Posted by on Apr 3, 2011 in Peanut Butter, Cookie Salon | 0 comments

Peanut Butter* Cookie Salon

(What is a cookie salon?)

Date: March 15, 2011

Attendees: Sarah V.B., Brooke M., Giovanna Z., Beth S., Joanna M.

*The theme was actually “Nut Butter/Nut Flour, but in the end it was peanut butter dominated affair, with only 2 of the 9  cookie being non peanut butter (almond flour).

Top row – from left

• No flour peanut butter – Sarah
• Grand Central Bakery Cookbook (with chocolate chips)- Sarah
• Grand Central Bakery Cookbook (w/o cc) – Sarah
• Food and Style Sienese Almond Cookie – Beth
• New Seasons Grocery Store (purchased from in-house bakery) – Brooke

Bottom Row

• Gourmet Cookie Book – Almond Macaroon – Joanna
• Gourmet Cookbook – Peanut Butter w/chips – Sarah
• Gourmet Cookbook – Peanut Butter w/o chips – Sarah
• Dorie Greenspan – Peanut Butter – Giovanna

I don’t have a whole lot to say about this salon mostly because I’m not particularly compelled by peanut butter cookies.  Having said that, I did enjoy the no-flour version in the upper left corner – it had a pleasing, almost dough-like texture.  I can’t really explain why I don’t love peanut butter cookies, and this statement is is frequently received with a raised eyebrow of skepticism. It really does seem to be the favorite of so many people, but my feeling is that they are too oily and not salty enough, leaving me with a flat, greasy and ultimately unrewarding taste in my mouth.  It’s not like I think peanut butter cookies taste bad, exactly. But at the end of the day, there are just so many other kinds of cookies (or moist molasses cakes or pieces of hearty European bread or squares of fantastic dark chocolate) that I would rather indulge in that peanut butter cookies just  never make the cut.

As for the two almond numbers on the board:  I don’t have much to say about Beth’s Sienese Almond cookie other than the fact that was buttery and…almondy and that I liked it quite a bit. And not to be self-congratulatory, but I really loved that small round almond macaroon and will absolutely make them again. They were dead simple -nothing more than almond flour (meal), powdered sugar, egg whites and almond extract.  If you enjoy marzipan or the filling of an almond croissant, these are for you. The recipe is not online anywhere that I can find, but it’s the pine nut macaroon in the Gourmet Cookie Book. (I replaced the decorative pine nuts with sliced almonds.)

But this, obviously, is entirely subjective; I’m pretty positive that my p.butter-lovin’ salon mates would disagree, judging from their unmasked joy over the pb and relative non-plussed reaction to my almond macs.  Which did not hurt my feelings. More for me!