Plate Swap and Peanut Butter Cookies

It started back in August on Twitter. Chery Tan (@cheryltan88) of A Tiger in the Kitchen, tossed an idea out to the twitterverse.

"Any food bloggers interested in drawing names and trading plates?"

Well, those weren't her exact words, but that was the gist of it. I love dishes of all kinds—old, new, bowls, plates, glasses, tea cups—you name it. It's part of the reason I love blogging about food. I get to use the various dishes I've picked up here and there, many at antique shops, some as gifts, all lovely in their own way.

So I jumped all over this idea, and sent Cheryl a direct message on the spot."I love this idea. I'm not "strictly" a food blogger, but if that's not a problem, I would love to participate." And I was in!

Cheryl gathered everyone's info, passed out names, and #plateswap was ON. Jeff Shively (@jeff_shively) and I had each other's names. Jeff, a fellow Hoosier, has a terrific and deliciously hilarious food blog over at Culinary Disasters. Don't let the name fool you—there's nary a disaster in site, just great food, beautiful photos and a healthy dose of humor.

Edit: Apparently, someone else sent me this plate, not Jeff. Duhn duhn duhn... Who could it be?? When I find out, I'll let you know!

Jeff A mystery #plateswap participant sent me this beautiful plate.


Not only is it green—my favorite color—it's also from Anthropologie, one of my favorite, drool-inducing shops. I've often said I could live in one of their stores. Sigh.

Thanks again, Jeff  Mystery Plate Giver!

 A great big "Thank You" to Cheryl for her coordination efforts and fun idea! Everyone, do yourself a favor and go to Cheryl's blog A Tiger In The Kitchen. Cheryl is a hellova journalist and her style and charm carry over into her food blog. Reviews, recipes and lots of gorgeous photography abound. Check it out!



Now. About those scrumptious cookies ON the plate...


These were actually made by Dwight, so I can't take any credit for them, but they were so photogenic, I just had to use them to showcase the plate. These cookies are phenomenal. I would say that the title is not an exaggeration. So how about the recipe, eh?




Dwight found this on RecipeZaar courtesy of momofallboys:

The Last Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe You'll Ever Try

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups butter or margarine
1 1/2 cups creamy or crunchy peanut butter, your choice (Dwight used crunchy)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
3 eggs
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
3 3/4 cups flour
12 ounces peanut butter chips (Dwight left these out)
1 cup nuts (optional-Dwight didn't add any)

Directions
Cream peanut butter and margarine, add sugars and mix well.
Add eggs and mix until creamy.
Add remaining ingredients.
Chill for one hour—or just chill between batches.
Drop by teaspoonful onto cookie sheets—do not flatten.
Bake at 325°F for 15 minutes.

Cool on cookie sheets for about 5 minutes then transfer to cooling racks or newspaper (to soak up some grease). Store in airtight containers or zip top bags.

NOTES:  Dwight TRIPLED this recipe and it worked out just fine.  Yeah, we had a LOT of cookies. He also used my largest Pampered Chef scoop, not a teaspoon. A teaspoon sized cookie is a sick joke. I'm just sayin'.