Peanut Butter Drops is the perfect cookie for your Christmas Cookie collection. It’s the yummy combination of peanut butter and chocolate – which is the ultimate combination of deliciousness!

Peanut Butter Drops

Ingredients

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

1/4 teaspoon of salt

3/4 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar

1/2 cup of creamy peanut butter

2 eggs

1 Tablespoon of vanilla extract

1 block of Bakers Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted

Your favorite cookie decorations of sprinkles, etc.

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or foil

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

In a separate medium bowl, using a mixer (or by hand) beat the butter until fluffy – about 2 minutes.

Add the granulated sugar and peanut butter. Mix until well blended.

Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract.

Slowly beat in the flour mixture until a soft cookie dough forms.

Drop the dough by rounded 2 tablespoons about 2 inches apart onto the cookie sheets.

Flatten the cookies to 1/2 inch thickness.

Using your thumb, press in the middle of the cookie to make an indentation into the center of each cookie.

Bake the cookies for about 18-20 minutes until the edges are lightly browned.

Remove from the oven and cool for about ten minutes. Transfer to cooling racks. Cool the cookies completely.

Fill the center of each of each cookie with a little bit of the melted chocolate.

Sprinkle with your favorite decorations.

Let the cookies stand for about 30 minutes until the chocolate is fully set.

If you enjoy Spoon Bread as much as I do…you are definitely going to love Lady Bird Johnson’s delicious Spoon Bread recipe!

You can use it for the perfect side dish at your Christmas dinner festivities or put a little in a bowl with a dab of butter on it and eat it by itself – which is what I just did! 🤣

Today in American History…Claudia Alta “Lady Bird” Taylor was born on December 22, 1912 in Karnack, Texas to Thomas Jefferson Jonson Taylor and Minnie Lee (Pattillo) Taylor.

Her nursemaid had said that she was as “pretty as a ladybird” and she was known by the nickname “Lady Bird” for her entire life afterwards.

Since the days of her youth, she always had a love and appreciation for wildflowers and nature. She once said “Where flowers bloom so does hope.”

As First Lady, she was instrumental in promoting the Highway Beautification Act which was developed to beautify the nation’s highways by limiting the use of billboards and by planting roadside areas.

“The biggest decision of all concerns our highways, the greatest public works program of any civilization … our challenge is to see that these highways are not only superbly functional, but also in harmony with our landscape and a pleasant asset to our lives. After all, this is a civilization where our favorite recreation is driving for pleasure.” – Lady Bird Johnson at the Presentation of Beautification awards to highway department officials in the East Room of White House, February 16, 1967.

In his book “The Prairie Years”, Carl Sandburg told a story of Abraham Lincoln and his love of gingerbread.

During one of Abraham Lincoln’s debates with Stephen Douglas in 1858, things were a bit heated when debating the issues of the day.

There was a quiet pause of the hectic debates and Abraham Lincoln, known for his story telling (and jokes!) shared a personal story of his youth growing up in Indiana and his love of gingerbread.

“When we lived in Indiana,” Lincoln said, “once in a while my mother used to get some sorghum and ginger and make some gingerbread. It wasn’t often and it was our biggest treat. One day I smelled the gingerbread and came into the house to get my share while it was it was still hot. My mother had baked me three gingerbread men. I took them out under a hickory tree to eat them. There was a family near us poorer than we were, and their boy came along as I sat down. Abe,’ he said, “gimme a man.’ I gave hime one. He crammed it into his mouth in two bits and looked at me while / was biting the legs off my first one. ‘Abe, gimme that other’n.’ I wanted it myself, but I gave it to him and as it followed the first, I said to him, “You seem to like gingerbread.’ ‘Abe,’ he said, ‘I don’t s’pose anybody on earth likes gingerbread better’n I do- and gets less’n I do ….”

The story was a big hit with those attending the debate, and was also picked up by newspapers reporting the debate. Because the story became so well known, President Lincoln would often share it to visitors at the White House.

Due to Abraham Lincoln’s mother’s original recipe for Gingerbread Cookies being lost in history, we can only try and replicate.

When making the cookies today, I couldn’t help but to think of Abraham Lincoln as the smell of gingerbread filled the house and the happiness of my family enjoying the cookies – just like Abraham Lincoln once did in his lifetime.

Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 large eggs

3/4 cup molasses

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, sift the flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and baking soda.

In a separate large mixing bowl, blend the butter and brown sugar until combined. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and then the molasses. Slowly add the flour mixture.

Mix well after each addition of flour. The dough will be stiff! I actually had to use my hands at one point to mix.

Divide the dough in half.

Flatten the dough into 2 thick circles and wrap in plastic wrap.

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until firm enough to roll out.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Roll out, cut into desired shapes and bake until the cookies are golden brown – about 7 to 10 minutes.

You can eat warm from the oven or if you wanted to ice and decorate…let the cookies cool for at least an hour. Then have fun icing and decorating 🎄⛄️

In honor of Mrs Lincoln’s birthday today I made the former First Lady’s very own Sugar Cookies – using her personal recipe. While researching for a recipe of Mrs Lincoln’s I stumbled across the sugar cookie recipe all in thanks to the volunteers at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Illinois.

The recipe is from the book, A. Lincoln Cookbook, A Cookbook of Epic Portions by Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.

This vintage and historic sugar cookie recipe can be used when making the perfect Christmas sugar cookies. You can decorate, add ice to make them your own.

I recommend if you are doing cut-out sugar cookies to refrigerate the dough for an hour or two to make the dough easier to roll out. Use your favorite cookie cutters to cut out and bake in a preheated oven of 350 degrees for about 8 minutes – until golden brown.

Cool the cookies and then have fun decorating!

Mary Todd Lincoln’s Sugar Cookie Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup butter

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup powdered sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

41/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 teaspoon salt

Directions

Combine butter, vegetable oil, 1 cup of granulated sugar and powdered sugar, and beat until creamy. Add one egg. Add other egg with the vanilla extract. Combine flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt. Add to butter mixture.

Roll the dough into 1-inch balls. Drop balls into granulated sugar and roll them around. Using an everyday kitchen glass, dip the base into the sugar and press the balls out onto a lightly greased cookie sheet.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 12 minutes.

Remove from the oven and cool.

Today in American history…Mary Todd Lincoln was born on December 13, 1818 in Lexington, Kentucky.

Tonight in the kitchen, I made Rosalynn Carter’s Hushpuppies. They are easy to make and simply delicious.

What’s a perfect side dish to have on your Thanksgiving dinner table tomorrow? Pretzel Topped Sweet Potato Casserole of course!

Pretzel Topped Sweet Potato Casserole

Ingredients

2 cups chopped pretzel sticks

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup butter (melted and divided)

1 large can (2 pounds) Sweet Potatoes, drained

1 small can evaporated milk (5 ounces)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine the chopped pretzels, pecans, brown sugar and 1/2 cup melted butter; set aside.

In another large bowl, beat the sweet potatoes until smooth.

Add milk, sugar, vanilla and remaining butter and beat until well blended.

Spoon the sweet potato mixture into a greased shallow 2-quart baking dish.

Sprinkle the pretzel mixture over the top.

Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes until the edges are bubbly and the topping is browned.

Today in American history…Abigail Adams was born on November 22, 1744 🇺🇸

There is nothing like a delicious chocolate cookie – especially with walnuts and fresh from the oven.

Today in the kitchen I made Lady Bird Johnson’s Chocolate Nut Drop Cookies and they are so delicious.

Here is Mrs Johnson’s personal recipe.

PS. I don’t think I can eat just ONE 😋