Peanut Butter Brownies

1980 … the first time I saw my own name printed next to a recipe in a cookbook. I was 13.

Impressed?

I was. After all, my recipe was sharing pages with the recipes of a fine group of cooks and bakers: the women of St. John’s Lutheran Church. Our church was preparing for its 100th anniversary and this cookbook was compiled to honor the celebration.

Take a minute to remember that in 1980, no one was using or had a computer. The recipes were submitted hand-written. The ladies on the cookbook committee typed each recipe and the typed recipes were submitted to a company for printing and binding. Oh how spoiled we are: everything at our fingertips, just a google search away; spell-check that eliminated the need for White-Out correction tape (what?); and formatting without counting spaces. Am I dating myself? Yes. But we so easily forget …

church cookbooks

As you can see, I love this book. It is tattered, folded, stained and faded. This cookbook quickly became very popular. If at a church potluck someone would ask for a recipe, you would most often hear “it’s in the cookbook”. Even though there have been at least four cookbooks printed by this congregation, it is generally assumed “the cookbook” refers to this edition.

In fact, a box of these cookbooks was recently discovered in a storage area of the church. Gold had been struck in Hanover, Iowa! They went on sale to members of the church. It was a short sale. I sure hope they find another box … mine might completely fall apart by then.

peanut butter brownies

There are five recipes in this book with my name printed beside them. This Peanut Butter Brownies recipe is my favorite. I remember making these brownies for my family when my mom needed a quick dessert. When I was in college, I loved them because they could be made in one pan (fewer dishes to do). I made them for my boys and their friends when they were little … and not so little. Church functions, lemonade stands, tailgates, picnics (of course), care packages, and bake sales have benefitted from this recipe.  You will too!

a reward for helping hands

This is a great recipe to get kids involved in the kitchen. All it takes is a little measuring, a little stirring, a few extra chocolate chips to replace those that mysteriously disappear, and a helping hand with the oven. Everything tastes better when you make it yourself. It tastes even better when your name is printed next to the recipe “in the cookbook”.