Peanut Butter Cookies

by Michelle Chiang ’19

I’ve always loved peanut butter – so much so, in fact, that for my 11th birthday I asked for peanut butter as a present. I also really like cookies. Put the two together, and you achieve perfection: peanut butter cookies are heavenly. Unfortunately, they’re also nowhere to be found in the dining halls. To date, I only remember HUDS serving peanut butter cookies twice, and they were a far cry from the melt-in-your-mouth masterpieces found at places like Insomnia Cookies. It’s culinary discrimination. Chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin get their fair representation, but when that peanut-butter-cookie craving strikes, where can a desperate student turn?

They say that desperation is the mother of invention, and this article is about to prove that saying true.
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Plain, boring ranger cookies
I think inspiration struck one night in Dunster dining hall. Brain break featured a tray of Ranger cookies, a sugary offering to the bleary-eyed students running on three hours of sleep. While Ranger cookies do have strong points, such as their satisfying crunch and slight hint of coconut, they obviously lack peanut butter. I picked up a cookie. My gaze landed on the ever-present container of peanut butter at brain breaks. I smeared a plump dollop of peanut butter onto the cookie, hesitantly took a bite, and…
Sweet, sweet success.
The creamy peanut butter provides perfect contrast to the crunch of the Ranger cookie. It also makes overbaked and dry cookies seem softer, more soothing on the tongue. Both organic peanut butter and normal peanut butter work; since the cookie contains more sugar than is probably necessary, the organic peanut butter will also taste sweet.
 In short, it’s a win for everyone.
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Divinely transformed Ranger cookies.

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Veritaffle

by Allison Yan ’19

Veritaffles are a staple of the Harvard student diet – there’s nothing like a warm, carbohydrate – infused start to another long day of problem sets, and club meetings, and all of the other delightful things an overbooked undergraduate has to look forward to.

But sometimes, you need to spice up your Veritaffle. A plain waffle is just not enough. That’s where the amazing oatmeal peanut butter Veritaffle comes in. It’s a quick and easy d-hall hack to make your breakfast and brunches heartier than ever.

Ingredients:

  • 1 medium size bowl of the waffle mix
  • 2-3 scoops of oatmeal
  • 2-3 spoonfuls of peanut butter
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Oatmeal, cranberries optional

Instructions:

These are very straightforward: all you need to do is throw in a couple extra ingredients into the pre-made waffle batter!

1. Obtain the bowl of waffle batter. (If anyone who looks at you strangely while you’re pouring the waffle mix into a bowl, just tell them that you eat your waffles nice and raw.)

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Just the right amount of peanut butter!

2. Add the oatmeal, and mix thoroughly so there are no clumps of batter or oatmeal.

3. Add the peanut butter, and mix thoroughly once more so the peanut butter is evenly mixed into the batter.

4. Pour into waffle maker, wait those anxious 2.5 minutes, and enjoy!

 

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Slice a banana on top for good measure.

Optional Waffle Toppings:

  • Sliced banana and honey
  • Cinnamon
  • The tried-and-true whipped cream and syrup combination