Peanut Butter Cookies
Peanut butter cookies are a classic for a reason. They are simple, straight forward, and packed with bold peanut flavor and plenty of nostalgia. Recipes for peanut cookies first appeared in the early 1900’s with the first recipe(s) being attributed to George Washington Carver in his book How to Grow the Peanut: And 105 Ways of Preparing It for Human Consumption. All three versions of peanut cookies in his book called for ground or finely chopped peanuts, but not peanut butter. The switch to peanut butter began with recipes in the 1920’s and the now iconic crisscross pattern was introduced even later, in the 1930’s. By the 1940’s the peanut butter cookie had become a staple of school cafeterias and a common after school snack. It is no surprise that peanut butter cookies became a childhood favorite across the United States and spanning generations.
In fact, peanut butter cookies are a favorite of my husband, his father and our kids (and mine too). I’ve made quite a few recipes for peanut butter cookies over the years, but I had never really made any of them my own until my father-in-law requested peanut butter cookies for a birthday treat. I wanted to ‘level up’ the peanut butter cookie for him and the recipe I’m sharing today is the result. Peanut flavor is literally jammed into these cookies – blended in during the creaming stage, whisked into the dry ingredients and swirled into the dough before scooping. The addition of an egg yolk prevents the extra peanut butter and peanut powder from drying out the cookies. In the end you get the most salty-sweet, soft, chewy, over-the-top-bold peanut flavor, peanut butter cookies you have ever had.
But, I didn’t stop there! Because peanut butter cookies are relatively simple and straight forward, they provide a perfect canvas for playing with complementary flavors and textures. So, to make my father-in-law’s birthday treat a little extra special, I divided the dough into four batches. I kept one batch classic with the crisscross pattern on top. For the first variation, I folded in mini peanut butter M&Ms, then pressed more into the surface of each cookie before baking for a colorful and crunchy twist. For the second, I folded in peanut butter chips and chopped honey roasted peanuts (as if the original recipe didn’t already have over the top peanut flavor) and pressed more peanut butter chips into the surface of each cookie before baking- this one is for the true peanut lovers out there. For the fourth and final batch, I folded in chocolate peanut butter, chocolate chips, peanut butter chips and chopped peanut butter cups and pressed more chocolate chips, peanut butter chips and chopped peanut butter cups into the surface of each cookie before baking – I think this might have been my personal favorite level-up option and will thrill any peanut butter cup lover.
Peanut Butter Cookies
Equipment
- baking sheets
- mixing bowls
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- measuring spoons
- electric mixer
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Ingredients
- 120 g flour
- 40 g peanut butter powder
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 250 g creamy peanut butter good quality, not natural [divided use]
- 110 g butter unsalted, room temperature
- 83 g brown sugar
- 75 g sugar
- 1 egg large
- 1 egg yolk large
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325°F. Prepare 2 large baking sheets lined with parchment paper, set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the flour, peanut butter powder, baking powder and salt. Set aside.120 g flour, 40 g peanut butter powder, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt
- In another medium bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), add the butter and 180g (about 3/4 cup) of the peanut butter, beat well until creamy.250 g creamy peanut butter, 110 g butter
- Add the sugar and brown sugar and continue to beat until the mixture is lightened in color and fluffy.83 g brown sugar, 75 g sugar
- Add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla and mix for about one minute or until fully incorporated.1 egg, 1 egg yolk, 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir by hand just until the dry ingredients disappear. Avoid overmixing or the cookies may be tough.
- Drop the remaining peanut butter (70g or about 1/4 cup) in small dollops over the surface of dough, use a silicone spatula to roughly fold it in. The peanut butter should remain visible in streaks and small blobs, do not fully mix it in.250 g creamy peanut butter
- Using a cookie scoop, place cookie dough on the prepared baking sheets with about 2 inches between the cookies. For the classic peanut butter cookie appearance, press the tines of a fork in a crisscross pattern on the surface of the dough. This dough is a little softer than a classic peanut butter cookie recipe, so you don't need to press very hard and you might not get a perfectly clean pattern.
- Bake cookies for 10-12 min, until slightly puffed, set on the edges and soft in the center. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the pan for about 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.
Notes
- For even more peanut flavor and added texture, add 100 g (3/4 cup) of honey roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped, and 135 g (3/4 cup) peanut butter baking chips at the same time as you fold in the remaining creamy peanut butter. Press a few extra peanut butter baking chips on the surface of the cookies just before baking.
- For a fun, colorful twist, add 255 g ( 1 1/2 cup) classic or peanut butter M&Ms at the same time as you fold in the remaining creamy peanut butter. Press a few extra M&Ms on the surface of the cookies just before baking.
- To complement the peanut butter with chocolate, replace the remaining 70 g of creamy peanut butter with chocolate peanut butter. Then add 70 g of peanut butter baking chips, 70 g of chocolate chips (milk or semisweet) and 100 g of mini or chopped peanut butter cups at the same time as you fold in the chocolate peanut butter. Press some extra peanut butter baking chips, chocolate chips and peanut butter cup pieces on the surface of the cookies just before baking.
Nutrition
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