Best.Cookies.Ever!

There was a mom from our small group that would make these A-MAZING peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. They were SO yummy that I had to ask for the recipe. I've made them several times since and they're always a crown pleaser! Give 'em a whirl- you won't be sorry (although your love handles might be!)

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

* ½ C butter
* ½ C butter flavor shortening
* 1 C peanut butter
* 1 C granulated sugar
* 1 C packed light brown sugar
* 2 eggs
* 1 tsp vanilla
* 2 ½ C flour
* 1 ½ tsp baking powder
* 1 tsp baking soda
* ½ tsp salt
* 12 oz chocolate chips

* ½ C chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

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1. Preheat oven to 375*
2. In bowl beat butter, shortening, peanut butter, sugar and brown sugar, eggs and vanilla on medium speed until nice and creamy
3. In a separate bowl stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
4. Add to peanut butter mixture and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts if desired.
5. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until set, remove from oven and let sit on cookie sheet for 10 minutes before cooling on wire racks.

That's what I'M talkin' about! Yum!!













Katie

Lemon Blueberry Trifle

My friend made this for our small group a few weeks ago and my taste buds danced- never mind the fact I'm currently a little nuts-o about blueberries. There's a guy at our local farmers market that has the BEST blueberries- oh my- I've probably spent over $100 this season on blueberries alone. We froze 10 pints of them so I can make blueberry pie this Thanksgiving along with blueberry pancakes and blueberry scones all Fall and Winter long. It's my nod to Little House and the Prairie (I love that book!) Anyway- I digress (I do that often...) I begged and pleaded on my knees for the recipe (actually, I emailed her and she emailed me back...in like 15 minutes- what a gal!) It is SO good- I made it the other night for my mom's last night visiting here (she had been here for 3 weeks- oh how I miss her!) Check it out, then do yourself a favor and make it...and try to not eat it all in one sitting...with the bowl between your legs and a spoon in your hand watching Cake Boss (not that I speak from experience...)

Ingredients:

* 1 frozen prepared pound cake (16 oz)

* 1 lemon

* 1 1/2 cups milk

* 1 (8oz) container sour cream

* 1 container cool whip

* 2 packages (3.4 oz each) lemon instant pudding

* 1 pint blueberries

* 1 square (1 oz) white chocolate for baking (I used 1 oz white chocolate chips and food processed the heck out of them)

Cut pound cake into 1 inch cubes. Zest one lemon and set aside. Juice the lemon and sprinkle lemon juice over pound cake and toss gently. Combine milk, sour cream, half of the cool whip, and reserved lemon zest, whisk until smooth. Add pudding mix, whisk until begins to thicken.

Set aside 10 blueberries for garnish. To assemble place 1/3 of the cake on the bottom, top with 1/3 blueberries, grate 1/4 of chocolate over, and top with 1/3 of the pudding mix. Repeat layers 2 more times. Use remaining cool whip to make rosettes or dollops on top- place a blueberry on each dollop and sprinkle remaining chocolate on top.

**side note- I used all of the cool whip in the mixture- whoops!- but it still tasted heavenly.**

:) Katie