Peanut Butter Cookies for Homemade Cookies Day

Have some extra peanut butter lying around? Well, gather up that peanut butter and all those extra peanuts (for some extra crunch), because you're going to need them for these two fabulous recipes. In fact, these recipes are so great, we always have about six jars of peanut butter lying around so that anytime we have an urge for some scrumptious peanut butter cookies or peanut butter fudge, we're ready!

These recipes can be used for any holiday. By far, my favorite time of the year to bake cookies is during the holiday season, sometime around November or December. There's just something about the time of year that screams, bake cookies! It's a tradition in many households, to bake holiday cookies. While, in my house we've never really baked holiday cookies, it's a tradition that my friends have shared with me and they will cherish those memories for many years. They even show it on Sesame Street; remember, when they baked holiday cookies with their families? It's a cherished part of any kid's childhood. I know that my friends will always look back on those times and remember how festive it was and how happy and cheerful it was to bake cookies with their parents.

So, just remember, anytime you have some extra peanut butter lying around, just whip out these recipes and voila! You have some tasty cookies (and fudge, which, by the way I would classify as a cookie, but I don't really know, is it actually a cookie? Or is fudge a whole separate category, all its own? What about Mackinac Island Fudge, is that a cookie? Actually, maybe fudge is its own category.... like brownies. So, we have cookies, fudge, brownies, cake, pie etc...) But any way, let's get crack-a-lacking!

Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

1 ¼ cup peanut butter

1 stick butter
½ cup sugar
½ tsp. vanilla

2 cup flour
1 tsp. water

(Optional) ½ cup coca powder

Mix the sugar and butter together until they are completely mixed. Add the flour, water and vanilla. Mix well. Stir in the peanut butter until it is combined thoroughly. Drop small chunks on to a non-stick cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees.

Peanut Butter Fudge

Ingredients:

1 cup crunchy peanut butter

¾ cup honey

1 envelope non-fat dry milk

(Optional) coca powder to taste

(Optional) mini chocolate chips to taste

Mix all ingredients together thoroughly. Place on wax paper and shape into slab. Roll the wax paper around the fudge. Refrigerate until the fudge is no longer sticky.