Cookerati

My mother came to visit.  My son asked if she wanted butter for her toast.  She said,"No one should eat butter, it’s bad for your cholesterol."  My mother in law came to a family function.  Her son(not my husband) was about to pick up the butter blend and she shoved real butter under his nose and said,"We prefer the real butter for our bread." GAH! Neither of them is really ever at the same table with the other, so they aren’t confronting each other, they are just both opinionated when it comes to butter.  I have both in my refrigerator.  I use them both equally or maybe not – you can’t make butter cookies without real butter. However, I do use them both when I feel the need. So which is better? Depends on which mother is visiting.

 Kate’s Homemade Butter – this stuff is delicious. Kate’s unique, sweet cream butter is made fresh daily in small batches from pasteurized cream by the Patry family in Old Orchard Beach, Maine.  The family’s heritage dates back four generations. The Patry Family pledges to never use artificial growth hormones in any of the cows that produce the milk Kate’s uses, and no artificial colors, preservatives or additives in any of their butter products. Kate’s Homemade Butter was presented with the First Place award at this year’s event in the “unsalted butter” category.  Kate’s earned a rare score of 98.8 out of a possible 100 points for its entry at the 2008 World Dairy Expo Championship’s Dairy Product Contest, held annually in Wisconsin.  This comes just two years after Kate’s Butter earned its inaugural First Place win at the Expo: at the 2006 event Kate’s Sea Salt Butter version took the gold in the competition’s “salted butter” category.

Shortbread Butter Cookies

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup Kate’s Homemade butter – room temperature
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Mix together in a bowl, the flour and salt.  In another bowl, using a mixer cream the butter.  Beat in the sugar, then the vanilla.  Mix in (without the mixer) the flour & salt.  Refrigerate for an hour.  Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4 inch thick and cut into shapes.  I liked to cut them into squares because it was easy and because they reminded me of a shortbread cookie I liked growing up.  With Shortbread cookies, the better the quality of butter, the better the cookie, so Kate’s Homemade Butter is perfect for this.

  Smart Balance Butter Blend - for the times when I worry about my cholesterol and want to cut down on the butter fat and to make my mother happier. It is also good tasting, non-hydrogenated, no trans fats and 28 % less fat than butter. It’s a 50/50 buttery spread and real butter plus it has Omega-3s from flax and fish oil.

Chewy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

• 1/4 cup Smart Balance Omega™ Peanut Butter
• 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons Smart Balance® Butter Blend Stick, softened
• 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup pourable sugar substitute
• 1 egg
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups quick cooking oatmeal
• 1/2=2 0cup dried cherries or cranberries

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Combine the Smart Balance Omega™ Peanut Butter, Smart Balance® Butter Blend, brown sugar, and sugar substitute in a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer on high setting, beat until well blended20and creamy.

3. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Gradually add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and the salt. Reduce to low speed, add the oats and cherries, and beat until just blended. (Note: The batter will be very stiff.)

4. Using a measuring teaspoon, spoon rounded teaspoons of the batter onto cookie sheets coated with Smart Balance® Cooking Spray and bake 3 minutes. Do not cook longer. They will be slightly puffed and a very light golden color on the bottom. (Note: They will not appear to be done at this point, but will continue to bake while cooling).

5. Remove from oven, and immediately place on cooling racks to cool completely. Repeat with remaining batter.  Alternate cookie sheets while baking, using a cooled sheet for even baking.

Makes 40 cookies total

Serves 20; 2 cookies per serving

Per serving (2 cookies):    116 calories, 3 grams protein, 13 grams carbohydrate, 6.2 grams fat, 1.5 grams saturated fat, 2.8 grams monounsaturated fat, 1.3 grams polyunsaturated fat, 0 trans fat, 13 mg. cholesterol, 215 grams Omega-3 fatty acids, 405 grams Omega-6 fatty acids, 72 mg. sodium, 1.5 grams fiber