The Ugly Duckling (Cookie) - Peanut Brittle Cookies (Oct 08)

        I think that these look pretty ugly - the ones I made anyway, the photo in the book looks fine =D. I made these last October long weekend for a church camp along with some chocolate brownies. They went down really well. I had a whole big container of peanut brittle cookies and a whole big container of chocolate brownies to last us 3 and a half days. I also just remembered that I somehow managed to sprain my righthand wrist a few days before from Pilates. Even with a sore wrist I was determined to bake goodies for camp. Dad had also misplaced the beater attachments for the electric beater, and with me and my sore wrist I made him hand beat the butter mix for me. It hurt a bit to mix with a strapped up wrist, I shouldn't have really been baking at all! I left someof the cookies at home for my family and apparantly Grandma couldn't stop eating them =) It makes me happy when Grandma enjoys my food... I feel bad that I havn't been spending time with her while she's down from Qld at the moment =(.

        I'm also not a huge fan of peanut butter. I know, call me weird or deprived. I've never had a peanut butter and jam sandwich either. I thought I would make these because I don't usually eat peanut butter and it seems every other person does. They were pretty good, I especially liked the peanut brittle in the cookies and the taste of peanut butter wasn't quite as strong as I thought it would have been. The recipe for these cookies was from "Cookies" by The Australian Women's Weekly. I always make a double batch whenever I bake.

Ingredients:

• 125g butter
• 1/4 cup crunchy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 cups plain flour
• 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

Peanut Brittle:

• 3/4 cup roasted unsalted peanuts
• 1/2 cup caster sugar
• 2 tablespoons water

Make peanut brittle:

1. Place nuts on lined baking tray.
2. Combine sugar and water in small fry pan, stir over heat without boiling until sugar is dissolved.
3. Bring sugar syrup to boil, uncovered, without stirring until golden brown.
4. Pour over nuts, leave until set and then crush coarsely in food processor.

Make cookies:

1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees/140 fan forced oven. Grease and line baking trays.
2. Beat butter, peanut butter, sugar and egg in small bowl with electric mixer until combined.
3. Stir in sifted dry ingredients and crushed peanut brittle.
4. Roll heaped teaspoons into balls and place 5cm apart on trays. Flatten slightly with hand.
5. Bake for 12 minutes, cool on tray.