Soft Peanut Butter Cookies

Original recipe found here

• 1 cup  creamy peanut butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup  white sugar
• 1 cup  butter or 1 cup margarine, softened
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon  baking soda
• 1 teaspoon  baking powder
• 1 teaspoon  vanilla extract
• 2 1⁄2cups  flour
• 
  
• Cream butter, peanut butter and both sugars together.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating well.
• Add baking soda, powder and vanilla.
• Stir in flour.
• Roll into balls, roll in sugar. Flatten cookies, using a fork, in a criss-cross pattern.
• Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 6-7 minutes or adjust to suit your oven and size of cookies!

Bacon and Brussels Sprouts Soup

Original recipe found here

Ingredients

• 3 slices smoked bacon
• 1/2 onion small/medium
• 9 oz potatoes
• 9 oz Brussels sprouts
• 1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock, possibly a little more
• salt and pepper to taste

To top

• 4 slices smoked bacon bacon, in small slices

Instructions

1. Cut the bacon into slices and put into a pan over a medium heat. Dice the onion and once the fat starts to render from the bacon, add the onion to the pan. Cook, stirring regularly for 2-3 minutes.
2. Meanwhile peel the potatoes and dice. Take the outer layer and ends off the Brussel sprouts and cut in half. Add both to the pan, stir, then cover and reduce heat slightly.
3. Allow the vegetables to sweat for around 10 minutes until the potato is tender to a knifepoint, stirring occasionally. Don't worry if things stick to the bottom of the pan and color a bit, it all adds to the flavor, just don't let them burn.
4. Add the stock, and some salt and pepper to taste to the pan (bear in mind you have bacon in there so you won't need much salt). Cover and bring to a boil then simmer for around 10 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, put the bacon for the topping in a small skillet/frying pan and cook over a medium heat. Continue to cook until crispy, stirring now and then.
6. Remove the soup pan from the heat and puree the soup in a blender/with an immersion blender.
7. Serve the soup with the crispy bacon on top.