Peanut
butter has been an American favorite ever since its introduction at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. Dr. Kellogg
is credited with its invention in the 1890s when,
as a vegetarian, he wanted a substitute for what he called "cow's butter".
His answer was "nut butters" and since peanuts (really a legume, not a
nut) were the cheapest nut, that is the "nut butter" he focused on.
Peanut butter was first touted as a
"health" food and recipes for making and using peanut butter
were in many vegetarian cookbooks by the early 1900s.
Today peanut butter is
so popular that over half the American peanut crop goes to its making. We
love it in our cooking, our candy bars, in peanut butter and jelly
sandwiches, and especially in peanut butter cookies. Jean Anderson tells
us in her excellent book "The American Century Cookbook" that the first
published cookie
recipe using peanut butter appeared in 1915, but it wasn't until 1936 that
a recipe resembling the peanut butter cookie of today appeared in Ruth
Wakefield's book "Ruth Wakefield's Toll House Tried and True Recipes". Of
course, the classic crisscross pattern
make them instantly recognizable and that 'sweet and salty'
flavor combination make them irresistible. There is an
ongoing debate about whether smooth or crunchy peanut butter make the best
cookies. There
are statistics that say women and children prefer the smooth type,
while men go for crunchy peanut butter.
As a side note, our most famous advocate for the peanut was George Washington Carver
(Tuskegee Institute in Alabama) who successfully convinced farmers to grow
peanuts after the boll weevil destroyed the cotton crop in the 1890s. He
has been called the "Father" of the peanut industry for his devotion to
promoting not only the cultivation but also the consumption of peanuts.
Preheat oven to
350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Line two
baking sheets with parchment paper.
In the bowl of
your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), cream the butter and sugars until
light and fluffy (about 2 - 3 minutes). Beat in the peanut butter. Add the egg and vanilla extract
and beat to combine. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking
soda, and salt. Add to the peanut butter mixture and beat until
incorporated. Fold in the chopped peanuts, if using. (If the batter is too soft
to form into balls, place in the refrigerator for about an hour or until firm.)
Roll the batter
into 1 inch (2.54 cm) balls. Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheet,
placing about 2 inches (5 cm) apart. Then, using the tines of the fork that has
been dipped in white granulated sugar, make a crisscross pattern.
Bake the cookies for
about 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly browned around the edges. Remove
from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Can be stored at room
temperature, in an airtight container, for about a week. Freeze for longer
storage.
Makes about
40 cookies.
Anderson, Jean. The American Century Cookbook.
Clarkson/Potter Publishers. New York: 1997.
Smith, Andrew F.
The Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink. Oxford University Press.
New York: 2007.
Adapted from Martha Stewart's 'Martha Stewart's
Baking Handbook'.
3/4 cup (170 grams) unsalted
butter, room temperature
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