmed, before reaching for another cookie.

You'd reach for another cookie too.

Pecan Laceys

This whole "I haven't been able to be in the kitchen too much" thing is super annoying on a few levels.

One of which is my sweet tooth. I am NOT getting enough of my sweets! And...I mean...I've become a bit of a snob about my sweet fixes. No grocery store cookie will satisfy me-I need Kayle-baked goodness!

These Pecan Laceys were just what the doctor ordered.

As Michael so eloquently put it, "I like them! They're gooey-and crispy and crunchy. And messy." Yepp. All true. They're also nutty and buttery and unique. Which is awesome. AND you can totally play around with the fillings you use. The original recipe used milk chocolate. I decided to Nutella-these laceys up. But you know what sounds amazing to me now? Salted caramel in the middle. Ahhhhhh yeah. Goodness.

But guess what? If you want...you can just eat a lacey by itself. Sandwiched-less.

If you want.

I also think they're sort of beautiful. It's the laciness. I don't know if it's that I'm in wedding mode and am thusly drawn to lace or what...but I think they're perty. Speaking of weddings: I think these would be amazing to be served at a wedding or bridal shower (I wonder what the chances are of anyone letting me make anything for any of my bridal showers...hmmm). Or the holidays-pretty sure these look sort of snowflake like too so hellloooo Christmas cookie option!

But really...

we are talking about super think and crispy-buttery and nutty-decadently filled cookies....

do you really need an occasion to eat them?

Methinks no. Methinks the only reason you need is having a rumbly in your tumbly!!

Almond Peanut Butter

I'm like a walking advertisement for making homemade nut butters. I always tell people about it and they look at me like I'm crazy (or they'll even ask "...isn't there butter in peanut butter?"....*sigh*). But seriously, I cannot emphasize this enough:

MAKING HOMEMADE NUT BUTTERS IS REALLY REALLY RIDICULOUSLY EASY. 

LIKE...I MEAN IT.

Allow me to break down the entire process:

Throw nuts in food processor (or powerful blender).

Process.

...that's it.

The only time it might get a smidge more complicated than that (which is still insanely easy) is if 1. You decide to add in other stuff like chocolate, honey, salt, etc. Which involves--throwing those things in with the nuts. Again...that's it. OR 2. If you're using a drier nut (such as almonds) you may need to pour in a little oil (olive oil, peanut oil, canola, coconut, etc.) That's all. I'm not kidding when I say ANYONE can make this.

Now, although this nut butter has almonds in it-it is paired with the very oily peanuts which means this is a super duper easy one. I just put the nuts in there, let them go, then I had tasty tassssty almond peanut butter!

Enough about how easy it is to MAKE this almond peanut butter, let's talk about how easy it is to LOOOVE to eat it! Before I moved to NYC I had never had a nut butter other than peanut butter-heck, I didn't even know they existed! One day someone mentioned how almond butter was healthier and I tried it and was like "Eh it's good but not as good as my good 'ole pb!"

As I've already mentioned, almond butter did grow on me. However, it could never replace peanut butter in my heart. But now...I DON'T HAVE TO CHOOSE! I get all the best flavors of almond and peanut butters in one place, and the health benefits of the almonds get in there too.

Really....I can't think of a better thing to spread on my toast. Or waffles (speaking of which, keep an eye out for a particularly special waffle recipe next week!). Oooh or maybe bake in cookies??

Endless possibilities. :)

Caramelized Pecan Banana "Ice Cream" with Chocolate Hazelnut Swirl

 

It's June. Which means it is wonderfully warm out. This means it is my favorite season. My favorite month. My favorite time of year (why do ya think I chose this time period to get married?)! It also means that soon we're gonna have some hot days. And, at the very least, we have some pretty warm ones! While some people may look at this as a downside, I'm all about it. There's a whole category for food that I don't really crave until the temperature goes up: including frozen bananas, popsicles, lots of fruit, and-of course-ICE CREAM!

But ya know, I can't go around eating oodles and oodles of ice cream (cue Michael probably yelling at the screen "But you'll eat oodles of cookies!" SHUSH!)-so, you wanna know a really cool trick?

BANANAS.

No, not as in this S*** is bananas (although it is), but as in-bananas. As ice cream.

WHAAAAA?

Technically, I sort of blogged about using bananas (and strawberries) as ice cream before. But I did not give it nearly enough attention.

So allow me to sum up and then expand upon:

Summary: you process some frozen bananas in a food processor or blender and it obtains an ice cream-like consistency.

Expansion: You can also add other stuff to take it to the NEXT LEVEL. Such as peanut butter. Or chocolate. Or bacon (WHAT? TELL ME YOU DIDN'T THINK ABOUT IT!). Or maybe caramelized pecans and a chocolate hazelnut swirl.

...no? Just me?

Not anymore! Now it's all of us!

Caramelized pecans....ohhh where have you BEEN all my life? And we already know about my love for choc-hazelnutty goodness. So adding them to this banana ice cream is just genius. It's creamy and crunchy and sweet and perfect. And a little less fatty than grabbing a pint of Haagen Dazs :P

Hazelnut Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

Hihiiii! *waves* I know, it feels like it's been forever since you and I just chatted, huh? Having guest posters has been amazing (and there are more to come) but it's nice to just share my own recipe, with my own photos, and my own words...on my blog :) I missed you guys!

Things are going pretty well here, we're settling in (although maybe not AS quickly as I would like but, it's ok.) And we have been more social than we've ever been. So many family functions, hang outs with friends, dinners with family....it is amazing and surreal! It's also been super fun to be able to actually share some of my treats with my loved ones! :)

Not these cookies though. Nope. The only person who ate these was me (and my former landlord). These were the last thing that I baked in my old kitchen and it was a great end to an era. These cookies were complex, salty & sweet, sturdy yet chewy...mmm yes. They were good. My landlord was impressed too!

I used to be a strictly "no nuts in my baked goods" kind of gal, but I've been converted (somewhat. Still no nuts in brownies.) And hazelnuts are sort of my favorite right now (or pecans?) so yeah. These cookies are a win. Annnnd....that's all I've got to say about that.

It was nice talking to you all again :D I've got lots more good stuff coming, promise!

Double Chocolate Cashew Cookies-Guest Post with Baker by Nature

AGHHHHH-haaaa! Hi all! I'm in the midst of the insanity that is this move. So-while I'm still unpacking my kitchen boxes and unable to get cookin' I'm having some of my best bloggy buds share some of their tastiest treats with you all! Aren't you lucky!!? I know! The first guest post is courtesy of Ashley from Baker by Nature. I was able to meet Ashley last month in NYC and I am so mad that it took us that long to meet up! We hit it off right away and realized HOW MUCH we have in common (like...to a freaky degree. Did you know our blogs are the same age? And we're both film/television actresses...and nannies....and bloggers. And we both moved to NY around the same time? And her boyfriend is a Philosophy professor and Michael's BA is in Philosophy?  And tons of other random commonalities!) I'm missing her a ton and hoping I can coerce her to visit me and see Cleveland ;)

In the meantime I'll just satisfy myself with our virtual friendship and drooling over her amazing creations! You guys have already been introduced to one of her brain childs (brain children?)-these cookies that I made and then adapted! Yeah. So. You see why I love her! Anyway, enough of my gushing, Ashley: over to you!

Greetings all! I'm Ashley from Baker by Nature, and I am beyond thrilled to be guest posting for Kayle today. I'm lucky enough to have met Kayle in real life, and she is just the sweetest little thing! I will miss her in NYC very much. Wah wah waaah.

...

I think we need something sweet!

Let's talk cookies :) I made these especially for you! They're soft in the center, chewy on the edges, and packed with goodies!!! These goodies include white chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, and salty cashews. I am obsessed with adding salty ingredients to my sweets lately! Have you guys tried it?

I baked these up last week and they FLEW off the pan! I mean, we could hardly wait until they got out of the oven. They smelled soooo amazing baking up! Just have your milk chaser ready ;) xoxo

Exceptional Chocolate Chip Cookies

So, you know...I like cookies. Particularly chocolate chip cookies.

I'm quite picky about them. To the point that I rarely, if ever, buy cookies (especially if I'm in Ohio) because they-with very few exceptions-never live up to the grand majority of the cookies that come out of my very own kitchen. And even within the spectrum of chocolate chip cookies I've made...I could not tell you my favorite recipe. I love each of them in different ways for different reasons. They're all delicious. So, I don't really like to categorize any of my recipes as the "best". But I can definitely use the word "exceptional".

Kristin, AKA Baker Bettie, is just as much as a cookie fiend as I am. Actually, I'd call her an expert. She's had her own cookie baking business and she is amazing when it comes to delving into the science of baking (particularly with cookies). This recipe is from her, and she has called it "the best".

And I totally get it.

One of the big things that makes these cookies exceptional is the quality of ingredients. The better the quality, the better the cookie. Then we've gotten rid of that silly granulated sugar and just use all brown sugar (which is pretty much the source of all things delicious in a CCC. It makes them complex and adds to the chewiness and texture). Oat flour is just...so good. And, of course, browned butter, toasted pecans, and sea salt reign supreme in making things taste AHHHMAZING.

Funny story: At Christmas the topic of sweet and salty food came up with one of Michael's cousins. And I told him how much I love to put salt on chocolate chip cookies. And he was like...shocked. He did not like the sound of that. Michael jumped in, telling him "No....it works. It's good. Trust me."

Ok, Steve? Trust us!

Loaded Oatmeal Coconut Cookies for #CookieWeek

It's #cookieweek my cookie monster friends! Susan of The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen and Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic have joined together this week with 23 of their blog friends to present to you a week of cookie treats! We have every type of cookie you can think of listed this week, including something for our furry friends! Now is the time to bookmark these recipes for the upcoming holidays and cookie swaps or simply visit our Pinterest board! Make sure you enter the giveaway with some fabulous prizes from KitchenAid, King Arthur Flour, OXO, Silpat and Zulka Pure Cane Sugar to help with your cookie making needs!

Being Queen Cookie Monster...I think I have like insanely high standards for cookies.

Like...to kind of an insane degree.

Take these cookies: they're good cookies. Michael liked em just fine, there's nothing wrong with these cookies. BUT-I was so mad at them. Like "THESE COOKIES ARE SO MEDIOCRE. Like...anyone could have made them...ugh!" *and then she threw herself exasperatedly on the bed* (not really. but kinda)

Now that I've disclosed my not 100% happy feelings, let's discuss why that's probably not fair:

They are good cookies. They're easy. They're super customizable (go ahead and throw just about whatever you want in these babies). And they're just fun, crunchy, grab and go kinds of cookies. They also make enough to feed an army. Not a small one either, nope, a full on, full sized, army.* Plus I may have mixed some of that delectable caramel sauce up in 'em. Because life's short. Eat cookies.

*well...no. But it does make a lot.

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Pecan Truffles

There was a silly time where I didn't think I liked any nuts, except for peanuts. Especially not in my sweets. But then, I discovered the wonderous chocolatey magic of Max Brenner's. In their gift shop (which is where I tend to hang out while waiting for a table) they'll give you a free sample of chocolate covered caramelized pecan truffles or some such and so, that first time, I tried it. Why not, right? It's free!

Fast forward 4 and a half years and those pecans have turned me into a con artist. I crave those little pieces of pecan heaven-the delicious chocolatey treats that made me completely change my mind about nuts (get your mind out of the gutter!) When I find myself in that gift shop, I get my free sample. I linger. I try to go to a new sales person for another one. Did they leave the sample jar unattended? I grab a handful. Yes...I'm pretty much the Bonnie half of Bonnie & Clyde of free chocolates.

*phew* glad to get that off my chest. My secret shame is safe with you guys, right?

So when I saw this recipe...it reminded me of those treats that turned me so villainous. Although they're pretty different...still good. AND bonus points-it's candy, so no baking. Which means no turning on the oven. Which means no melting in the NYC August I-only-have-a-window-air-conditioner-and-its-in-the-living-room-and-can-only-do-so-much-especially-because-electricity-is-so-effing-expensive heat. These little beauts are best served chilled.

Now, warning...these pecan truffles are messy. See that cocoa power? MESSY. Gets all up on your hands and everything it touches. But is a little extra messy chocolatey powder really such a horrible price to pay? I say worth it. Because you know what you get in return? Sweet, delicious, chocolatey, not overly sweet (or bitter) candies with a nice solid feel of firm, velvety chocolate when you bite in, followed by the lovely crunch of pecan. 

And you know what? They're not too bad for ya either. Sweetened only with honey. The only fat comes from good fats coconut oil and a smidge of peanut butter and well...pecans. And chocolate is super full of um...antioxidants and what not...yeah?

Finger lickin' good.

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip & Pecan Cookies: Spotlight on The Messy Baker

So-you guys remember my girl Jennie, right? She's The Messy Baker. She's amazeballs

 (that's her catchphrase!)

Jennie is cool, hilarious, and makes some of the tastiest food you've evah seen!

She and I have been sponsoring each other, and now it's time for another spotlight post!

(You should check out the spotlight post I already did on her, you'll get to know how awesome she is!)

Oh and also go and see the spotlight she's doing on me!

For this post, I wanted to make a recipe from her fabulous blog.

And um...how could I pass up a post entitled "The BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies...Ever!" ??

Jennie described them thusly:

"...these really are the best chocolate chips cookies I’ve ever sunk my teeth into. How do I know this? Because I’ve baked and tested several different recipes and this is the only one that bakes up soft and chewy on the inside and crispy on the outside. I call that cookie perfection. They’re so good that I’ve been eating them around the clock." 

With a ringing endorsement like that-I HAD to make these!

I just made a couple teensy tweaks.

The recipe already called for melted butter so I was like "Um...let's brown that butter!" because I'm obviously addicted and need help (no I don't, no one should ever quit browned butter). And then I was like "Oooh let's toast the pecans!" And then I went "No salt in the recipe? Let's just sprinkle a smidge on top of there" and voila! Cookies made. And I must say-they totally live up to the hype! We ate these cookies up in record time. Michael COULD NOT stop eating them. He was totally in love with them. And he admitted, "You're right...browned butter makes everything better." THESE COOKIES HAVE WROUGHT A MIRACLE! MIRACLE COOKIES I TELL YOU!  These cookies are chewy and crisp and full of the amazing flavors of the chocolate, pecans, and wonderousness of the cookie (just enhanced a bit with the browned butter :P).

The fact that Jennie came up with this recipe is just a perfect example for how in awe of her I am.

She's like a rock star. And these cookies are delicious masterpieces. Michael proclaimed them to be one of his favorite cookie recipes I've ever made, and I agree!! You should go look and see all the other great things Jennie has to offer:

Follow Jennie, The Messy Baker!

    Facebook      Twitter     Pinterest    RSS Feed     Google+     StumbleUpon

"Snickers" Peanut Butter Caramel Corn

I love sweets.

I love popcorn.

I love chocolate.

I love peanut butter.

I LOVE CARAMEL CORN!

So like...I know Thanksgiving is this week, and I don't really know if caramel corn is a particularly Thanksgiving kinda thing but...I mean...corn was a big deal at the time, with the natives and such, ya know? So...yeah. That makes sense.

My beloved Kristina (from Whipped) shared this recipe around Halloween time. Because it's like candy. But somehow low-cal? I think it's because of the popcorn, I don't know. All I know is I wasted pretty much no time to get this in Michael's and my bellies. We were pretty darned excited. And it was delicious. And we ate it. A lot. And before we knew it...it was gone. Because popcorn is addictive like that.

I'm not gonna lie...this recipe is difficult...I think? I'm not 100% sure if making caramel corn is hard or if I just suck at it, but all I know is I can never evenly coat all the popcorn and the caramel is hot and I burn myself and I can't make it all sit on the pan evenly and when I try to mix it I make a mess and...yeah. But then all those annoyances fade away when I take the first bite. Kinda like how moms supposedly forget the pain of childbirth once they hold their baby in their arms (is that true? I sure hope so). You know? But yeah. You should make this. It's popcorn (popped in a big pot which is way more fun than I realized...heheeee all the lil kernels go "pop! pop! pop!"), a peanut butter caramel, and a yummalicious chocolate drizzle on top of it all. Oh yeah and peanuts. Sweet...salty....nummy.

Healthy and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies with Nuts

 Sometimes you want cookies, but you don't wanna feel guilty about it (if you're the kinda person who does that). That's where these cookies come in. They're HEALTHY!

Maybe this is my way for apologizing for giving you that totally not healthy breakfast "muffin" on Monday. Because honestly? These cookies are probably a much healthier breakfast.

Either way, let's not worry about it. Let's eat cookies and glare at people who look at us funny and then say "Um...these cookies are healthy. Kthanksbye."

When you're eating these cookies, you will not feel like you are eating something healthy.

This will not feel like a sacrifice.

All you're gonna know is that these cookies are chewy, and have delicious chocolate chips and (in my case) peanuts, and that you love them and would like to eat a bunch. 

But guess what? There are about 8 tbsp. of sugar in these babies. TABLESPOONS.

And no butter, just 2 tbsp. of wonderful healthy coconut oil.

Oh yeah and they're gluten free-nothing but wonderful, filling oats.

This is insanity. These are so yummy, I have no clue how it's possible. But it is. You need to have these in your life.

Brown Butter Dark Chocolate and Toasted Pecan Cookies

Do you want a cookie that seems gourmet as all get out?

Do you want a cookie that tastes complex and comforting all at the same time?

Do you want thick cookies, with a soft center and wonderful little bites of crunch?

Do you want cookies with all the nutty, caramelized flavor of browned butter + the rich molasses goodness that is dark brown sugar + ooey gooey bites of dark chocolate + surprising bites of salt that create a yummilicious sweet/salty combo thing + the surprising perfection that is toasted pecans?

DO YA?

...yes. You do.

Trust me.

When I first saw this recipe on Baker Bettie, I was actually surprised by how intriguing I found them. But something about them just...sang to me. I knew I needed to try them. It took me a bit, but last week it finally happened. Now, I'm not sure if you've noticed but, as a general rule, I don't much enjoy nuts in my cookies (or brownies, etc.)-nut butters are always fair games, but usually nuts are just not accepted into my cookie-dom. Maybe you also feel this way, maybe you don't. Either way listen to me when I say: DO NOT OMIT THE PECANS FROM THIS RECIPE! I'm serious...the toasted pecans might be the best part. I actually used just slightly less pecans than the recipe calls for (a very scant amount less, but still)...I regret it. There was nothing more amazing than taking a big bite of cookie that encompassed chocolate, salt, cookie, and pecan. It is a perfect flavor marriage. This cookie without the pecans is just missing part of what makes it so amazing. It's like...Superman without the Kents, Batman without Alfred, Dean without "Baby" (aka The Impala), Damon without his eyebrows...you get the idea. I mean it when I say these cookies are like a whole 'nother level. They are incredibly unique and wonderful and amazing and delicious. They're like cookie masterpieces. You need to be a part of this. You need to make these. I mean it. 

Homemade Peanut Butter

Tomorrow is National Peanut Day.

We should celebrate.

With peanut butter.

HOMEMADE Peanut Butter.

Got 5 minutes? Got peanuts? Got a food processor?

Yes?

Then you can make peanut butter, my friend.

Seriously, this recipe isn't even a recipe. It's like a...hey...take some peanuts...or other nuts...toss em in a food processor. Want salt? Throw some in there.  Process. Wait. Watch it turn into a ball. Does it break down and get smooth? Good. No? Put a little bit of oil in there, whatever sort you prefer.Wanna flavor it? Throw whatever the crap you want in there. Want it crunchy? Put some peanuts in there towards the end so there are some little chopped peanut bits in there. Done. End of story. You have amazing homemade peanut butter. It's homemade, unprocessed, all natural, AND (in my case anyway) has no oil separation. 

Oh yeah, and it's the best peanut butter you'll ever taste.*

I'm obsessed. I am (probably) never buying peanut butter again.

(unless you're stupid like Michael, in which case you'll say "It tastes too much like peanuts." That boy will not be deterred from his processed junk. *sigh*