Puffernutters

One of my favorite parts of The Food Network magazine is near the last page.  they don't include it every month, but often enough they will provide the reader with a recipe and asks for help in providing the recipe with a name.  I have never had one of my names chosen (and winning names win a prize) but I will persevere... who knows if I could be a winner!
We keep lots of Kix cereal in our house.  My grand sweetie calls it her "crunchy" when she asks for it. She even helped me pour in the ingredients!  I'm told that I was just about her age when I started baking with my mom so maybe she will follow in her grandma's footsteps!  (I just love being called grandma!!!!) Take my advice though, if baking with a two year old you must have much patience!  Everything has to be sampled :-) Trust me when I say that it is my son's worst OCD nightmare!  I never bake with her when I know my son will be eating the food.

Puffernutters
adapted from foodnetwork.com
Ingredients
1 cup chopped peanuts
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups puffed corn cereal (such as Kix)
1 cup chocolate chips (milk, dark or semisweet)

Directions
Position 2 racks in the middle of the oven; preheat to 325 degrees F. Spread the almonds on a baking sheet and bake until lightly toasted, about 5 minutes; transfer to a bowl. Wipe the baking sheet clean.
Beat the unsalted butter, almond butter, honey, granulated sugar and brown sugar in a bowl with a mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg. Add the baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and vanilla and almond extracts and beat until combined, about 1 minute.
Add the cereal, chocolate chips and half of the almonds to the dough and mix with a wooden spoon.

a sticky but yummy mess!

Form tablespoonfuls of dough into 2-inch balls and arrange on 2 ungreased baking sheets, about 3 inches apart. (Do not line the baking sheets with parchment paper-the cookies may stick to the paper.) Top each with some of the remaining almondsBake until the cookies spread out and turn brown, about 12 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through. Let the cookies cool 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then carefully remove to a rack to cool completely. (If you have difficulty removing the cookies from the baking sheets, return them to the oven for 1 to 2 minutes to soften.) The cookies will crisp as they cool.

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