Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Cookies

Well...it's finally here. After a heck of a week at school after learning some wonderful (side eye) news on Monday, the cat will finally be out of the bag. Everyone will know my secret - no, I'm not pregnant, sorry to disappoint - and I can finally move on with my life. So what do you do when you're faced with something you can tell no one about? You stress eat. My stress eat food of choice - cookies and many many others. 

For me to like something with peanut butter and banana blended together is really saying something. I know that I've made and blogged about peanut butter banana quesadillas before, but I really was not a fan at all. I think it's a texture issue. The sliminess of the banana with the sticky of the peanut butter just doesn't work for me. But both of them mixed together are a wonderfully delicious combination. I hope that all of you enjoy your weekends! 

Ingredients

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

2 tbsp butter, room temperature

1 large egg

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup mashed banana (from 1 sm/med)

1 1/2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats (not instant)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silpat.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a large bowl, cream together sugars and butter. Beat in egg until smooth, then mix in the peanut butter and mashed banana. 

Working by hand or with a mixer on low speed, blend dry ingredients into the peanut butter mixture. Stir in the oats.

Shape dough into tablespoons and place on baking sheet, flattening each slightly with your fingers.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, until cookies just begin to turn golden around the edges.

Cool on a wire rack.

Source: BakingBites

Peanut Butter Cookies

I grew up absolutely loving Full House. Actually...I loved Uncle Jesse. It was right around that critical time of dating for me that he went from being a womanizing rebel to falling in love, getting married, and having a family. Confession: Turning into a famiy man made him all that much hotter. When making these cookies, I thought of the episode where Michelle wants to buy her lunch from school but can't because her Dad "makes her peanut butter smile."


I think I have unintentionally made peanut butter a star this week. First with my peanut butter banana quesadillas , now with a wonderful cookie that uses honey instead of sugar. Again, I'm not a fan of plain old peanut butter, but turned into a cookie and watch out. I hope you enjoy this sweet treat and have a wonderful weekend! 


Ingredients
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup apple sauce
1/2 cup apple juice
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup ground peanuts


Directions
Combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl, set aside. Beat the applesauce, juice, honey, and peanut butter until smooth. Add the flour mixture and blend until just mixed. Stir in the peanuts. 


Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour. 


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silpat. Roll dough out on a floured work surface to 1/4 inch thick. Using a cookie cutter or cutting dough into toast shaped pieces, place on cookie sheets 1 inch apart and bake for 15 to 17 minutes until edge are golden. Transfer to wire rack to cool. 


Once cool, spread jam or peanut butter on cookies. Place 4 tablespoons of cream cheese in a pastry bag (I cut the tip of a sandwich bag) and pipe the mouth and eyes. 


Source: Crazy About Cookies

Pi Day...times two

I have talked before about my love of being a crazy teacher with all kinds of crazy math and science related holiday celebrations in my classroom. It's a way to take what they are learning and jazz it up a little. Today is Pi day. Pi is 3.14 and March 14th of every year is the happiest day of the year for math teachers. Without pi, we would not know how to calculate the circumference of circular objects.Well, we could...but it would be much tougher. See? You need pi...and pie too!

However, my kids could care less about the importance of the number and its meaning. They're teenagers, what more can I say? They want to know how that number effects them. Add some food at the end of an activity and you're set. I had always planned on making these pies. That was far before finding out that some of the students had given up chocolate for the forty days of Lent. Forced to come up with an alternate game plan, I found these as a wonderful alternative to a chocolate pie.

Peanut Butter Cup Mini Pies
Ingredients
1 homemade pie crust
1 pack Reese's Miniature Peanut Butter Cups1 egg white whisked with 1 tablespoon water
Sugar, for sprinkling

DirectionsPreheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Roll out pie dough onto a lightly floured counter top.  Using a cup (I prefer to use one of DJ's sippy cups), roll out rounds of dough. 

Place a Reese's miniature peanut cup in the center of the dough, upside down. Fold dough over top of peanut butter cup and seams together. 

Brush all little pies with an egg white wash then sprinkle with granulated sugar.  Bake for 20-28 minutes until golden.  Remove and let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack. 

Source: adapted from Picky Palate
 

Peanut Butter and Jelly Baby Lattice Pies

1 roll homemade pie crust

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 cup Smucker’s Strawberry Preserves

1 egg white whisked with 1 teaspoon water for egg wash

Sugar Crystals for sprinkling, optional

2 Tablespoons powdered sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Unroll pie crust onto a lightly floured surface.  Use a 2 1/2 inch round cutter to cut out circles in dough. I like to use one of DJ's sippy cups or the top of a mason jar. Lightly press dough rounds into greased mini muffin tin.  Roll remaining scraps of dough to an even thickness then use a sharp knife to cut thin 1/8 inch strips to create the lattice topping.  Set aside.

Mix peanut butter and sugar until combined. Drop a heaping teaspoon into each of the pie crusts.  Repeat with the jam. Using the pie strips, form the lattice top. Remove excess dough from edges with knife. Brush tops lightly with the egg wash, sprinkle with sugar crystals if wanted, and bake for 25-30 minutes or golden brown.

Let cool for five minutes and carefully remove from pan. Dust with powdered sugar and serve.

Source: Picky Palate