26 Years of Award Winning Baking & Dessert Video Recipes

breakfast & brunch bars & squares cupcakes shortbreads breads youtube channel
about us
recipe index
substitutions
ingredients
glossary
conversions
weight vs volume
easter baking
apple recipes
pumpkin recipes
cranberry recipes
chocolate recipes
healthy baking
eggless recipes
comfort foods
blueberry recipes
biscotti recipes
pudding recipes
english tea party
trifle recipes
ice cream recipes
strawberry recipes
lemon recipes
thanksgiving baking
candy recipes
halloween baking
valentine's baking
christmas cookies
christmas baking
christmas candy
baking history
bibliography

 
Subscribe Now
 

Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe & Video

Printer Friendly Page

Pin It

Americans love peanut butter in their cooking, their candy bars, in peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and especially in Peanut Butter Cookies. Of course, that classic crisscross pattern make this cookie instantly recognizable. And that 'sweet and salty' flavor combination make them irresistible. There is even an ongoing debate about whether smooth or crunchy peanut butter make the best cookies. Some say that women and children prefer the smooth type, while men go for crunchy peanut butter.

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.

Peanut butter has been an American favorite ever since its introduction at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. Dr. Kellogg is credited with making it popular 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 made. 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.

Peanut butter is a smooth paste made from roasted peanuts. The peanuts are ground, and then salt, a sweetener, and sometimes a stabilizer (to keep the oil from separating) are added. There are two types of peanut butter, and the ones that are labeled "Old-Fashioned" or "Natural" do not contain a stabilizer which means the peanut butter will separate and you will have to stir the peanut butter before using.

Related Recipes You May Like

Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Peanut Butter Cups

Peanut Butter Balls

Peanut Butter Fudge

Peanut Blossom Cookies

Peanut Butter Cookies: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place the oven rack in the center of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In the bowl of your electric stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter until smooth. Add the sugars and vanilla extract and beat until well mixed. Beat in the peanut butter. Scrape down the sides and bottom of your bowl as needed. Add the egg 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 or chocolate chips, if using. (If the batter is too soft to form into balls, place in the refrigerator for about an 30-60 minutes or until firm.)

Roll the batter into 2 inch (5 cm) round balls (35 grams for each cookie). Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheet, spacing several inches (10 cm) apart. Flatten the cookies into 2 1/2 inch (6.5 cm) rounds using the bottom of a glass. Then, using the tines of the fork that has been dipped in granulated white sugar, make a crisscross pattern. 

Bake the cookies for about 10 - 13 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly browned around the edges but still soft in the center. Rotate your baking sheet front to back about halfway through baking. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Can be stored at room temperature, in an airtight container, for about 3 to 5 days, or they can be frozen.

Makes about 24 - 3 1/2 inch (9 cm) cookies.

View comments on this recipe on YouTube

Peanut Butter Cookies:

3/4 cup (170 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup (100 grams) light brown sugar, firmly packed

1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated white sugar

1 teaspoon (4 grams) pure vanilla extract

3/4 cup (185 grams) peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)

1 large egg (50 grams), at room temperature

2 cups (260 grams) all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon (2 grams) baking soda

1/4 teaspoon (1 gram) salt

1/2 cup (80 grams) chopped peanuts or 1/2 cup (80 grams) chocolate chips (optional)

Subscribe Now
 
     
 

 

 

New Videos

   
   

 
 

Contact Us   Privacy Policy

Use of materials on all pages on the domains Joyofbaking.com, joyofbaking.mobi, the Joyofbaking.com Facebook Page, @joyofbaking on Twitter, the Joyofbaking.com RSS Feed, the Joyofbaking.com email list the Joyofbaking1 YouTube Channel and any emails sent from @joyofbaking.com are entirely at the risk of the user and their owner, iFood Media LLC will not be responsible for any damages directly or indirectly resulting from the use.

References cited may include a link to purchase the referenced book or item on Amazon.com. Joyofbaking.com receives a commission on any purchases resulting from these links.

This website and the contents are not endorsed or sponsored by the owner of the "Joy of Cooking" series of books or its publisher Simon & Schuster, Inc. and is not related to the  "Joy the Baker" books and website. Video icons by Asher.

Content in any form may not be copied or used without written permission of Stephanie Jaworski, Joyofbaking.com.  Students and non profit educators may use content without permission with proper credit. 

A baking resource on the Internet since 1997

Copyright  1997 to 2023 iFood Media LLC