I was wandering through Walmart the other day waiting for my grand daughter get her hair cut. So I took a look in the cake decorating isle and found this little cookie stamp by Nordic Ware.  I try to buy something every year from Nordic Ware because all their products are American made.  Only now after 20 + years of doing this I have quite a collection of bake ware and have run out of space to store it.

It started out with me saving Betty Crocker coupons and they offered a Krumkake baker.  I bought it and was delighted with it.  It took some practice but I caught on to how to flip and roll them.  Then I got a 6 cup bundt pan. You can tell by the color how long ago that was. The molded aluminum little bundt  was great for just using a box of Jiffy cake mix.  I used Baker’s Choice spray to prep the baking pan like the instructions said that came with the bundt pan.  The little cake slipped right out when inverted.  It was fun getting lots of complements on my krumkake cookies and little bundt cake.  I was hooked after that.

I used my Betty Crocker coupons every year for a charming bundt pan until Betty Crocker stopped the coupons.  Then I just looked on the internet and would pick something that caught my fancy.  In the recent years that I am retired I have found a couple in thrift stores instead of buying new.  The kids have bought me a couple as a Christmas present.  For a few years even Walmart had the bundt pans and offered seasonal shapes.   But this year I found the little cookie stamp.  They have three designs but I could just buy one at $5. I picked the little waffle one.

My grandson was with me and he right away had visions of peanut butter cookies.  I have a few plastic hand cookie stamps  from a long time ago that the little kids like to help me make peanut butter cookies with.  In the process of making the peanut cookies,  the cookie stamp needed a light coating of vegetable spray to keep the dough from sticking.  When the dough started to stick again I would spray it again.  If the dough stuck I would just make the ball over again  and press.  The cookies turned out just beautiful.

Peanut Butter Cookies

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees

Sift together:

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

Cream together:

3/4 cup of shortening or butter flavored shortening

3/4 cup of peanut butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup white sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon of butter flavored vanilla extract

Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture.  Mix until smooth with mixer.  The dough will be easy to handle and make into balls.  Place balls on cookie sheet and press flat with cookie stamp, fork, or the bottom of a glass.

Bake for 17 minutes large cookies and 12 minutes smaller cookies.  Keep in mind oven’s vary so watch closely your first batch and adjust time to your oven.

Walmart offers them on line shopping and in stores.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Nordic-Ware-Cookie-Stamps/37699498

http://www.walmart.com/ip/NordicWare-All-Seasons-Cookie-Impressions/29114440

They are also offered at baking supply companies on line.  Google around for a good price. 

Do an American worker a favor and buy something American Made this Holliday.