The title says it all. A recipe for Peanut Butter Cookies for the Peanut Butter Lover. And from the Peanut Butter Lover. I’ve been working on what I feel is the perfect peanut butter cookie for years! These are very popular in my extended family. Check out the PBJ Thumbprint cookie variation at the bottom of this post.

Peanut Butter Cookies
Cream together:
-1/2 cup or 1 stick butter
-1 1/4 c peanut butter

Then add one at a time:
-2 eggs
And allow each to whip for 1 minute.

Mix in:
-3/4 c brown sugar
-2/3 c sugar
Mix then add:
-1 tbs vanilla
And mix until creamy.

Mix together in a separate bowl:
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 2/3 cup flour
Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. You only need add flour until the cookie dough pulls away from the bowl – after that you’re over-flouring.

Take your cookie dough, cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes. Take out only what you need for each batch, and return the rest to the refrigerator. Using a tablespoon, make cookies into balls that measure two tablespoons of dough, at least 1 inch apart on your cookie sheet. After you place the dough balls on the sheet, flatten them very slightly.

Bake at 375 for 9-12 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies begin to brown. Allow to rest on the sheet about 3 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Store cookies in an airtight container.

Tips & Variations:
*Never use a fork to make a pattern on top of your cookies. This does nothing but make a pretty mark, and harden your cookies.
*You can leave the dough in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and bake only a few per day! Or, roll the dough into a log sealed with plastic wrap, place in a zipper bag and freeze.
*To recreate that “fresh from the oven” sensation, place cookies on a paper towel or plate. Microwave for 8-10 seconds per cookie.
*I like to store cookies in zipper bags. I line up the cookies sideways, the full length of the bag and only lay one row in the bottom. This keeps air out and keeps the cookies from being damaged by other cookies.

*PBJ Thumbprints: Make cookies only 1 tbs (tablespoon) in size, then place them on the sheet with a thumbprint in the center. Place a teaspoon of your favorite jelly in the center, then bake (baking time will be shorter than large cookies). YUM.
*Other Variations: Add whatever you like to your cookies! I made half of this batch plain peanut butter, then for the second half I mixed in 1/2 cup chocolate chips and 1/4 cup oatmeal.

Have a wonderful day!

-Amelia