peanut butter slice-and-bake cookies
Posted: September 30, 2021 Filed under: desserts | Tags: baking soda, corn syrup, flour, milk, peanut butter, salt, shortening, sugar Leave a commentThis recipe hails from the August 1982 issue of Southern Living, so it’s been patiently waiting in Mom’s cookbook for almost 40 years. I had seen the recipe many times flipping through my Mom’s cookbook, but “slice and bake” never really motivated me to explore more… until I later had a hankering for peanut butter and then I found myself headed to the store to get some fresh milk.
This recipe was surprising for a couple of reasons: 1) “Slice and bake.” The bake part threw me because you *don’t* bake these in your oven – you nuke them in your microwave! Making cookies in the microwave is a new one for me but not surprising given that the microwave was a rage making its debut in most American kitchens in the late 1970s. 2) The end result tasted like a homemade nutter butter cookie which was one of my favorites growing up in the 70s and 80s. Enjoy some vintage nutter butter memories below!
I was quite leery that these cookies would turn out great, but boy they sure did, and after the final schmear of peanut butter tucked between two homemade cookies I was thinking I had just made a fresh homemade home run nutter butter cookie sandwich!
Foodie Tips
❤ You can reduce the recipe ingredients by half; we were on a diet that week but it didn’t stop me from diving in! We wrapped and stored some of the remaining dough in the fridge for a couple of days and it lasted just fine.
❤ If you’re in a hurry to dive in you can chill the “baked” cookies in your fridge ~10 minutes to reduce the on counter cooling time. I did this and the end result was surprisingly crunchy.
❤ I laughed when I saw instructions to manually turn the cookies. We are lucky to live in a time when the microwave does the turning for us! I was also curious if these might do well in an air fryer and will try that on the next adventure with this recipe.
i. Time
Total prep: About 3.5 hours, including a 2-3 hour chill timeout in the fridge.
ii. Ingredients
1 ¾ cups | all-purpose flour
½ cup | sugar
½ teaspoon | baking soda
¼ teaspoon | salt
½ cup | shortening
¾ cup (or more) | creamy peanut butter, divided
¼ cup | light corn syrup
1 tablespoon | milk
1. In a medium-sized bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. With a pastry cutter (or if you don’t have one try a KitchenAid stand mixer) cut in the shortening and ½ cup of the peanut butter until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Stir in the corn syrup and the milk.
2. Shape the dough into a long roll, about 2 inches in diameter. Wrap the roll in waxed paper and chill it in the fridge 2 to 3 hours, or until firm.
3. Unwrap the roll and cut the dough into ¼ inch slices. Place 6 slices at a time on a wax paper-lined plate, arranging them in a ring.
4. Microwave the slices at medium heat (50% power) for 2 to 4 minutes or until the cookies are dry on the surface. If you don’t have a rotating microwave dish, manually rotate the dish at 1-minute intervals to promote “even baking.”
5. Slide/transfer the wax paper with the cookies from the oven onto your kitchen counter and let them cool for 2 minutes. Remove the cookies from the wax paper and place them on a wire rack to completely cool. Repeat the procedure with the remaining dough.
6. Here’s the magical part: spread half the cookies with a schmear of peanut butter. I was generous with my schmear! Top with a remaining cookie slice on each to form your cookie sandwich.
Yield: About 2 dozen.
Betty’s Son
Founder and “Nostalgic Food Blogger” of Betty’s Cook Nook
Let’s have a peek at some vintage ads:
toasted sandwiches
Posted: March 22, 2017 Filed under: appetizers, left-overs, sandwiches | Tags: baked beans, basil, bologna, cheese, cocktail sausages, egg, jelly, marmalade, mozzarella cheese, peanut butter, raisin bread, tomato Leave a comment
This is perhaps the post with the most unique blend of happenstance and foodie passion here at Betty’s Cook Nook.
Tucked in the very back of Mom’s cookbook is a tiny accordion-folded recipe booklet called “How to use your Treat-Time Toaster.” You can enjoy a scan of it below.
I had thumbed passed this booklet many times before but in late January 2017 I finally took my curiosity online to try and find out what a “Treat-Time Toaster” might actually be.
In just a few clicks I found myself at eBay where I discovered these toasters were in fact vintage grilled sandwich makers. These were the same things I remember being in our kitchen at Trailend Drive – Mom used them to fashion some of the coolest grilled cheese sandwiches ever!
After quickly checking with my older brothers about the whereabouts of our toasters, I sadly realized they were long, long gone.
Gone, too, was the company who made them – NuRod, Inc., based out of Monrovia California. So since I couldn’t score one of my own new Treat-Time Toasters, I found a set of two vintage toasters that I scored on eBay for about $30, including shipping.
A few days later a bountiful box arrived at my home and boy, was I excited! Soon my kitchen would be turning out delicious sandwich snacks. The possibilities were endless, thanks to the recipe booklet that contained 13 ideas for transforming mere bread into a myriad of mouthwatering delights filled with awe-inspiring ingredients like cocktail sausages, bologna, baked beans, raisin bread, marmalade, fried eggs and more.
Are you salivating yet?
The Treat-Time Toaster looked part flying saucer and part clamshell. Placing the toaster over campfire or stove in mere seconds you can create panini, grilled sandwiches, pocket sandwiches … anything your mind and appetite can conjure!
The toaster churns out culinary delights that remind me of those from the raclette tabletop grill, which has been a favorite kitchen accessory of mine for many years.
snack attack
The adman in me appreciated reading the recipe booklet that appears to have been written by Donna Reade, who was Director of Consumer Service at Nu-Rod. I cracked a few smiles when I read passages like “You’ll find family and friends runnin’ back for more,” “Not only delicious but filling” and “M-M-M-boy!”
The folks at Nu-Rod also knew a little something about target marketing back in the early 1960s. I found evidence of ads for their Treat-Time Sandwich Maker in Popular Science, Boys’ Life, Mobile Home Journal, and V.F.W. Journal.
where did it all go wrong?
So if the Treat-Time Toaster is so awesome, why did it disappear from America’s kitchens almost as fast as it arrived?!
Based on my online research Nu-Rod was in existence from 1960-1970 and then their digital footprint is no more. Perhaps they were intent on connecting the Treat-Time Toaster with men more so than women? Or perhaps the name “Treat-Time Toaster” was too innovative at the time.
Whatever the case all I know is I’m glad I’ve reconnected my appetite with this fond foodie kitchen gizmo.
foodie tips
❤ While supplies last you can likely find vintage Treat-Time Toasters on Ebay or similar machines like these on Amazon or like these. I ordered two so that I didn’t have to share my toaster with anyone else! Hey, twice the fun!
❤ The ingredients list below is for the most basic – and delicious – grilled cheese sandwich. But don’t let your imagination and appetite stop here – try any of the original recipes in the Treat-Time Toaster recipe book (below)… or you let your imagination go wild. My top three favorite sandwiches are grilled cheese, PB&J, and our own creation – a grilled caprese sandwich (shown above), crafted from mozzarella, fresh basil leaves from the garden and a few slices of red tomato.
i. ingredients (per serving)
2 slices | white bread (or artisan bread if you’re feeling très gourmet)
schmears | falfurrias brand butter
assorted | ingredients for your sandwich (melting cheese, crisp bacon, sliced tomato, etc.)
no-stick cooking spray or butter | to grease your toaster
(optional) to serve | your favorite condiments (ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, honey, etc.)
ii. what to do
1. Butter the outside of two slices of bread and set aside. Hey, if you’re feeling adventurous you can also butter the inside, if butter complements your chosen ingredients.
2. Top one inside with your chosen ingredients, making sure to keep things mingling toward the center of the bread.
3. Butter or spray both insides of your Treat-Time Toaster to prevent sticking.
4. Center and place your buttered sandwich onto the toaster and close the toaster. Squeeze tight and remove the excess bread. Latch the handle.
5. Hold/Place the Treat-Time Toaster over campfire or medium-fired kitchen stovetop for 1-2 minutes on each side. I used my toaster inside over a gas range. I experimented a few times to find the right combination of flame and time to deliver the perfect oozy, gooey, buttery treat.
Serve warm with your favorite sides!
Betty’s Son
Founder and “Nostalgic Food Blogger” of Betty’s Cook Nook
A word about bread…
One of my favorite childhood memories happened when our elementary school (go, Northwood Unicorns) made an outing to San Antonio’s ButterKrust Bakery that graciously rested alongside 2251 Broadway Street.
I’m confident my love of carbs was born that day. In fact, every time I drove past the bakery (passenger or driver), the window somehow found itself miraculously resting so I could enjoy the waft of butter and bread while the wind whipped through my hair. Never underestimate the power of bread!
But gosh, I hope the power of ButterKrust bread outlives me, no thanks to their new owner’s shameful and shoddy company website, which looks circa 1995. More ButterKrust bakery history here.
Yup. I scored this vintage spot for you!
dad’s pb + banana sammy
Posted: July 17, 2011 Filed under: casseroles and one-dish meals | Tags: banana, bread, honey, peanut butter Leave a commentOne of my earliest childhood memories was of my dad showing me how to transform a mere banana into an edible wonder… from skins to grins!
This recipe is super easy to make and something you can share with your kids to teach them the simple art of food making.
The best part? It’s a foodie favorite for any time of the day (or night)!
i. ingredients
1 | banana
2 heaping fork fulls | peanut butter (I prefer crunchy)
a drizzling | local honey
2 slices | whole wheat bread, toasted
ii. what to do
1. Peel the banana, cut off the ends and place it on a plate or in a shallow bowl.
2. Add 2 heaping fork fulls of peanut butter and top with a 4-6 second drizzle of your favorite local honey.
3. Smash all ingredients together with a fork and set aside.
4. Toast the wheat bread; when done top one piece of the bread with the pb-banana mixture, add the last piece of toast on top and cut on the diagonal.
Yields 1 heaping sandwich – or 2 more reasonably-sized sammies, if you add 2 more pieces of bread.
Foodie Tip ~
♥ Try toasting the bread last; eating the sammy warm makes it extra special.
Go bananas!