Panda Bread

This was floating around on Pinterest a while ago and it got stuck in my brain, so while doing my laundry today and having to wait around for the washing machine to do its thing I thought I'd have a go at it. 

I did a bit of googling and found what has been credited as the original post from TaroTaro ( http://cookpad.com/recipe/349795 ) but it's in Japanese and I wasn't going to get anywhere with the auto-translation.  So another try found a blog called "Do What I Like" by Florence ( http://wlteef.blogspot.co.uk/2007_10_01_archive.html#!/2007/10/panda-bread.html ) who translated it into English otherwise I wouldn't have tried, thank-you Florence!  She also points out that October 15th is world bread day, which I think should be a holiday observed by all.

It was a lot easier to assemble than I thought, and a bit more fun, I almost wish it had taken longer to do but longer would have meant frustration so maybe it's better that it was fast.  I didn't have green tea powder so I used food colouring, I never thought something could be both lurid and pastel at the same time.

It split while baking where I had the wrinkle that I couldn't smooth out in the outer layer, I'm also thinking Taro has a special bread tin with a lid or something that lets her get a flat top on the loaf, but I'm still proud of effort. 

For a first attempt, I think it's sufficiently comical!

If you go to Taro's website she has a collection of pictures from over a hundred people who have tried and their sometimes hilarious results!

Peanut Butter Cookies - Mom

FOOD FIT FOR A KING!  My Dad's opinion of peanut butter, and yes he's so emphatic in his opinion that it has to be written in capitals.

I'll be back in Canada in less than a month and my whole family will be able to stand in the same room at the same time, last time that happened was about eight years ago.  It's amazing how so few people can scatter so much geographically, there were a few years when it took 10 times zones to encompass all of us!  I'm looking forward to doing some baking with my nieces and nephews, although some of them are a bit young and will probably just help with licking spoons and eating the finished product.  My Dad is looking forward to the baking as well, my Mom is on a health kick that has her opposed to white flour and refined sugars to Dad's dismay, apparently Dad and I are going to survive on nothing but baked goods while I'm visiting!

So with my Dad on my mind, I thought I'd use the last of my peanut butter brought over from Canada to make some cookies.  Peanut butter cookies are a bit more labour intensive than chocolate chip or oatmeal cookies because the dough has to be rolled into balls then squished with a fork rather than just scooped with and dropped from a spoon.  But it was fun to eat them line by line along the fork groove. 

Peanut Butter Cookies
Pre-heat your oven to 350^F (175^C)
In a mixer cream together
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar

Add in and beat until fluffy
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla

Slowly blend in
1 cup plain flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Roll the dough into small balls, about a tsp worth of dough, and place on a cookie sheet, give them room they will spread a lot, then flatten them with a fork.

Bake for 7 - 10 minutes and you will have soft chewy peanutty good cookies.

Okay, not traditional in our family at all, but I came across a picture of peanut butter cookies shaped like peanuts and I felt the need to try at least one tray of them.  Take the same amount of dough for a regular size cookie and divide in half, roll into two small balls and place near enough to each other on the tray that they will just touch when fork squished.  Make a double fork squish on each ball at 90 degree angles and make sure that one of them points straight towards the other ball of dough.  The two cookies spread together and form a 'peanut' shaped cookie!