Ed loves peanut butter so it was no surprise when I asked him what dessert he wanted for Father’s Day, his answer was peanut butter cookies. Specifically, he wanted the ones I made for the first time a couple of months ago when I was “quarantine baking” on the regular.
Actually, his request was something like this “what about those cookies you made we decided were really good and just right.”
This peanut butter cookie is the perfect soft, chewy cookie. It reminds me of what a traditional chocolate chip cookie would be like without the chocolate chips – but with the taste of peanut butter of course. It is soft in the middle with just the right amount of crunch around the edge. This peanut cookie is unlike any other peanut butter cookie I have tried and spreads on its own – no need to press down with a fork.
And just like a lot of good ideas this peanut butter cookie was discovered by a complete and happy accident!
This cookie is slightly adapted from the Cook’s Illustrated peanut butter cookie. During our strict(er) stay-home order I was trying recipes from my growing cookbook collection, many of which I bought years ago yet not actually made any of the recipes. So one night when we were all craving a sweet treat I came across a different peanut butter cookie recipe in the Cook’s Illustrated cookbook. The recipe sounded delicious and easy enough. The only problem – I didn’t have all the ingredients! Doesn’t that always happen when you really want to make a specific something?
In the original recipe, the peanuts are crushed in a food processor to a bread crumb texture. The combination of the crushed peanuts with the crunchy peanut butter I imagine would have give this cookie a much firmer texture, maybe not quite crunchy but definitely not the soft chewiness of my accidental adaptation.
Because the dough reminded me so much of my mom’s chocolate chip cookie dough – before the chocolate chips – the first time I baked these I decided to chance not pressing the scoops of dough down. The cookies spread just like I had hoped they would!
The original recipe calls for two tablespoon-size balls of dough but I opted to use my one tablespoon cookie scoop. The cookies are just the right size for my family’s taste – two to three bites, depending on how much self-control you have! Plus, this meant the recipe would yield way more than the 36 of the original. In this most recent batch I managed to get about 80 cookies! Since we do not need that many cookies sitting around – let’s face it, we would demolish them all in just a matter of two or three days – I only bake one or two pans at a time. I scoop the remainder of the dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze the dough for about 20-30 minutes. Then I can plop the portioned frozen dough in a freezer bag for quick baking later. From frozen, these cookies need about an extra two minutes.
Soft & Chewy Peanut Butter Cookie
Based on The Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook Peanut Butter Cookies, these are soft and chewy, with just the right amount of bite on the edges. No need to press with a fork, this dough spreads on its own much like a chocolate chip cookie.
- 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 16 tbsp butter (unsalted, softened)
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 cup organic cane sugar
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter (I use peanut butter with honey)
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together.
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In a separate bowl, beat butter, brown sugar and cane sugar until light and fluffy. Add peanut butter and mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each one to incorporate fully. Add vanilla and mix well.
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Gradually add dry ingredients, while mixing at low speed, until combined.
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Using a small cookie scoop, about 1 tablespoon in size, scoop out balls of dough onto the lined baking sheet. Keep each ball spaced about 2 inches apart.
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Bake 6-8 minutes until cookies are slightly brown on the edges. Allow to cool on baking sheet for 3-5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Using a small cookie scoop, about 1 tablespoon in size, yields about 80 cookies. I like to bake a large baking sheet of cookies and freeze the remaining dough. For quick and easy cookies later, scoop the remaining cookie dough onto a cold baking sheet and place in freezer for about 20-30 minutes. Then place the frozen cookie balls into a freezer bag or other freezer-safe container. Cookies can be baked from frozen at 350 degrees but will take an additional 2-3 minutes, so 8-11 minutes total.
