Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Shortbread
Today I headed down to the ‘Berg (Newberg that is, for those of you that did not have the privilege of growing up here) to say hello to a number of friends in the area. First stop, getting my baby fix at Velour clothing shop where my old college roommate Jessica and her new baby Judah were manning the counter. He is sooooo cute, I just wanted to take him home with me. While there I picked up a great tie for Kirk to sport at his job, and then I headed over the Bubba’s household. Who are the Bubba’s? Well they really are Bubba and Sarah King, two of my closest friends for the past 14 years. Not only are they the most welcoming friends on the block, but when you come over you always leave with something! Today it was butter and flour. You see, the Bubba’s have a little group called the Collective. The best way to sum up what the Collective is is through their own words on their blog:
“We have this semi-farm, group buying, jamming, canning group of people who like to learn about food and food related items.
The reason we started The Collective is because we love the people who want community and we value what it is your needs are.”
One of the main operations of the group is group buying of goods like organic butter, flour, oats, nuts, fruit, and other goodies. Today our shipment of butter, flour, and oats came in and I was there to pick up 6 pounds of organic unsalted butter and 10 pounds of low-gluten flour. Which brings me to this post. I came home with an urge to bake, and since I am hosting a get together tomorrow night at the studio, I figured I would throw something easy and yummy together. Here we have the Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Shortbread. These come from the book Mother’s Best by Lisa Schroeder. She is the chef/owner of my favorite restaurant in Portland, Mamma Mia. Definitely try these at home, they are a cinch to make and are very tasty.
1 stick of butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chocolate chips
Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat at medium-high speed until fluffy and pale in color, about 2 minutes.
Reduce the speed to low and add the flour, mixing just until incorporated, about 1 minute. Add the peanut butter and vanilla and continue mixing until incorporated. Add the chocolate chips and mix by hand.
Using a large piece of plastic wrap, scrape the dough into the center of the wrap and gather the dough into a ball. Fold one of the long ends of the wrap over onto the dough and use it to help you press and shape the dough into a 12 inch long log. Wrap the plastic around the log and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or freeze and bake later.
To bake, heat the oven to 350 degrees. Position the racks in the upper and lower third of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Remove the plastic wrap and cut the log into 1/4 thick slices. Place the slices on the prepared pans, 1 inch apart, and bake until they just start to turn golden around the edges, 12 to 14 inches, rotating the baking sheets from top to bottom and gront to back midway through baking.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
