Mind Control

It's terrible. I went to school and studied hard and got good grades. I went on to college. I attended lectures, took notes, read the texts, and learned the fine art of cramming for tests. So what pops into my head when I'm in the shower? Is it the periodic table? No. Is it the names of all the cranial nerves in order? No. Is it Sonnets from the Portuguese? No.

"Have another Nutter Butter Peanut Butter Sandwich cookie. From Banisco!"



Yes, lame TV theme songs and commercial jingles have so crowded my brain that there's no room there for useful information. Like where my glasses and the car keys might be.

But, as long as I have advertising jingles from the 70's controlling my brain, I might as well roll with it. If my brain thinks I need Peanut Butter Sandwich cookies, that's what I'll give it. But I'll make them myself. That'll show them who's boss!



You can make these as simple round sandwich cookies, but how much more fun to make them in the peanut shape? And, if you're feeling totally Martha, you can imprint a grid on the cookies before baking, to simulate peanut texture. I tried a plastic grid, the kind used for stitchery, on a few of the cookies with OK results.

Homemade Nutter Butters
- adapted from Top Secret Recipes

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
3 Tbsp peanut butter
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup all-purpose flour

Filling

1/2 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp fine graham cracker crumbs (from about 1 cracker)

1- Preheat oven to 325 deg. with oven racks dividing the oven into thirds.

2- In a large bowl, cream together the butter, shortening, and sugar with an electric mixer.

3- Add the egg, salt, and peanut butter and beat until well blended, scraping down the bowl as necessary.

4- Put the oats in a food processor and pulse until it's almost as finely ground as flour. A blender on medium speed will work as well.

5- Add the oats and flour to the butter mixture and blend well.

6- Cover the dough and chill well (for at least an hour) for easier handling.

7- Roll small portions of the dough into 1-inch balls. Press these flat on ungreased cookie sheets so that they form 2-inch circles. Pinch in the sides to make a peanut shape. Flatten and press with a grid, if desired.

8- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until light brown around the edges.

9-Let cool briefly on the cookie sheet then remove to a cooling rack while still warm.

10- Combine the filling ingredients in a small bowl. It will make a stiff paste, similar to putty in texture.

11- When the cookies are cooled, pair up cookies so they'll match in size and shape. Divide the filling into 24 small portions. Working with your hands, take a portion of filling and press it flat, pressing it onto one half of a cookie pair. Top firmly with the other cookie. Repeat with the remaining cookies.

Makes 24 cookies