Cupcake 19 - Peanutbutter Cookie Cupcake

I have fond memories of baking cookies with my Mom, standing on a chair so I'd be tall enough to reach the mixing bowl. I started out stirring, gradually Mom increased my baking responsibility until was I allowed to use the teal hand mixer. This was a huge promotion and happy to trade in my spoon. Even with my promotions, I maintained my original egg cracking and jimmy sprinkling duties. In hindsight, my duties continued to build until I was actually baking with little assistance. Mom, however, continued to oversee the process and maintain standards.

Peanut butter cookies were a mainstay in our recipe rotation, especially at Christmas. Mom and Dad had different thoughts on the appropriate degree of brown for the cookies. Dad always lobbied for just this side of burnt. Mom would only give in with one cookie sheet, pretending to forget she had them in the oven. (She maintained oven duty along with title of "Boss" even with my progressive kitchen promotions.) My task for the peanut butter cookies was to apply the cross hatch pattern to the top of every cookie. Occasionally my young mind would wander to cartoons or Barbie dolls, Mom would call me back into the kitchen to "fork" the cookies. She talked it up, telling me how good I was at this particular job, assuring me that the cookies would not taste the same without the cross hatch pattern. I just couldn't risk it, dutifully I would grab a fork and get to work. Later on, much later on, I realized just how gullible I was, "forking" the cookies was just plain tedious and easy enough to delegate to a 6 year old. Moms can be tricky like that.

This week's Peanut Butter Cookie Cupcake is a stroll down memory lane, cross hatch pattern and all. I tried to convince Rob to help with the "forking" but he said I did it so much better than he ever could. Guess I'm still gullible.

Recipe to follow, I'm behind this week AND my the temp on my oven is out of whack....

1 2/4 c AP flour
3/4 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/4 t baking soda
2/4 c unsalted butter, room temp
1 1/3 c sugar
2/3 c peanut butter
3 large eggs
1/2 t vanilla extract
1/2 c sour cream

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 3 12 cup cupcake pans with liners.
Whisk flour, baking soda, baking soda and salt together, set aside. I bowl of standing mixer combine butter and sugar, whip until light and fluffy. Reduce speed, add peanut butter, mix well. Add eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture in 3 installments. Combine well. Mix in sour cream. Fill cupcake wells 3/4 full. Bake 13 minutes or until cake tester come out clean. Cool on wire racks

Spread 1 1/2 T frosting on each cupcake. Refrigerate until frosting is firm, about 10 minutes. Using fork dipped in confectioners sugar, put cross hatch pattern on each cupcake.