Got Milk? Part One

I am a Midwestern girl.

No matter where I live, or how long it takes me to get back home. I will always be a Midwestern girl!

And if you're a Midwestern girl in my extended family...you KNOW how to cook. And when things can't be explained at times, sometimes the only thing left to do...is to make some cookies!

I love the history of things and the tradition of how a family acquires them. This is a recipe that my mother received back in 1958 from her friend Pat. I received the recipe in written form in 1976. However, I have been making these cookies long before that. (Yes, children of mine, your mother is old. I was here, after all, on the shoreline to greet the dinosaurs!) You see, these were the first cookies that I had baked all by myself way back in the 3rd grade. It's also the first time I got mad after baking them.

Why?

Because I have 2 younger brothers who ate them faster than I could get them out of the oven! I couldn't understand it back then that it was a compliment. (It's since been explained to me.) All I knew at the time was my cookies were disappearing very quickly unlike my Mom's which lasted for a couple of days at least to have with lunch and at dinnertime. I didn't get it in my little 8 year old mind, that having brothers eat your hot, fresh cookies faster than you can bake them, and want more, was a very good thing!

I also didn't get 'the payment' like Mom and Grandma did. We all had to pay the baker with kisses for hot, fresh cookies and my brothers were having none of that tradition for their sister! Some days, I guess respect between brothers and their sisters only goes 'just so far.'

So here, my darling adult children, this is how to bake these cookies...step by step in pictures... because someday...I won't be nearby when you have to have your cookie fix!

First of all, get out your recipe and gather ALL of your ingredients and baking tools. (Otherwise you'll be running to the grocery store 12 times before you finish. Ask me how I know. *sigh*)

Preheat the oven to 325*F.

Mix together your eggs, Crisco, vanilla, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until creamy.

Add the peanut butter, and cream in well.

In a separate bowl mix together flour, baking soda and salt with a fork.

Add your dry ingredients slowly into the creamy mixture 1 -2 cups at a time, until well mixed on a slow speed.

The mixture should be rather stiff and clean easily off the sides of bowl when you use a rubber spatula.

Drop by rounded teaspoon size onto an ungreased cookie sheet leaving some space between each cookie. Using a small ice cream scoop will keep each cookie a uniform size.

Roll the cookie dough between both hands to 'smooth' the surface.

There are two ways to finish your cookies. You can make the traditional peanut butter cookie, by using the tines of your fork to press lightly on top of the dough ball in two opposite directions to create the waffle pattern.

Pop into the oven at 325*F for 15 mins and DO NOT OVER BAKE!

Option two would be to make Peanut Blossoms, one of our traditional Christmas cookies in our family, and the favorite of my middle daughter. Bake the cookies without making the waffle design on the top of the cookie.

Unwrap Hershey Milk Chocolate Kisses, and place one in each cookie AFTER baking - straight out of the oven before you take them off the cookie sheet.

Stayed Tuned for Part Two!

Question about HL Sweet Delight Yarn

I had a question about the Hobby Lobby Baby Bee Sweet Delight Prints yarn that I used for the BSJ. Chris couldn't find it in her area, and I guess they don't have the Bubblegum 'flavor' ...errrrr...color available on their web site.

So I thought I'd put up pictures and some information for the rest of you who can't find it either. I, too, don't have a Hobby Lobby in my area. I disagree with their label information. It says that it's for (US) 10 (6mm) needles. I think it's very similar to Bernat's Softee Baby and Lion Brand's Baby Soft.

Bernat's gauge is on the label is 22 s/ 30 r in 4"/10 cm and says it's a Sport weight/DK which would make it a " 3" rating, 5 ozs/ 140 g, 455 yds/416 m. Sweet Delights is 23 s/ 45 r on (US) 9 (5.5mm) for a 6 x 6" square and says's it's a "5" rating, 4 oz, 345 yds.

Bernat Softee Baby......Sweet Delight

Both yarns are washable. While they're a bit different from each other, I think they're pretty close to each other. Just do your gauge swatch to match the pattern you're using and adjust your needle size if need be. I think you could use any DK weight yarn that you could make gauge with, like Wendy Peter Pan, etc...