SunflowerGal: Peanut Butter Cookies

Nothing says "American Childhood" quite like a really yummy

Peanut Butter Cookie.

And these are nothing short of amazing, when baked right.

I seriously think that most recipes go from 'ok' to AMAZING simply by the process you use in achieving those results.

Recently a Pastor Friend of mine confessed that he was not a fan of Peanut butter cookies, (After I'd given him a gift of 1/2 dozen or so) but that once he'd eaten these he had to have the recipe. And honestly he hounded me until I finally shared it with him.

Then I thought, I should share it with you guys too!

They honestly are as good as they look :) I'll spare you all the pictures of me mixing them up, and just share the recipe - and some of my 'Top Secret Tips'.

Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:
1 Cup Salted Butter (2 sticks) Room Temperature, softened
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/4 cup peanut butter (I don't measure, I eyeball it)
1 T Vanilla (Again I don't measure, just eyeball it)
2 3/4 cup - 3 cups flour
3/4 tspn baking soda
1/2 tspn salt

Using your wisk attachment, cream the butter until light and fluffy. If left to wisk for 3-5 minutes, it will turn almost white and completely fluffy. I LOVE this. Scrape down your bowl twice during this process.

After adding each of the next ingredients, mix together until combined. THEN add the next ingredient.

Add White sugar, then brown sugar mixing each until combined.
Add eggs. Add peanut butter. Add vanilla.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

Remove your wisk attachment, and switch to your batter paddle and then slowly incorporate flour mixture into the sugar/butter mixture, don't overmix, but make sure it's all combined.

Now, roll the dough into 2" balls and place 2" apart on your cookie sheet.

Confession time: I don't roll my dough. I use my medium cookie scoop and hunk a generous portion down on the cookie sheet. My cookies end up about 2 1/2" in diameter and are not perfectly round.

I. LOVE. THAT.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

Remove from oven when slightly browned on top, but still look slightly undercooked. allow to cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring to a cooling rack.

Now, I received this recipe from a friend over 15yrs ago. She brought them to work one day and I just loved that peanut butter flavor they have. A lot of peanut butter cookies seem to have more of the Vanilla Flavor.

Not these! I confess I made two quick changes to the recipe, one being that the original recipe called for a 1/2 cup shortening, and 1/2 cup butter. I like butter, and I get good results with it so I just go with that instead.

The other thing I did was add an extra 1/4 or so cup of Peanut butter. I personally LIKE a strong peanut butter flavored cookie.

These make me want to pile on the grape jelly and grab a tall glass of milk :)

What's your favorite go to Cookie Recipe?