March, 2016 - My Granny Rocks!

Peanut Butter Cookies

These cookies are so good. I mean melt in your mouth, can’t stop eating them kind of good. They have just the right blend of sugary peanut flavor. It’s been a while since I made them. Things always tastes better when you haven’t made them recently. Store in airtight container and they’ll stay soft.

1 cup butter-flavored Crisco
1 cup peanut butter, creamy or chunky
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 cup white granulated sugar
2 eggs
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1½ teaspoons baking soda

Cream together shortening, peanut butter, brown and white sugars. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each egg.

Add flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda to the creamed mixture. [If you want, combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl first. I don’t waste my time with this step. I sprinkle the teaspoon measurements, then dump in the flour and call it good. Why get another bowl dirty?]

Preheat oven to 375°. Chill dough slightly, about 15 minutes. Chilled dough is easier to work with. Form dough into 1 ¼” balls by briefly rolling in palms. [I use a small scoop to grab the right amount of dough for uniform balls.] Put about 3” apart on non-stick cookie sheet or lightly grease a cookie sheet if yours aren’t non-stick. Dip a fork in white sugar and flatten the balls, making a crisscross pattern.

Peanut Butter Cookies Baked — Fresh out of the oven

Bake in 375° oven for 8 minutes. Remove cookies sheet from oven and let the cookies finish cooking on the cookies sheet. Transfer cookies to racks to finish cooling.

Makes about 6 dozen.

Chocolate Drizzle for Cookies
½ cup chocolate chips
1½ teaspoons Crisco*

To make a chocolate drizzle, melt chocolate chips along with Crisco in microwave for 20 – 30 seconds, then drizzle over cookies while warm. It may take more or less time depending on the wattage of your microwave.

*Don’t use any other type of oil, butter of lard. It needs to be Crisco to work.

Fresh Pico de Gallo and Salsa

Cooking isn`t an exact science. It`s all about combining flavors you enjoy. I pick recipes that sound good, then tweak them to my family`s tastes. I`ll never forget the summer of perfecting the Margarita, but that`s a story for another day.

I`ve tried many different salsa recipes over the years. This one I created several years ago. I used to pick up a couple of each pepper at the store and start chopping. My tastes have changed, so now I skip the Habanero and Serrano chilies. It`s hard to find flavorful fresh tomatoes locally, so for consistency, I start with a can of petite diced tomatoes. Be sure to refer to the Washing Vegetables and Fruit page under the Granny Knows section before you start chopping.

The following recipe starts off as Pico de Gallo, then with the addition of more tomatoes and sauce, it ends up as Salsa.

1 14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes (2 cans for salsa)
2 each Hatch green chilies
2 each Hungarian peppers (4, if small)
1 jalapeño or other hot pepper
2 bunches green onions or ½ cup chopped onions
1 cup cilantro leaves
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon olive oil

Put can of tomatoes in large mixing bowl. Add garlic, lime juice and olive oil. After washing peppers, onions and cilantro, let drain. Chop onions and add to bowl. Remove stem end of peppers. I remove the seeds. Some folks leave them in – it’s all a matter of preference. Personally, I don`t like getting pepper seeds stuck in between my teeth. Slice lengthwise.

Next, cut Hatch and Hungarian peppers into narrow strips and chop (or put in your food processor to let it do the work for you.) Add to mixing bowl. Finely chop the jalapeño pepper and add a little at a time depending on how hot you like it. Stir well. Stop here and you have fresh Pico de Gallo.

For Salsa, continue by adding another can of tomatoes and an 8 oz. can of tomato sauce. I use the “no added salt” tomato sauce. Stir well. Store tightly covered in the refrigerator up to 5 days. Salsa always tastes better at room temperature, so let it warm up before serving.

How to Wash Vegetables and Fruits

No matter where you get your vegetables, at the store, farmer’s market or from your own garden, they need to be washed. Prepared washes are not always available here. When they are in stock, they can be pricey. The easiest and cheapest method I`ve found is using ¼ cup white vinegar in ½ gallon of water. Scientifically, I don`t know how much bacteria, germs, etc. it does remove. However, no one likes excess dirt or creepy, crawly things in their food. When you spend the time to prepare food, you definitely don’t want to make anyone sick.

First, rinse the produce well under running water. Don’t scrub with a brush as it may scratch the surface and let unwanted bacteria in. Use your hands to rub off visible dirt. I’ve recycled a ½ gallon pickle jar to wash my veggies in. If I have a lot of produce to do at once, I recycle a gallon pickle jar and increase the white vinegar to ½ cup. I make sure the skin is intact with no holes or mushy spots. Some vegetables float, so when the lid`s put on, it keeps them submerged. Keep the vegetables in the vinegar/water solution for 15 minutes. Dump out and refill the jar with cool water. Return the produce to the jar for 5 minutes, then rinse briefly.

Peppers and Cilantro in Vinegar Solution — Another view, Peppers and Cilantro in Solution

Pepper and Cilantro 2 — Pepper and Cilantro in Vinegar Solution

Following the initial soak for leafy greens, (cilantro, parsley, leaf lettuce,) I swish the greens around and change the water a couple times until the rinse water is clear. I’m on a private well, so I don’t have chlorinated water. Our drinking water runs through a RO system. I’d use filtered water in the vinegar solution if I lived in town rather than the chlorinated city tap water.

Always be sure to wash cantaloupe and watermelons. Even though you don’t eat the rind, the bacteria is transferred inside when you slice it.