COLUMN: Crafting a classic cookie
There are some classic treats you’ve grown up eating you know you love. Peanut butter cookies are like that for me. I grew up loving them, even picking them instead of cake on my birthday. I’ve hunted around and made a lot of different peanut butter cookie recipes, but
I promise none of them even compare to this one. This recipe makes the softest, sugar coated cookies that melt in your mouth. They bake up nice and tall, so you don’t have to be disappointed when you take them out of the oven and they become flat, greasy blobs.
If you make this recipe, I know you’ll want to make it again. You might as well make it your go-to peanut butter cookie recipe, and store it with all your other classic recipes that you know you’re going to keep forever.
Although it’s optional, I recommend refrigerating the dough for about 30-45 minutes before rolling it into balls. This helps make it easier to work with and the cookies will turn out more round.
PERFECT PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3-4 tablespoons sugar, for rolling
In a medium mixing bowl combine the butter and peanut butter and beat until smooth and creamy. You can use crunchy peanut butter if you want to. I just recommend smooth because it adds to the soft texture of the cookie not to have nuts in it.
Add the ¾ cup white sugar and ½ cup brown sugar and beat until smooth. Add the egg and beat well. Add the milk and vanilla extract and stir until mixed.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
Add the dry ingredients to the peanut butter mixture and beat until thoroughly combined.
Put the 3-4 tablespoons of sugar in a small bowl. Scoop the dough into tablespoon-sized balls and roll them between your palms until they are smooth and round. Roll the dough balls in the sugar bowl until they are totally coated. Place them on an ungreased cookie sheet, leaving room between them for them to spread. Use a fork to gently press the dough balls down and make a criss-cross pattern on the tops.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, or until they just start to turn golden on the edges. Remove from the oven and let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Note: The secret to making these cookies amazing is the cook time. You have to remove them from the oven before they seem totally done and let them finish setting up on the pan. If you do this they will melt in your mouth, but if you cook them until they look all they way done, they will be hard and dry.
If you want to dress these cookies up, add ½ cup of chocolate chips to the dough before you roll it into balls. You can also bake the cookies and drizzle the tops of them with a little melted chocolate when they come out of the oven. Everyone loves peanut butter and chocolate.
– jenn.nelle@gmail.com