Peanut Butter Cookies

5 Dozen
86% would make this recipe for Peanut Butter Cookies again.

This is the peanut butter cookie my Mom and Grandma used to make. It's still one of my favorite cookies. When these sweet, salty morsels of happiness come out of the oven, they are just as good today as they were when I was a kid. The recipe originally appeared on the Skippy peanut butter label in the early 1950's. It produces cookies that are golden brown with wonderful flavor and a light crispiness that melts in your mouth. Basically, it's everything you would expect a good peanut butter cookie to be.

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Peanut Butter Cookies Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour	1 1/3 cups granulated sugar, divided
1 teaspoon baking powder	1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 teaspoon baking soda	1 cup creamy or chunky peanut butter (I use Jif)
1/2 teaspoon salt	2 large eggs, beaten
1 cup unsalted butter, softened (or, 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup shortening)	1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions for Peanut Butter Cookies

Place oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line two non-insulated cookie sheets or sheet pans with either parchment paper or silicon baking pads (e.g., Silpad), if desired (*see note). Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment (or an electric mixer, or by hand), beat butter at medium-high speed until creamy. Add brown sugar and 1 cup of the granulated sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes (or 5 to 6 minutes by hand), stopping to scrape down bowl as necessary. Reduce speed to medium-low and add in peanut butter, beating until fully incorporated, then add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition until they are well incorporated; beat in vanilla extract. Reduce speed to lowest setting or gently stir by hand; gradually add in the sifted dry ingredients, scraping sides of mixing bowl as necessary, and beating just until it's incorporated; don't overmix or the cookies will be tough. (The dough should be stiff and slightly sticky -- not dry.)

At this point, for a soft and chewy cookie, the dough should be double wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for 1 to 3 hours. (The dough can keep in the refrigerator for a couple days or stored in the freezer for up to 1 month.) For a thinner and crisper cookie, use dough immediately without chilling.

Shape dough into 1- to 1 1/4-inch sized balls, and roll in remaining 1/3 cup granulated sugar, if desired. (Make them all the same size per baking pan so they bake evenly. A #40 cookie scoop is the perfect size.) Place balls 2-inches apart, in staggered rows (**see note) of 3-2-3-2-3, on prepared baking sheets or regular ungreased pans. Gently press and flatten each dough ball with back of fork dipped in cold water, making a criss-cross design to tops.

For a light, crisp cookie: Place one cookie sheet at a time onto center rack of a preheated 375 degree F oven and bake until just starting to turn golden, about 9 to 10 minutes, rotating baking sheet if needed for even baking. Do not over-bake! (You want the tops to just start taking on color, and still have slightly puffy and moist centers. When removed from the oven, they will flatten out and continue cooking through.) Remove cookie sheet from oven and allow cookies to cool and set for 1 to 2 minutes on baking sheet, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. If baked on parchment paper or silicon baking pad, slide the entire sheet off the tray directly onto the cooling racks. Meanwhile, you can re-use the cookie sheet immediately for baking the next batch.

For a soft, chewy cookie: Refrigerate the dough for 1 to 3 hours. Once chilled, form balls and flatten with a fork as before. Then, refrigerate uncooked cookies on baking sheet for at least 15 minutes to firm dough back up. Place one cookie sheet at a time onto center rack of a preheated 325 degree F oven and bake until cookies are puffed and just slightly golden along edges, about 15 minutes, rotating baking sheet if needed for even baking. Do not over-bake! Remove cookie sheet from oven and allow cookies to cool and set for 1 to 2 minutes on baking sheet, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. If baked on parchment paper or silicon baking pad, slide the entire sheet off the tray directly onto the cooling racks. Meanwhile, you can re-use the cookie sheet immediately for baking the next batch.

Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Makes about 60 cookies.

*Note: Parchment paper or silicon baking pads are not a necessity but does make for easy cookie removal and cleanup. If using parchment, remove baking sheets from oven and immediately slide cookies on parchment directly onto cooling racks.

**Note: By staggering the rows of cookie batter, it's easy to fit 13 cookies (2-inches apart) on a single large cookie sheet.

Main Ingredient: Peanut ButterCuisine: American

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This was a wonderful recipe! Thank you so much. I had only one problem...I was eating them as fast as I made them :-). Dangerous to make! I made mine the soft way by putting them in the fridge for 3 hours first and following all the steps. I am going to try to make them on the flat cookie sheet like someone else said becuase mine turned out crispier too. They were still soft, but not as chewy as I would like. I will be making these for many yeears to come now! Thank you!!

Stephanie4617
on Oct 15 2008 5:19PM

Total Time: 1:00
Active time: 0:30

This cookie dough can make two different finished cookie styles by simply altering the temperatures of the dough and the oven. The butter in the dough is not as fluid when cold as it is when warm. A warm dough will spread out more during the first few minutes of cooking, making a thinner, crispier cookie. Starting with a chilled cookie sheet and dough, results in the cookies spreading more slowly in the oven, allowing the oven's heat to "set" the cookie while it still thick and therefore producing a denser, chewier cookie. The lower oven temperature keeps the outside of the cookie from getting too crunchy before the inside of the thicker cookie finishes cooking. Bake cookies on light colored cookie sheets - dark cookie sheets will cause cookies to brown too quickly and cook too fast. If all you have is dark cookie sheets, try baking your cookies on parchment paper lining the cookie sheets. You'll be surprised at the difference it makes. Cookies also cook more evenly on cookie sheets that do not have sides as the heat flows over the cookies more evenly.

Stephanie4617
on Oct 14 2008 5:19PM

I found cookies cooked more crispy on cookie sheets that have sides and softer when on a flat cookie sheet - I cooked mine for 10 minutes and made no alterations for high altitude.

graybeal62
on Aug 29 2008 9:58PM

Peanut butter cookies are one of my all time favorites and these are absolutely delicious! The best texture for any cookie is always a matter of personal preference. This wonderfully versatile recipe can make two different finished cookie styles and should be able to satisfy the varied taste of most peanut butter cookie lovers. For a thinner, crispier cookie, form the cookies from a warm dough and bake in a 375 degree oven until just starting to turn golden, about 9 minutes. If you consider the thin and crisp cookies to be too dry or crumbly, just alter the temperature of the dough and oven to create a soft, chewy cookie. Make sure you refrigerate the dough, then form the cookies from the chilled dough and refrigerate again to firm them up. Bake in a cooler 325 degree oven until puffed and just slightly golden along edges, about 15 minutes. If you want to make soft cookies of the same diameter as the crispy cookies, you'll need to use a little more dough in each so the spread ends up the same.

sgrishka
on May 19 2008 4:39PM

too Dry

zebah
on May 18 2008 5:25PM

These are very good, thank you for the recipe.

scturner97
on May 18 2008 5:07PM

These cookies are outstanding! I was actually looking to recreate the peanut butter cookie from my childhood, and this recipe ended up exceeding my expectations by far. Everyone in my family agrees that it's the best peanut butter cookie they've ever had. Thank you! It's a keeper and a new favorite for our family.