Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

Word to the wise - have an event of sorts to bring these to so that you don't end up eating them all yourself! They're incredibly tasty little cookies. With lots of nice, smooth peanutty buttery flavour. When I read in the cookbook that this recipe would make 5 dozen cookies, I let out an audible scoff. Who honestly makes 5 dozen cookies with a recipe? Those must be some measly, sad little cookies if you ask me.  I shot for what I saw as a more appropriate 2 1/2 dozen.  Bon appétit!

Ingredients:
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups peanut butter chips

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 375°F.

2. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in large bowl with mixer until creamy. Add eggs; beat well. Gradually add flour mixture, beating well. Stir in Reese's peanut butter chips. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet.

3. Bake 7-8 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.

Homemade Pizza Dough

The first time I made pizza dough from scratch, I was terrified. Thought for sure that it just wouldn't work out. And, like most of my new experiences in the kitchen, I discovered that working with yeast was no big deal. None, whatsoever. The dough came together perfectly. Since then, I've perfected things even more and use my stand mixer with the dough hook attachment, making it really simple. I can never wait long enough to let it rise to it’s full height (i.e., double in size), but it always works great regardless! 

If you're a fan of multigrain dough, I suggest substituting a 1/4 cup of the regular flour for 1/4 cup of 12 grain (or whole wheat with a variety of seeds/nuts etc.) thrown in.  This recipe makes such a yummy, chewy dough. Delicious! Bon appétit!

Ingredients:

1 package active dry yeast (2 1/2 tsp) (10g)
2 tsp sugar (13g)
2/3 cup warm water (167g)
2 cups flour (if you want to do a 'whole wheat crust', use 1 3/4 cups white four and 1/4 cup whole wheat or 12 grain flour ... I especially like the 12 grain) (358g)
1 tbs corn meal
1/2 tsp salt (5g)
1 tbs. olive oil (11g)

Optional: any herbs to season your dough - dash of oregano, pinch of rosemary, pinch of red pepper flakes etc.

Directions:

For the bread maker:
Toss er' all in (except for the corn meal!!) and set your bread maker to 'pizza dough' ... if you don't have that kind of setting, I'm sure just the 'dough' setting would work too. This usually takes 45 minutes to an hour.

For the hands/stand mixer:
1. Combine your yeast, 1 tsp. sugar and the water in a large bowl for approx. 10 minutes (until mixture becomes frothy)
2. In a separate bowl, combine your flour, 1 tsp. sugar, and salt
3. Add the olive oil to the yeast mixture
4. Add 1 3/4 cups of your dry mixture to the wet and knead until a rough ball forms
5. Transfer your dough to a floured surface and knead 3-4 minutes
6. Spray a large bowl with cooking spray or butter, add the dough and cover with a damp towel. Place in a warm, dry and draft-free place for 1 hour (I like to turn the oven on for 20 seconds just to warm it up a little bit, turn off the heat and then place the bowl in the oven).
7. Once the dough his risen, PUNCH it down and fold in on itself to make another ball. Transfer this to your floured surface.

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Once your dough is ready... 

1. Set your oven to 425F. Lightly oil your pizza pan and sprinkle with corn meal. You can use a conventional round pizza pan or a cookie baking pan would work well as well. Roll your dough out on a lightly floured surface until you reach the desired shape of your pizza pan. Transfer dough to pizza pan.

2. Top your pizza with all of your ingredients and bake at 425F for 12-15 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes for cutting. Enjoy!