Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies & A Christmas Cooking Class

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Christmas is almost here!!  Can y'all believe it?!  I know I certainly can't.  This month has flown by really fast for the fam and I.  I guess it's true when they say the busier you are, the more the time will fly by ;)

I hosted another cooking class this past weekend and taught the women how to make some homemade Christmas goodies.  I also showed them how to package them up nicely to give as gifts.  Everything that was made came from this blog except for a few new recipes.  I will get to how the class went in a minute...but first...the recipe.....

The cookies on the right in the above picture are a recent addition to my list of Christmas goodies for this blog.  Seeing as how some of the ladies in the class are pressed for time with other commitments (family, jobs, etc...), I wanted to teach them a quick recipe just in case they needed something to make in a pinch. 

I received this recipe years ago from my best friend of 15 years (thanks Belinda).  I could not believe what I heard when she told me about the ingredients for these cookies.  You just need three items to make them!!  Yes, that's right...just three things.  They are so simple and easy to make that you seriously cannot go wrong in the kitchen with them.  Try it out and see for yourself  ;)  Your kids will also enjoy making them as well ;)

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies

1 box Ritz Crackers

1 jar of smooth peanut butter

1 package of chocolate and/or white almond bark

Christmas cookie decorations (optional)

Take a few squares of the chocolate and/or white almond bark and place them in a microwave safe bowl.

Melt in the microwave on high for one minute.  Stir it around until it is completely melted.

Take 2 Ritz crackers and place a tablespoon of peanut butter in the middle, like you are making a sandwich.  Take this peanut butter cracker sandwich and dip it into the chocolate, making sure to coat both sides of the cookie.

Place coated cookies on a sheet of aluminum foil to dry.  Decorate with Christmas cookie decorations if needed. 

***You can be creative and change up the colors of the cookies by using white almond bark and drizzling the chocolate almond bark on top...and vice versa***

And now I'd like to share some pictures of the class.....

The Christmas goody bags I made for everyone, which included a few Christmas themed recipe cards, the recipe for the cookies up above, and 2 cookie bags filled with cookies that were made in the class.

I bought everything for the bags at the dollar store....including the bells and candy canes ;) The pictures on the front came from a pack of Christmas cards.  I tore the cards in half and glued the front pieces to the bags.

First on the agenda was teaching them how to make their own Pies In A Jar.  You can find out more information on how to make those by clicking here.  We filled ours with homemade apple pie filling ;)

Me, making the Pies with them ;)

While the pies were baking, it was on to learning how to make the cookies mentioned above, as well as some Peanut Blossom Teardrop Cookies.  The recipe for these can be found here.

Their pies came out perfect!!!!  And made the house smell so very good ;)

After all the above was finished, we finally moved on to the last event of the afternoon....the cookie decorating contest ;)  The recipe for these cookies can be found here.

The proud winner and her cookie ;)

It was such a fun time and we all had a blast!! I'm already starting to think of ideas for Mardi Gras and Valentine's Day coming up ;)

I will be taking a blogging break until after the Holidays....so from our family to yours, have a Very Safe and a Very Merry Christmas!!!!!!!!

Tate's Bake Shop Giveaway Winner!

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Last week, I ran this giveaway on the blog.....

I am happy to announce that we have a winner today for it!!  Normally I always post a recipe to go along with the announcement of a winner when I do giveaways, however...I'm sad to report that today, I don't have one lined up for y'all :(  I know, I know....it's not like my popular Type A personality not to have a recipe to accompany this post.  I promise though, more recipes are soon to come ;)

All your entries were wonderful and I'm so thrilled that a lot of you came out of the woodwork to post ;)  It was fun reading what your favorite types of cookies would be to eat ;)  I think we need to do more giveaways like this in the future ;) 

With that being said......let's get on with the announcing of the winner....

Through Random.Org.....which can be found here......

the winner is......................

Maureen (Suburban Prep)

Congratulations Maureen!!!!!  I will be contacting you for more information soon ;) 

Again, thanks to all who entered and don't forget to check out Tate's Website for more great deals!! 

More recipes to come soon...............

Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies & A Giveaway!!!!!!!!

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******THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED*******

Have I got a surprise for all of my lovely readers!!!!  I have been so psyched to post this giveaway, that I'm literally bursting at the seams right now as I am typing this! 

A few weeks ago, a representative from Kathleen King's Tate's Bake Shop asked if I would be interested in sampling some of their scrumptious goodies and reviewing their cookbook.  Never being able to turn down some free treats, I agreed to try them and have absolutely no regrets about doing so. 

Kathleen King is a woman after my own heart.  She grew up on a farm and knew the importance of hard work, independence, and common sense.  When she was eleven, she started baking cookies in order to to purchase her own school clothes.  By the age of 20, she had started her own bakery business and by the age of twenty-three, she was able to move into her very own personalized building where Tate's Bake Shop presently resides.  She has received numerous successful write ups in such popular publications as the New York Times, The Boston Globe, and Everyday with Rachael Ray.

When the package of goodies arrived at my door, I felt like a kid in a candy store...so giddy and excited to try everything inside.  These cookies are not your normal, thick, cake like ones. They were thin around the edges with a little puffiness in the middle. The perfect gourmet cookie and compliment to any cup of coffee or tea. It is said that her chocolate chip cookies are her best sellers, but based on my taste buds and experience, I highly enjoyed the white chocolate macadamia cookies ;)

And as if the excitement of sampling the cookies wasn't enough, I was in complete nirvana as I thoroughly read her cookbook.  Everyone knows that I <3 cookbooks, and this one was no exception.  I loved how Kathleen made it a point to include specific memories and notes at the beginning of each recipe.  I also enjoyed reading the forward by the ever so popular Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten.  She includes beautiful pictures of some of the recipes in the middle of the book, such as in the picture below.....

Based on everything I had sampled and read, I thought it wasn't fair that Tate's Bake Shop was located way up North...in Southampton, NY...far, far, far away from where I live down South.  I figured picking a recipe to make from the cookbook would cure that feeling, and it did just that!

I set my sites on her Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies and went to town baking them....the results were wonderful.........

Who knew that a cookie that does not contain flour (or butter) would end up so delicate and scrumptious?  They came out a little on the dry side at first and we all had to drink a cold glass of milk along with them.  But by the next day, they were FABULOUS to eat!  Husband Man, the kids, and I have literally devoured them all.  Currently leaving only 4 left out of 20 :( 

Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies

(adapted from Tate's Bake Shop Cookbook)

1 and 1/4 cups peanut butter, smooth or chunky

3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup semisweet mini-chocolate chips or 1 bittersweet bar finely chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease two cookie sheets or line them with parchment paper. 

In a large bowl, mix the peanut butter, sugar, egg, baking soda, and vanilla extract until it is smooth and creamy.  Stir in the chocolate.

To form each cookie, use a small ice cream scoop.  Place the dough on two ungreased cookies sheets, as they don't spread alot.

Bake the cookies at 12 to 15 minutes, depending on the size you made, or until they are puffed and gold on the bottom.  They will still be soft in the center.  Cool them on the cookie sheets for a few minutes and then transfer them to a rack until they are completely cooled.  Serve with a nice, tall glass of milk ;)

Now for the giveaway, with all this being said, Tate's Bake Shop will be giving away a package of their yummy goodies and cookbook to one very lucky reader of this blog.....

If you win, you will receive a package of their signature chocolate chip cookies, white macadamia nut cookies, and oatmeal raisin cookies....just like in the picture below.....

And you will also receive the wonderful cookbook by Kathleen King..........

Contest Rules Are As Follows:

~Leave a comment telling us which flavor of cookie would be your most favorite to eat and enjoy, should you win ;)  For my Facebook fans, unfortunately Facebook has altered how their policies on how contests and giveaways are being conducted.  If you are interested in entering this giveaway, you will have to sign up or into blogger and leave a comment on this post to qualify. 

~Post this giveaway on your blog (if you have one) and link it up to this post and you will be entered twice for the contest ;)

~Become a fan of Tate's Bake Shop on Facebook and you will receive extra giveaways from this awesome bakery ;)  If you do, please leave a comment here telling us that you joined their Fan page :)

Winners will be chosen by Random.org the morning of December 13th, so this gives you one whole week to enter.

But wait!  It doesn't stop there!  Tate's is feeling super generous this Christmas Season and is offering a 15% discount to anyone who is interested in purchasing their items from their online store :)  Just go to www.tatesbakeshop.com and enter the promotional code "cookie" to get your discount upon checking out.  This discount is valid until December 31st. 

Good luck everyone!! 

For more information on this lovely bakery, go to Tate's Website.

Click here to become a Fan of Tate's Bake Shop on Facebook.