Martha Stewart I am NOT

One of our co-workers left us for another job. As a 'send off' we decided on a group pot luck on Wednesday and were all asked to bring in something. Because I was working the late shift for the week (with the exception of Tuesday - day shift but then a scrapbooking/stamp class that night), I opted to go the easy route, and signed myself up for a dessert...thinking of doing up a batch of cookies. Knowing I had very little choice in the cupboards/fridge, I decided on a simple batch of peanut butter cookies. Chris had recently purchased a 2kg jar of PB and I knew there were a few eggs & sugar on hand. I've made PB cookies before, and they always turned out yummy, so I wasn't worried.

Wednesday morning, I finally tore myself out of the comfort of my bed at about 8:45 am to start the process. I opted for a double-batch as well...gathered the ingredients together, and was on my way. I decided on using my Pampered Chef cookie sheet since it is really big, and my two other regular sheets (Bakers Secret??) are getting pretty dingy. I know the secret to PB cookies is to not overcook them, so was very diligent in timing them - even setting the timer on the microwave for 10 mins, exactly.

The first sheet was the Pampered Chef one...after 10 mins they were still just dough. I guess the stoneware does take longer to get hot so it made sense that it would be a little longer (in retrospect I really really wish I had saved that sheet for the last in, but it was the first one I had rolled out). I guess they were in about 15 mins or so. They didn't look 'right' though... anyway...so along I went... The next sheet were toooooo brown on the bottom, and it was well before the 10 min mark...leaving the top doughy looking. For the third tray (might I mention the smaller one with the least amount of cookies) I opted to put the tray on the higher oven rack and I pretty much watched them the whole time (reminiscent of the pizza commercial where the watchers' faces burn) -it didn't seem to help..they were a little less brown than the 2nd batch, but still looked wierd. So I tasted one...one from the 2nd batch and a bit of one from the first. They were tough...chewy and tough and well....NOT good. Unimpressed, I left the 3rd batch on the tray, vowing to throw them all out, and went to shower, in digust. I should also mention as well that somewhere in the midst of 'baking' I also managed to burn my finger really well too. At least there is proof of my feeble attempt, if nothing else.

I did end up throwing all of the cookies away...but I did learn something - how important it is to lift them from the tray before they cool down. I had a horrible time removing the 3rd batch to ready them for the compost bin. Then of course I had to clean the kitchen to get rid of the carnage. Running late to get to work, and knowing I needed to stop by at a bakery on the way I opted to go to one close by work...only to find the road closed to get to it...finally having to settle with a stop at the Superstore to grab a few packaged goodies (who doesn't like a two-bite brownie, anyway?). What a gong show!