Peanut butter~Peanut Butter chip Cookie Yummys! and Orange Cranberry Delectable Muffins

I get more requests for these cookies from friends and friends of family members. They last all of ten minutes in my house, but then again, so do most of my baked goods. If you like chocolate, and let's face it, who doesnt like chocolate? You can drizzle the tops of the cookies with some melted chocolate.

Cranberries and Orange come together in these muffins to explode with delectable flavor. Top them off with some orange glaze and a drizzle of chocolate and you have yourself a gourmet tasting dessert.

Pictured here with out chocolate drizzle or glaze, since my daughter Brittney prefers hers glaze free : )




Peanut Butter, Peanut butter chip cookies

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup peanut butter, smooth or chunky
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups sifted flour—if you don’t sift, use 1 1/3 cup
1 1/2 cups peanut butter chips (you can add more or less, or if you like you can mix with chocolate chip and/or white chocolate chips. You can also add crushed walnuts or pecans)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat the butter and both sugars together. Beat in the peanut butter and egg; Scrape sides of bowl and beat in the salt, baking soda and vanilla. When well blended, add flour and stir until it is blended. Stir in the chips.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls and arrange on ungreased/unlined cookie sheets about 2 1/2-inches apart. Flatten balls with a fork dipped in sugar making criss-cross patterns; Bake for 10-12 minutes or until slightly browned around the edges.

Makes about 3 dozen

**If you only have salted butter you can use that, but reduce the salt in the recipe to about 1/4 teaspoon.




Orange Cranberry Muffins

2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup orange juice, freshly squeezed works best
1 tbsp orange zest
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups cranberries, fresh or frozen (unthawed)
1/4 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 375F and line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners.
Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl. Make a well, then add in in orange juice, orange zest, oil and egg and whisk everything together until just combined. Stir in whole and dried cranberries. Divide evenly into prepared muffin cups.
Bake for 14-16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Turn onto wire rack to cool.Once slightly cooled, dip tops into orange glaze and when that dries drizzle with chocolate in zig zag fashion. You can also decorate with orange zest.


Orange Glaze

Stir together powdered sugar and water to desired consistancy. (thicker for glaze, thinner for drizzle) add pure orange extract little by little till desired flavor is achieved.