Tuesday has always been the day I rise early for the weekly office meeting. No donuts (ever) & no treats. Just the facts ma'am. But effective today, I'm spending Tuesdays with Dorie. I'll bake a select recipe & post about the experience. At least 250 other people will do the same, forming a virtual baking circle. This cosmic event beats my office meeting in a number of categories, including taste.
A member of the group has chosen Chunky Peanut Butter & Oatmeal Chocolate Chipsters. The other choice, Malted Milk Ball Whoppers, will surely promote hyperactivity in adults and children alike. I choose the chipsters for safety reasons. Dorie warns against using natural peanut butter, but doesn't say why. I decide to use the only peanut butter I have: Whole Foods natural chunky. My research on the net leads to many recipes & similar warnings. Some folks, vegans & others, post recipes using natural PB. Their recipes use less butter (fat) & less sugar.
I also research the issue of salty butter (which I have) vs. unsalted (requiring a trip to the store). I reduce the sugar & butter by 50% and use salted butter anyway. I use WW pastry flour. I also add chunks of Dove bar & 1/2 C coconut. These are thick chewy cookies. Rick eats 7 right away. I take the rest to a party & serve them with vanilla ice cream and a banana rum caramel sauce. The crowd goes wild.
