Peanut Butter Cookies

Just look at that cookie.

Thin,

Crisp,

and so wonderful.

These are one of my very favorite cookies.



I think part of why I love them so much is because of where the recipe came from.

My Mother-in-law.

Mary Lou. She was one of the sweetest, kindest women I have ever known. From the very first time I met her, she greeted me with a great big hug. That was the start of a wonderful friendship. And she was my friend. I feel so blessed that I can say that. She taught me so much about being a mom, without even knowing she did it. But she taught me by example. When you walked into her home, hugs and kisses were lavished on you along with the best smile. You knew you were welcome there, not because she was expecting you but because she was genuinely glad to see you. And we talked almost every day. About everything, about nothing. We were closer than most friends ever get to be. We lost her way to soon.

Now this recipe was not originally hers. It came from her sister-n-law, Aunt Barbara.

Aunt Barbara was just like Mary Lou, full of love and life.

Southern women are born nurturers. It doesn't matter who's baby it is, they will grab that baby and love on him/her. Giving and getting "sugar" Stopping what ever they are doing and giving full attention to the child. And most southern women can cook. Boy can they cook. Nothing will ever compare to Aunt Barbara's biscuits. She tried to teach me once. But since she made her biscuits in a giant tin of flour, adding ingredients until the dough "felt right" I was never able to grasp her recipe.

So when ever we make these cookies, I think of these two women.

These cookies are different from most peanut butter cookies, to me they are more of a cross between a peanut butter cookie and a sugar cookie. And adding the butterfingers to them was not in the original recipe. I totally got this idea from The Farm Girl. She posted her recipe for peanut butter cookies with Butterfinger bars chopped up in them and I thought, I have to give this a try. But I did want to use my own recipe.

So make these cookies with or without the candy, you'll love them either way, I promise.

Peanut Butter Cookies

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
8 snack size Butterfinger bars, chopped (optional but really good in the cookies)
extra granulated sugar for rolling

Stir together flour, soda and salt and set aside. In a mixing bowl, Beat butter for about 30 seconds, just to cream it a bit. Add sugars and peanut butter. Beat until fluffy. Add in egg and vanilla, beat well. Add flour mixture and mix until all combined.

Now fold in your chopped Butterfinger bars.

Just look at those little bits of candy bar...

Shape dough into 1-inch balls then roll balls in granulated sugar

Place on ungreased cookie sheet and crisscross with a fork. You know what I'm talking about, the marks you make for peanut butter cookies. Don't place cookies too close together, these spread....alot.

Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 9-10 minutes, I cook mine for 9 1/2 minutes. Remove from oven

and let rest for 2 minutes

Remove to racks to cool completely.

Now before you all go run off to get the peanut butter out of the cabinet to make these cookies, I want to share a little news with you.

I've been awarded The Versitile Blogger Award. From Susan over at The Weekly Sweet Experiment. I think the thing I like most about her blog is it's about her trying new things. She even has a list of Future Experiments she want's to try. She's not a professional baker, she's a mom, just wanting to try new things and share with us along the way.

Now I get to pass on the award to seven of my fellow bloggers and I have to tell you seven facts about myself.

So I'm passing this on to
Bites of Sweetness
Hun, What's for Dinner
Grace's Sweet Life
Cooking in the Florida Heat
Rolling Sin...Sweets after Dark
Lemon Sugar
Hot Pink Apron

Now, seven facts about me:
1. I was born in Okinawa, Japan. Yup military baby, so I get to joke that I have "made in Japan" stamped on my butt.
2. You probably already suspected this, but I DO eat some sort of chocolate every day.
3. I'm 45 years old but my children lovingly tell my I'm 21. I've trained them well and they do love my cooking.
4. Not only do I have 3 children, I have 2 step children and 3 grandchildren. Not sure how this is possible since I'm only "21"
5. I have never eaten a banana, I can't stand the smell of them.
6. There is not a single white wall in my house. The closest I can come to that is the bathrooms are a cream color.
7. I started the first Farmer's Market in our County when I was working for the city back in 2004.

I also received the One Lovely Blog award from Carrie's Experimental Kitchen. Carrie was one of my very first foodie friends and I treasure her. Check out her blog, you'll love it, she the dinner before my dessert, the healthy to my not healthy.

For this award I get to answer a few questions.

Describe yourself in seven words-
Mama and wife, top two in my life. Sweetaholic. Crafty. Outgoing. Excitable. Country girl.

What keeps you up at night? 
The TV. Hubby's Snoring. Reading blogs and Pinterest. The lap top I got for Christmas is not good for my sleeping habits.

Who would you like to be?
No one else. There are people I admire but I would never want to be them.

What scares you?
Snakes and heights.

What are the best and worst things about blogging?
Best-my foodie friends and of course all the food!
Worst-all the food and keeping up with the writing part. I've never been a paperwork kind of girl.

What is the last website you looked at?
My Crowded Kitchen click on the link and see what I found!

If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?
When I was younger, I always wanted to be shorter. I'm 5'9" and was always the tallest girl and usually taller than most of the boys in my classes. Now it's fashionable to be tall but back then it wasn't.

Slankets, yes or no?
OK, I also had to look this up and nope, not for me.

Tell us something about the person who tagged you.
Carrie is just an awesome person, mom and wife. She is all about her family and I love that. Her food is yummy and her recipes are creative but still reasonable for the regular person to recreate. And....Carrie is going to be published! Sometime this summer, we'll all be able to get our hands on Carrie's cookbook, I can't wait!

Now to pass it on to these wonderful bloggers-

365 Days of Baking
Beachside Baker
Newlyweds Blog
Flour Me with Love
Bird on a Cake

All wonderful, all delicious, all worth a visit.

Now go make some cookies!

I've linked up at Full Plate Thursday, Thursday's Treasures, Tastetastic Thursday, It's a Keeper, Weekend Potluck, Fusion Fridays, Sweet Tooth Friday, From Scratch Friday, Dwell on Fridays, Serenity You, Sweets for a Saturday, Seasonal Inspiration, Think Pink Sundays, Church Supper