Peanut Butter cookies are An Easy, Priceless Treat
If only life could be as simple as a peanut butter cookie recipe. Just three measured ingredients:
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup of creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 cup of granulated sugar
This is all it takes to make this 1-2-3 easy no-fuss goodie.
The day I found this peanut butter recipe online, there was no butter, no vegetable oil, no flour, vanilla extract, or milk in the house. But the real missing ingredient in my day was simply “a sweet.” Most of us are familiar with that occasional gnawing yen that must be satisfied. . . now. Fortune smiled upon me that day — I did have the three ingredients needed.
An old beat-up cookie pan would have to do, ungreased as the recipe specified, and the oven set to 350°. Now the fun part. Concocting the gooey mixture with one egg beaten to a sunny yellow, blending this with the snowy-white sugar, then plopping both into the velvety peanut butter. Stirring, mixing, and tasting a dab on my pinkie commenced. The recipe yields a baker’s dozen give or take.
In less than 5 minutes, the kitchen was infused with a delicious homey aroma. I opened the oven, pressed crisscross fork marks into each cookie, and resumed baking. Still enough time to clean up and set the table for tea and cookies. It didn’t matter that there was no milk for the tea, I knew it would hit the spot.
Treat yourself!
Allowing the cookies to cool for maximum enjoyment, immerse yourself in the richness of the moment. You have created a special space in your day to just savor. Freshly baked homemade cookies, edges crispy, centers soft, every bite filled with peanutty flavor. This with a warm cuppa, and you’ll find your senses thanking you.
Friends and family love these cookies. They’re versatile for a snack, dessert, or craving. People are surprised when they hear how simple they are to make, but I think they’re easier to eat.
Forget the cliché, “When life gives you lemons make lemonade.” When life gives you an urge to splurge on a frugal budget, think peanut butter cookies. They’re gluten and dairy free, and, oh, look! There’s that happy 4-letter word: free.
Joan B. Reid is the author of Joyful Passage: A Woman’s Path to Retirement.