So excited to share this picture of my son Alexander, who was four years old at the time, making peanut butter cookies in a solar oven he made for the Homeschool Science Fair we organized! It’s hard to believe that was fourteen years ago! Such a blessing and so much fun, Big brother, as Alex called Nate, helped, too! In the picture Alex is explaining how he created the solar oven and how long it took for the cookies to bake. I think it took something like ten hours! It was great! And believe me, the cookies were delicious…we’ve been using this recipe for years. It’s a keeper!

 

Make your own solar oven.

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup creamy or chunky peanut butter (I use Smart balance)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups King Arthur unbleached flour
Raw sugar for rolling
Handful of milk chocolate chips, optional

In a large mixer or bowl, cream butter and peanut butter for just a minute. Add granualted sugar, brown sugar, baking soda and baking powder just until combined. beat in your egg and vanilla extract. beat in flour. Cover and chill for thirty minutes or utilize you can roll into balls. Roll in raw sugar. The raw sugar looks so pretty and glistens a the cookies bake.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Shape dough into one-inch balls (be sure to make all of your cookies the size so that they cook evenly). place on an ungreased baking stone or sheet two inches apart. Using the tines of a fork, press the cookies making a crisscross pattern. We stud every other cookies with a three chocolate chips for thsoe of us who love chocolate and peanut butter!

Bake for 8 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned. Remember to take your cookies out before they are completely cooked through. they will continue to harden on your wire rack or stone. Let cool..for at least a minute :-) and then EAT!