Alternatively titled: Dianna's Hurricane Preparedness Guide.
Well, here we are. Waiting to be told whether or not we need to simply prepare for very unpleasant weather or truly batten down the hatches. Ah, the life of a Floridian.
It's been years since we've had to do any real hurricane preparation, but the steps are almost always the same: Stock up on water. Buy batteries. Have flashlights and candles at the ready. Fill gas tanks. Check, check, check.
Having a well-stocked pantry is also suggested for obvious reasons, and around here that's hardly ever an issue since I'm always restocking the essentials for cooking and receiving {sometimes large quantities of} food samples from various companies. At the very least, we will sustain ourselves with crackers and hot sauce and whatever else I have floating around in my overflowing stockpile.
As it turns out, I also have an inordinate amount of snacks on hand since we had plans to head up to Gainesville this weekend for yearly tailgate pilgrimage. We're still keeping our fingers crossed that we will have the "all clear" by Friday and that the aftermath of the storm will not leave too much ruin in its wake. But most likely, we will have to reschedule our visit.
So basically, we're doing a lot of waiting. Waiting to hear what to expect, when to expect it and how much to worry {or not}. And when I'm left with circumstances beyond my control, I often turn to my ultimate comfort: Baking.
As I waited for my contractions to progress on my due date, I baked cookies. After my mom had the lumpectomy that preceded her breast cancer journey, I baked a King Cake as she recuperated on my couch. When my kiddo was still in the 5 a.m. wake up stage of babyhood, I'd often have a batch of something in the oven before sunrise.
Why baking gives me such a feeling of control and calm is beyond me. Maybe because the end result is almost always something delicious.
These Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies are no exception. Soft and chewy with light crunch on the exterior from a roll in granulated sugar, these cookies are the ultimate comfort. The dough comes together in minutes, and after a quick chill in the fridge, they're ready to scoop and bake.
Maybe these classic flavors are too predictable for you, but for me it's nice to know what's coming... especially when the result is dessert. 🙂 Stay safe my Florida friends. <3
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 stick {½ cup} butter
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- ¾ cup sugar {½ cup for cookies and ¼ cup for rolling}
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 1 ⅓ cups flour
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cups mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two baking sheets by lining with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, blend butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, peanut butter, vanilla and egg until smooth.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, sift together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
- Slowly add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and mix until just combined. Add chocolate chips and mix gently at low speed until incorporated throughout.
- Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes.
- Remove from refrigerator and scoop, rolling dough into one inch balls. Toss in the remaining granulated sugar to coat each ball of dough, then place on cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Press down lightly with a fork or with a spatula to flatten to about 1 inch thickness.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes until the cookies are just set and the tops begin to puff and crack.
- Remove from oven and allow the cookies to cool for at least 5 minutes or until set. {They'll fall apart if you try to move them while they're hot.}
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