Perfect Peanut Butter Cookies

Lennie's Note:

When peanut butter cookies are requested in my home, this is the recipe I turn to. It's one of my favourites!

• Total Time: 23 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 8 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 50 cookies

• ½ cup butter , softened
• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• ½ cup white sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup smooth peanut butter (not crunchy, I think crunchy ruins the texture)
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F; have ungreased shiny cookie sheets ready.
2. In a large mixing bowl, with electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugars; next, beat in egg, peanut butter and vanilla.
3. In a smaller bowl, sift together salt, baking soda and flour (I do this through a sieve, not with a sifter).
4. With a wooden spoon, stir flour mixture into peanut butter mixture until a dough is formed.
5. If desired, you could stir in about 1/2 cup (or more) of chocolate chips now; I usually don't (even though I'm a chocoholic) as I often just want a pure peanut butter cookie with nothing else in it, not even peanut bits.
6. Stash dough in fridge while you clean up the dishes; this step isn't absolutely necessary but the fridge slightly firms up the dough, making it easier to work with.
7. Drop by heaping teaspoons onto cookie sheets and press down, criss-cross style, with a fork-- the classic peanut butter cookie look.
8. If fork sticks to cookies too much as you press down, lightly flour the fork.
9. Bake in preheated oven for 7 to 9 minutes, or until edges are slightly darkened (I like to cook these at 7-1/2 minutes).
10. Do not worry if they don't look done; cookies firm up as they cool and if you want chewier cookies it is very important not to overbake them.
11. Add an extra minute if you like crispier cookies.
12. Remove cookies from sheets after letting them rest on sheets for one minute, then let cooked cookies cool on racks.
13. Store cookies in a tin or in cookie jar (airtight containers are best).
14. I use a one-inch scoop to make the cookies; the approximate yield I get is 4-1/2 dozen cookies.

Reviews

[BrendaM]

These certainly were "Perfect" peanut butter cookies! I didn't change a thing when I made these, and baked them for the 7 1/2 minutes you recommended. They were great! I'm glad you mentioned that they may not look "done" when they come out of the oven, or I would have probably stuck them back in for another few minutes! I ended up with a perfect chewy peanut butter cookie.. just the way my DH likes them! Thanks for another great recipe, Lennie!

[MaggieMN]

I accidentally used 2 sticks of butter the first time I made these, and my family was wild about them! They were unbelievably good! Made them a second time using 1 stick of butter, and they were ok. Made them a 3rd time with the second stick of butter and again the family raved about them! I definitely recommend trying 2 sticks of butter, and otherwise following the recipe exactly. YUM!

[MNLisaB]

Fab recipe, Lennie! I generally do not bake, but I used your cookie dough to go with Bethany's great Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cookies to give as holiday gifts. They were awesome, many thanks!