Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Nut Cookies

Ingredients:

2 tsp. pure vanilla
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 cup natural creamy peanut butter
1 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. sea salt
1 cup chocolate chunks
3/4 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup raw crystallized sugar to roll cookie balls in. (optional)
 
 
 
 
Directions:
 
Mix all ingredients in order given. Refrigerate dough for thirty minutes for easier handling. Roll dough into balls, dip all sides in raw sugar.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place balls on a cookie sheet and flatten with a tine of a fork. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Take out of the oven and place the whole cookie sheet on the cooling rack and let cookies cool on the baking sheet for ten minutes.

Author, Food Writer, Recipe Developer, Foodie & Queen of Recipe Adaptation & Cookbook Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/virginiabrownwright

© 2012 Virginia Wright. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.  BUY COOKBOOK

Dessert

Christmas Dessert Recipes

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp. baking soda
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
Streusel Topping:
½ cup walnuts, finely chopped
1 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp. cinnamon
3 tbsp. unbleached all-purpose flour
4 tbsp. softened butter
Put all streusel ingredients in a bowl and mix; set aside.
In large mixing bowl blend butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs slowly, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, combine sour cream and baking soda. In a third bowl add sifted flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat flour mixture into butter – egg mixture alternating with sour cream. Spoon one-third of the batter into an oiled and floured Bundt pan. Sprinkle one-third of the streusel over batter. Cover with another third of batter and sprinkle with another third of streusel and over that, cover with remaining batter and sprinkle with remaining streusel. Bake in 350° F oven for 40-50 minutes or until a knife or wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. When done, sit on cooling rack for ten minutes. Turn cake out on a platter and sift confectioners’ sugar on the top.
This is easy to make, and delicious cake. Serve Christmas morning with your coffee or tea.
*Do not substitute milk soured by vinegar for sour cream as the consistency will not be the same.
Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Nut Cookies
1 tsp. pure vanilla
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 cup natural creamy peanut butter
1 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. sea salt
1 cup chocolate chunks
3/4 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup raw crystallized sugar to roll cookie balls in.

Cranberry Nut Cake

Cranberry Nut Cake

This “Cranberry Nut Cake” is slightly dry with a texture much like a pound cake. It is a bit tangy with four cups of fresh cranberries. This Cranberry Nut Cake is just right, and delicious with coffee on Christmas morning!

4 cups self-rise flour

2 cups granulated sugar

4 tbsp butter, melted

2 large eggs

1 cup natural Orange juice

12 oz. bag fresh cranberries (about four cups) halved

1 3/4 cups chopped walnuts

Topping:

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tbsp butter

2 tsp cinnamon

Prepare bundt pan by greasing with butter and flour. Mix topping and sprinkle in bottom of the prepared pan. Then mix flour, sugar, butter, eggs, and orange juice until well blended– fold in cranberries and walnuts. Pour batter in prepared pan and bake in 350-degree oven for 55 min. or until the knife inserted in cake comes out clean.

© 2005

Virginia Wright Recipes

Author Reading

Peavey Memorial Library in Eastport, Maine was very kind in hosting my author read this month. I read my latest book release “Crying Bear, Yes Bears Cry Sometimes Too.” All children that attended the read received coloring sheets, crayons, stickers, and their choice of one of my books.

Machias News Observer reporter, Ruth Leubecker, sat in on the read and did an interview. A great article and photo went in the newspaper the following week. Many thanks go out to you Ruth for making the trip to Eastport, Maine to do a story on me!

Any school interested in hiring me to do an author visit please contact:

info [at] virginiawright [dot] com

I will be more than happy to go over my fee, and program.

~Virginia

Virginia Wright, Author

 

 

Author Visits Peavey Memorial Library in August

VIRGINIA WRIGHT, AUTHOR – will be attending a book reading and signing  hosted by Peavey Memorial Library in Eastport Maine on August 4th, 2011 at 1 p.m.

Crying Bear Yes Bears Cry Sometimes Too by Virginia Wright
Crying Bear by Virginia Wright

The book that will be showcased is Virginia’s soon to be 2nd edition of “Crying Bear, Yes Bears Cry Sometimes Too!” Wright will have copies of her book on hand for sale at $12.95, and will stay for an autograph session.

Hope to see you there!

26 Water Street

Eastport, Maine 04631

(207) 853-4021

ISBN-13: 978-1450587945

More about Peavey Memorial Library:

http://www.librarytechnology.org/lwc-displaylibrary.pl?RC=19388

WHY POLLINATORS ARE IMPORTANT

by Virginia Wright

Remember…honeybees, bumblebees, mason bees, sweat bees, wasps, hornets, hummingbirds and butterflies, are just a few of the “thousands” of pollinators on earth; and they all have very important jobs to do. We rarely– if ever, think of the thousands of other native pollinators that are diligently working on the plants. Our “unknown pollinators” bats, moths, flies, spiders, beetles, and bugs of all sorts, are working day and night to do nature’s work.  Pollinators definitely have a place and purpose in our environment. When we don’t have plants that our pollinators prefer, and we cut all the grass and don’t leave any wild flowers, and then poison all the weeds, we take away the very fodder our pollinators need! When we take away these sources, and we don’t have OUR very important pollinators– then we will only have wind pollinated plants– that is wheat, rice, and corn. Can you imagine living off of only those foods? I can’t. Help save our pollinators through, “Awareness and Education.”

For more pollinator information:

1.)    http://www.davesbees.com/pollinators.html

2.)    http://www.fws.gov/pollinators/

3.)    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pollination

4.)  Buzzzzzzzz What Honeybees Do by Virginia Wright

© VW