amesy is at the point where he's emerging from that infant-baby stage into what seems like an older baby stage. he'll be 8 months old this saturday, and while i definitely cannot say the time has flown by (by any means), i've certainly felt a very noticeable shift. he's in an interesting in-between where he needs us wholeheartedly for most everything, but he's also becoming a bit more autonomous in his physical actions and emotions. he's been crawling now for a few days and has pretty much gotten it down! he kind of does this plank/downward dog/crawl thing and it's really too cute. i love that he's exploring a whole new world, i can see his intense curiosity behind his big brown eyes. it hits me from time to time that there will be a moment when he doesn't need me to feed him, or will no longer look for my hands to help him up, and that he won't bury his face in chest when he gets bashful. i can tear up at a moments notice about these things, which is silly, i know. he will need me for other things as he gets older. our relationship will manifest in different ways, i suppose. but for now i'm already living in the nostalgia of yesterday.
there's no smooth transition here, but i'm sure your inbox and instagram feed may be flooded with a ton of great picnic-ready recipes for the long weekend - pasta salads, leafy greens in a bowl, things to cook on a bbq. and maybe there's a recipe for a light and airy yellow cake intricately decorated with whipped cream and fresh berries. maybe it's just me, but sometimes an overabundance of recipes options have me feeling significantly overwhelmed to the point where i retreat back to the recipes that i've made time and time again. they're like a good pair of jeans that way: forgiving, reliable, and comfy. they usually include a guacamole or hummus freestyle, a green salad with a creamy dressing, maybe a hearty pasta salad or frittata depending on the season/occasion, and a simple cake that could please (hopefully) anyone.
which is why i'm so grateful when i come across a recipe like these peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. kathyrne, from cookie + kate, just came out with a brilliant new book, love real food, and i received a copy few weeks ago. amesy happened to be napping, so i got to thumb through the pages and landed on this recipe. it's one of those go-to recipes that has a short list of pantry ingredients, and is a one bowl kind of situation. i was thrilled at its straight forward nature, and simple technique (stirring, scooping, baking - done!), plus nothing bad ever comes out of pairing chocolate and peanut butter. the best part is that the last batch had finished cooking just as amesy was waking up. it really couldn't have worked any better. and it's definitely one of those reliable recipes that will be used over and over.
but kathryne's book is filled with beautiful, accessible recipes that make you feel like you can get it all done and have a nourishing meal all at the same time. as someone who can overcomplicate things at times, i'm really thankful for attainable recipes that are composed of readily available ingredients. the book is organized by breakfast items, salads, soups, a happy hour chapter (yes!), entrees, desserts, and extras. most recipes come with instructions on how to substitute ingredients to make the recipe gluten free, dairy free, or vegan at times. you'll also get to see more pictures of her super cute pup, cookie, and a really wonderful intro that talks about kate's journey to eating real food, and how everyone can achieve a balanced, more nourished, outlook on home cooking.
wishing everyone a beautiful weekend! xo
peanut butter chocolate chip cookies | gf (with a vegan option)
recipe from: Love Real Food by Kathryne Taylor. reprinted with permission.
i didn't have a cookie scoop, so i used a tablespoon measure to scoop the dough which worked perfectly but made less cookies (about 26). to make these dairy-free, i used this chocolate and chopped it up to make chips. kathryne gives some notes on how to make these vegan which are included below.
| makes 42 small cookies |
- 2 cups lightly packed coconut sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 jar (16 ounces) creamy peanut butter (1 3/4 cups)*
- 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips, preferably 60% cacao
*kathryne's notes:
- natural peanut butter works well here. she notes to use standard salted peanut butter. if you are using unsalted peanut butter add an additional 1/4 teaspoon to the recipe. almond butter and sunflower butter work too, although she prefers the peanut version.
- make these vegan by using vegan chocolate chips and omitting the eggs. she notes that egg free cookies will be lighter and be more meringue-like in texture and will be slightly gritty.
method
- preheat the oven 350°F. line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- in a medium bowl, combine the coconut sugar and eggs and whisk until smooth (the eggs might resist incorporating into the sugar at first, but keep whisking!). whisk in the vanilla and salt until blended.
- add the peanut butter and whisk until the dough is smooth and the peanut butter has completely blended into the batter (you might need to switch to a big spoon toward the end, which you'll need for mixing in the chocolate chips anyway). add the chocolate chips and stir until the chocolate chips are evenly incorporated.
- for cookies that stay perfectly mounded, chill the dough for 15 mintues before proceeding (if you're in a hurry, skip the chilling step). use a 1-tablespoon cookie dough scoop or two spoons to scoop heaping tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving 1 to 2 inches of space between each one. chill any remaining dough while you make the first batch.
- bake until the cookies are golden at the edges but still just a little underdone in the center 11 to 13 minutes. let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring them with a metal spatula to a cooling rack to cool completely. repeat with the remaining dough. (if your first round was a little too doughy, bake this round for 1 minute longer, or if they were done past your liking, bake for 1 minute less -make note of this time, because you'll probably want to make these cookies again!)
- these cookies keep well at room temperature for about 4 days, and freeze well for up to 3 months.
