November 2nd is Cookie Monster’s birthday and I can’t believe he is in his 40’s! He doesn’t look a day over…um…well, I have no idea how old he’s supposed to look. Maybe 10? Cookie Monster’s greatest loves is a delicious chocolate chip cookie but I think he should branch out this year and try something special and unique. On Season 8 of Top Chef, Telly Monster, Cookie Monster and Elmo visited the set to judge a cookie quick fire challenge and it was so fun to watch them “eat” the crazy cookie concoctions from the contestants. It encouraged me that the Sesame Street characters were willing to try something a little different. So here is my birthday cookie for Cookie Monster based on one of my childhood favorites, peanut brittle. I hope he enjoys it!
Peanut-Cashew Brittle Cookie Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cinnamon
dash nutmeg
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup salted peanuts, chopped
1/2 cup honey roasted cashews, chopped
I whisked together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg and set aside.
I creamed together the shortening and brown sugar until light and fluffy. I added the vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons of the beaten egg and mixed well. I slowly added the flour mixture, 1/2 cup salted peanuts and 1/4 cup honey roasted cashews and mixed well.
I placed the dough in a greased 14×10-inch baking pan and pressed down to fill the pan. I brushed the dough with the remaining egg, sprinkled evenly with the rest of the peanuts and cashews, and pressed the nuts gently in to the surface.
I baked at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes. My house smelled like I was actually making peanut brittle just like my mom used to make.
I let them cool for 15 minutes and while still a bit warm, I broke the cookies in to pieces, just like you would a traditional peanut brittle. You can break the pieces as large or small as you want. You can probably get 20 pieces from this one batch of cookies and the recipe is very easy to double if you want more.
I am declaring here today that I will never make regular peanut brittle again! In its place,  I can easily make these delicious cookies without burning my knuckles on the hot brittle sauce or cracking my teeth on the super-crunchy snack. Instead, I plan to enjoy the flavors of a traditional peanut brittle with the wonderful texture of a soft cookie. These are definitely going to be a staple in my house and they freeze beautifully, which is always a plus for me.
