Life Changers

I know you are born that way.

No, really. I believe it. I think gender is a societal construct. I know from the second the egg splits a persons sexual orientation is determined. The continuum of sexuality exists. Blah blah blah.

But Saturday night my whole belief system was shaken to the core with one simple cookie recipe. Who knew a peanut butter cookie could illicit such a response. These treats caused three gay men to utter:

“If you had a penis, I would marry you.”

Now, I have been with enough men to know that a half the time the penis is barely existent, so…where does this leave me? I choose to believe this means I am, in fact, a better choice than 50% of gay men. In a just and right world, delicious cookies trump small dick.

So, these are the cookies that could turn a gay man straight…or at least give a woman a sideways glance before coming to his senses. They really are that good. I’ve had my eye on this recipe for some time, marked as a recipe “to try” in my files. I was finally spurred in to action by the rave reviews of a fellow blogger. I used double chunk peanut butter in this recipe, which pushed these to a 10 on the sin scale. The cookies were soft, a bit chewy and had a perfect balance of salt and sweetness. The chocolate chips were just the right touch. I made a bunch and brought them to two separate events this weekend. Nothing makes you more popular than showing up at a bar at midnight, cookies in tow. Drunk people love cookies

Apparently, drunk gay men love them the most.

Sinful Peanut Butter Cookies

from Smitten Kitchen

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup double chunk peanut butter at room temperature
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon (for sprinkling) sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup peanut butter chips
1/2 cup chocolate chips (Note: Toll House sells bags of chips that are half peanut butter/half chocolate chip. I just used a cup of that)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, the baking soda, the baking powder, and the salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and the peanut butter together until fluffy. Add the sugars and beat until smooth. Add the egg and mix well. Add the milk and the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat thoroughly. Stir in the peanut butter chips. Place sprinkling sugar on a plate. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls into the sugar, then onto ungreased cookie sheets, leaving several inches between for expansion. Using a fork, lightly indent with a crissscross pattern (I used the back of a palette knife to keep it smooth on top), but do not overly flatten cookies. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Do not overbake. Cookies may appear to be underdone, but they are not.

Cool the cookies on the sheets for 1 minute, then remove to a rack to cool completely.