These are from a time of “hurry up” but inventive and delicious sweets. In the 1980s microwaves became common and helped save time and keep the kidlings content. The recipes have a certain amount of whimsy, which I love.
KISS ME KATE
Ingredients: 1 large egg, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup crunchy peanut butter, about 3 dozen unwrapped chocolate candy kisses
Directions: Mix the first three ingredients and shape into balls about ¼ inch in diameter. Place on ungreased baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes in a pre-heated 350 degree oven. Remove from oven, stabilize baking sheet, and immediately press a chocolate candy kiss into the center of each cookie. Cool cookies on wire rack.
TOP O’ THE MORNING 
Ingredients: 1 medium Idaho potato, 2 pounds powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon peppermint extract, 3 drops green food coloring, 1 ½ cups creamy peanut butter
Directions: Prick holes in the potato and cook in the microwave for about 5 minutes or until soft. Place it in a large bowl, along with 2 cups of powdered sugar. Mash the sugar and potato, continuing to add enough sugar to make the mixture semi-solid but with no lumps. Add the peppermint extract and the green food coloring and mix thoroughly. Turn out dough onto waxed paper and roll with a rolling pin to ½ inch thickness. Caress the top of the dough with powdered sugar, and then spread peanut butter over that. Lift the wax paper from one end and form the dough into a log shape. Slice and serve or store for later in a covered container.
PUTTIN’ ON THE RITZ
Ingredients: 2 pounds of bark chocolate, large box Ritz crackers, large jar creamy peanut butter
Directions: Spread peanut butter between two crackers and repeat to make 3 dozen pairs. Melt chocolate bark in microwave. Use tongs to carefully dip crackers in chocolate and let drip before placing on wax paper to harden. Freeze the cookies. Eat at your pleasure.
Cheers & Happy Reading!
Flossie Benton Rogers, Conjuring the Magic in Romance
They all sound yam-yam and I take your word for it.
I loooove the name of these delicacies.
I wasn’t too fond of sweets when I was younger, but nowadays I tend to enjoy a candy or chocolate more than before.
As about peanut butter, I made its “acquaintance” in the last years – only read about it before in books and wondered what could it be like. I must admit I like both the smooth and the crunchy one.
Thanks for the recipes and have a great weekend!
Wow, Carmen, you never had peanut butter until a few years ago? It’s one of my favorite treats, and as a kid there was nothing better than a PB sandwich on soft/fresh white bread with a glass of chocolate milk and chips 🙂 I like both the crunchy and smooth varieties too 🙂
I’m so glad Carmen became acquainted with peanut butter!
Carmen, I’m glad you got to try peanut butter and like it. It’s one of my favorites and dangerous to keep around lol.
For me, too, though I never tried it spread on a slice of bread. I must try it once. I spread it on a biscuit.
Delicious– put peanut butter on one slice of bread, mayo on another slice, banana slices in the middle = peanut butter, banana sandwich. Yum!
They do sound yummy and as Carmen noted, they all have fun, frivolous names. I think I’d be most partial to Puttin’ on the Ritz!
I made up these crazy names. I should get a job naming cookies lol.
Absolutely, Flossie. You made such funny but matching names for these sweets. They all look tempting though Top o’the morning sounds a bit complicated to prepare. But nothing is easy until tried.
Yes, it is interesting because the potato takes the place of flour. Cooks are so inventive.
Thanks fr the recipes. I love peanut butter and peanut butter cookies. I have never tried a potato cookie but have heard of them this sounds good. I plan to try both the potato one and putting on the Ritz. I’m with the other ladies I love the name and am glad Carmen finally met peanut butter!
Cathy, let me know how they turn out and if anything needs to be tweaked.