Now, let me start this post by apologizing to any and every person in the world who is allergic to peanuts, because boy you’re missing out. I am obsessing over these classic peanut butter cookies. They are incredibly soft, but their edges are chewy and perfect. I have always been a huge fan of peanut butter cookies, but I feel like the ones I came across always had room for improvement. Either they were too crumbly or too sweet or too salty, and worst, not peanut buttery enough! So, I took it upon myself to make peanut butter cookies the right way, and I definitely think I did. I went to take a taste test bite, and probably ate about four cookies before realizing that I needed to save some for photographs. Yes, they’re just that good!
Crunchy or Creamy?
For these classic peanut butter cookies, you can actually use crunchy or creamy peanut butter, though I prefer creamy. I like creamy peanut butter for this recipe because it keeps a uniformly soft textured cookie. I am not too big of a fan of nuts in baked goods anyways, but especially for these cookies, I think they’re a no-go. This is not to deter you from adding crunchy peanut butter if that is your jam. However, if you are stuck deciding between the two, go with creamy. The cookie will literally melt in your mouth. And trust me, you will be glad there are no residual peanut pieces getting left behind!
The cookie for you…
This cookie is really a cookie for the people. It uses staple ingredients that I am sure anyone can find in their pantry. It contains nostalgic flavors from your childhood. But it also has been reinvented into a cookie with a crumb structure that is out of this world. Not only will it take you back, but you can customize it to take you anywhere you want. Want to spice them up for a dinner party? Add a dark chocolate drizzle over top to really make them shine. Want to give them a more sophisticated flavor? Add between 1/4 to 1/2 of a teaspoon of almond extract. This tip gives the cookies just a hint of flavor that will send your eater’s minds reeling trying to figure out just what makes the cookie so tasty. There are endless ways you can jazz up this cookie, but my favorite way is to simply enjoy it with a tall glass of cold milk.
Classic Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups All Purpose Flour
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter (room temperature)
- 1/2 cup Peanut Butter
- 3/4 cup Brown Sugar
- 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Egg
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F
- In a medium sized bowl, add your flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
- In a large bowl with a hand mixer (or in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment) mix together the butter and peanut butter until entirely smooth and homogenous. Add the sugars and cream together for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix together until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined and no streaks of flour remain.
- Portion into tablespoon sized balls and refridgerate for 15-30 minutes until the dough becomes a bit more solid. Take the dough balls out of the fridge at this point and place about 12 per baking sheet. Using a fork, indent a criss-cross pattern into the top of the cookie. Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges become golden and the middles look cooked. Remove from oven and let cool before enjoying!
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