Folks are often surprised to hear this, but for most of my life I’ve hated peanut butter. “What about peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?” they ask, “Didn’t you eat those as a kid? Or Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups? You have to like those.” No and nope, I always respond. My mother couldn’t even get me to eat peanuts.

Then one day (I think it was January 6th, 2007 at approximately 3:54PM… kidding) I decided I liked peanut butter cookies. I tried them on a whim, but from then on a whole world of peanutty goodness opened up to me. From chocolate dipped vanilla ice cream sprinkled with chopped peanuts to ye ole stand by: peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Look ma! I like peanuts.

The chewy peanut butter cookie recipe featured in this post is from “The Sweet Melissa Baking Book,” and though they are incredibly easy to make and may seem un-blog-worthy as a result, this is precisely why I wanted to share them. I showcased a relatively more complicated Hazelnut Raspberry Cake in my last post; now it’s time for some down-home, no-fuss, compulsively munchable cookies. I don’t know about you, but one of these is just the sort of thing I need on sleepy weekday mornings, served with a tall mug of strong coffee…. or stashed in my bag for the train ride into the city. My husband loved them, though he did say a dip in melted chocolate would make them even more satisfying. Ah, a man after my own heart.

But enough about me. I know there is one bit of information you’re all waiting for: the names of the 5 lucky people who won a copy of “The Sweet Melissa Baking Book!” Without further ado, they are: #59 Tatiana, #72 Lari, #93 Julie, #121 Olivia, #175 Tammy. I’ll email the winners tomorrow to confirm. Many thanks to everyone who participated in the book giveaway, and to the random number picker, which relieved me of the burden of picking the winners. Whew.

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The Sweet Melissa Baking Book, by Melissa Murphy, is a book that lives up to its subtitle: it really is filled with recipes that are bound to become everyone’s favorite treats. From ‘Raised Waffles with Warm Brown Sugar Bananas’ in the “Dessert for Breakfast” section, to ‘Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Caramel-Rum Raisin Sauce’ in the “Sunday’s Supper’s Grand Finale” chapter, the goodies in this book are tempting and satisfying. The ‘Hazelnut Raspberry Cake’ was one of the best desserts I have ever tasted, while the ‘Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies’ were just the thing to eat with a glass of cold milk. Of all the recipes I tried, the only one I did not like was the ‘Whole Orange-Poppy Seed Cake’, which had a bitter aftertaste, but I’ve heard that others have enjoyed this recipe so perhaps it’s simply my taste buds that were the problem. There are only eight color photographs in the book, but recipes are written in such a clear, approachable manner that I dare say you don’t need the photos to create even the most mouth-watering results. Murphy prefaces each recipe with a short story, which adds a warm, friendly feel to her instructions. I especially appreciated that she outlines how to store her cookies, muffins, cakes and other treats so that they will last as long as possible. She also includes helpful sections on how to frost multi layered cakes, toast nuts, and even make preserves from scratch. Chapters include: Dessert for Breakfast, After-School Snack, It’s Somebody’s Birthday!, What Will We Do With All This Fruit?, Sunday Supper’s Grand Finale, and Favorite Gifts. Overall this is a great book for bakers (and candy makers) of every skill level. If you’re looking for a baking book that will add oomph to your collection, this is definitely one to try. I’d recommend you make the ‘Bee Stings’ first, which are yeasted buns sprinkled with sliced almonds, drizzled with a honey caramel glaze and filled with vanilla bean pastry cream. Yum!

Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
Reprinted with permission from The Sweet Melissa Baking Book, by Melissa Murphy.

Ingredients: Makes 2 dozen cookies

• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter (I used organic)
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Position the rack in the top and bottom third of your oven. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the peanut butter with the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in the egg.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture and mix until combined. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl so that everything is combined evenly.

Scoop dough by the rounded tablespoonful and roll into balls. Place the balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets, and press down slightly. Using a fork dipped in flour, press down on the cookies first one way and then the other to form an “X” pattern, creating the cross hatch effect. (The cookies should now measure approximately 2 inches in diameter.) Bake for 10 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. Overbaking will cause these chewy cookies to become crunchy, so try to avoid it.

The cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, they can be frozen wrapped in plastic wrap and aluminum foil for up to 1 month. Do not unwrap before defrosting.

A little over one year ago I purchased my first bread baking book ever: The Bread Baker’s Apprentice, by Peter Reinhart. Up to that point challah was the only yeasted bread I’d ever made, and as I flipped through Reinhart’s collection of gorgeous recipes I remember feeling a mixture of anticipation and trepidation. I was so excited by the prospect of being able to create breads like this in my kitchen someday, but wondered when ’someday’ would arrive, if ever. I looked around my tiny apartment kitchen and, for a moment, was tempted to scoff at the idea of becoming a home baker. But then I turned to my husband and said, “One year from now, I’m going to be able to make a loaf of artisan bread.” Without batting an eye he replied, “Of course you’ll do it baby! And I’ll help you eat all the breads you bake between now and then.”

Since that day, every loaf of bread I’ve made has been a little piece of magic. People sometimes laugh at how excited I get when I talk about bread but for me it’s a passion. The smell of bread baking in the oven makes me feel content, the feel of dough beneath my hands relaxes me, and that first bite - the crunch, followed by the soft, resilient texture - there’s nothing like it. When I was visiting my family this past December my father told me that my great-grandfather was a baker who owned a panaderia (bakery) in Salinas, California. Then he went into the back room and emerged with a decades old photograph of this man, whose life was bread and whose blood ran through my veins. I must confess that a romantic part of me wondered whether there was such a thing as a “baking gene,” and whether it was possible that my way with dough was somehow connected to this man I’d never met.

Around 3 o’clock this afternoon snow started falling outside, the temperature dropped, and after several days of unusually warm weather winter returned to Connecticut. I sat near the window and watched the flakes fall for a while, then decided that tonight’s dinner would feature fresh bread and hot soup. After all, what is more comforting in winter? Chilly winds may be blowing, ice may be drifting down, but steam rising from a bowl and the welcoming scent of bread makes even the coldest evenings cozy.

A few hours later a rustic loaf of spinach feta bread emerged from the oven. As it cooled I prepared a pot of potato and leek soup, then gently fried sage leaves in a mixture of olive oil and butter. When my husband got home we sliced the bread, toasted the pieces, then dipped each one into the fragrant olive oil and butter concoction. It was a delightful combination, and as we sat down to enjoy our meal I found myself feeling grateful for the gift of bread, and glad that I didn’t give up when the prospect of making it seemed so daunting.

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Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day contains a wealth of delicious bread recipes and makes artisan home baking seem not only approachable, but easy. All the tricks I learned over months of baking are gathered together in this book. The authors teach you, for instance, that you don’t need to make fresh dough every day to have fresh bread every day, that you don’t need to proof your yeast, and that you don’t always have to knead your dough. These aren’t new ideas, but while I had to read many baking books to learn these helpful tips, “Artisan Baking in Five Minutes a Day” condenses them all into one highly accessible text. I will admit that having a solid background of baking experience helped me make the recipes I tried from this book, and that at times I kneaded the dough a bit or proofed my yeast - old habits die hard - but even when I didn’t give in to the temptation to knead or proof, the resulting breads were remarkably satisfying. I especially enjoyed the “Tips and Techniques” chapter, which explains moisture content and how to successfully modify doughs. It also tackles problems associated with underbaking or overbaking your loaves, giving you a helpful breakdown of signs to look for and how to improve your baking as a result. Though photos do not accompany the majority of the recipes, a handful of color photos are included in the middle of the book along with how-to photos in the “Master Recipe” section. The 5 minutes a day part stems from the fact that the authors often have you mix a big batch of various kinds of doughs, then give you instructions for making different breads from the initial batch throughout the week. I thought this technique was successful, with the exception of the Raisin Bread, which I felt would have been improved if it were based on a sweet, rather than a buttermilk, dough. But that’s a matter of personal preference, as is my wish that the authors hadn’t included quite so many “accompaniment” recipes, such as bean dips or soups to eat with certain breads. I would have preferred it if even more scrumptious bread recipes were featured on those pages instead. Yet, overall this book is an excellent addition to any library. I highly recommend the “Foccacia with Onion and Rosemary” and the “Spinach Feta Bread.”

Chapters include: Introduction; Ingredients; Equipment; Tips and Techniques; The Master Recipe; Peasant Loaves; Flatbreads and Pizzas; and Enriched Breads and Pastries.

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Spinach Feta Bread
Reprinted with permission from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois.

Ingredients: Makes four 1lb loaves

• 1 cup packed cooked (lightly steamed, boiled or sauteed), chopped spinach
• 3 cups lukewarm water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast (About 1 1/2 packets)
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 6 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• Cornmeal for pizza peel

Mixing and storing the dough: Squeeze the cooked spinach through a strainer to get rid of excess liquid. Mix the yeast, salt, spinach, cheese and sugar with the water in a 5-quart bowl, or a lidded (not airtight) food container. Mix in the flour without kneading, using a spoon, a 14-cup capacity food processor (with dough attachment), or a heavy-duty mixer (with dough hook). If you’re not using a machine, you may need to use wet hands to incorporate the last bit of flour.

Cover (not airtight), and allow to rest at room temperature until the dough rises and collapses (or flattens on top), approximately 2 hours.

The dough can be used immediately after the initial rise, though it is easier to handle when cold. Refrigerate in a lidded (not airtight) container and use over the next 7 days.

On baking day: Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 1-pound (grapefruit size) piece. Dust the piece with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go. Allow to rest and rise on a cornmeal-covered pizza peel for 1 hour (or just 40 minutes if you’re using fresh, unrefrigerated dough).

Twenty minutes before baking time, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F, with a baking stone placed on the middle rack. Place an empty boiler tray on any other shelf that won’t interfere with the rising bread.

Sprinkle the loaf liberally with flour and slash a cross or tic-tac-toe pattern into the top, using a serrated bread knife. Leave the flour in place for baking; tap some of it off before eating.

Slide the loaf directly onto the hot stone. Pour 1 cup of hot tap water into the broiler tray, and quickly close the oven door. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until deeply browned and firm. Smaller or larger loaves will require adjustments in baking time.

Allow to cool before slicing or eating.