Delicious Peanut Butter Cookies

This peanut butter cookie recipe allows you to make a delicious dessert in your kitchen in just 50 minutes. These cookies will just melt in your mouth. This is a classic treat that is popular because of its easy preparation, simple ingredients, and smooth peanut butter flavor. Well, if you want to make this dessert at home, follow this perfect peanut butter cookie recipe. 

Ah, the irresistible allure of freshly baked peanut butter cookies! With their rich, nutty flavor and chewy texture, these classic treats are a beloved favorite for cookie lovers of all ages. Whether enjoyed as an afternoon snack with a glass of milk or as a sweet ending to a meal, peanut butter cookies never fail to satisfy a craving for something deliciously comforting. So why not indulge your sweet tooth and whip up a batch of these delightful cookies in your own kitchen? With just a handful of simple ingredients and a few easy steps, you'll be on your way to cookie bliss in no time!

Vadim Rachok

Chef

What are Peanut Butter Cookies?

Peanut Butter Cookies are a popular classic in the baking world, known for their delightful combination of sweet and nutty flavors. These cookies typically have a smooth, chewy texture with a slightly crispy edge. This makes them a delicious treat for peanut butter lovers. Peanut butter, our star ingredient, adds a rich, creamy taste and a strong nuttiness, enhanced by sweet sugar and warm vanilla extract. 

Peanut Butter Cookies are often decorated with the signature crisscross pattern made with a fork before baking. This adds visual appeal and texture to every bite. Whether enjoyed as a snack with a glass of milk or as an after-dinner dessert, they are a timeless favorite that always satisfies a desire for something sweet and nutty.

Why You’ll Love These Soft Peanut Butter Cookies

• They have a soft center with slightly crispy exteriors and crumbly edges.
• Easy to make with 8 ingredients.
• They are super easy to make.
• Nice peanut butter taste.

Ingredients for Peanut Butter Cookies

• Flour: Flour is the basic ingredient in peanut butter cookies and is responsible for the structure and binding of the dough. It helps the cookies hold their shape during baking and gives the cookies their characteristic texture.
• Powdered Sugar: Also called confectioners’ sugar, icing sugar adds sweetness to cookies and contributes to their soft texture. It provides a smooth consistency and evenly distributed sweetness because it dissolves easily into the dough.
• Baking Powder: Baking powder acts as a leavening agent to help the cookies rise and become light and airy during the baking process. It gives the dough a slight rise, resulting in cookies with a tender crumb.
• Salt: Salt enhances cookie flavor, balancing sweetness and bringing out the nutty flavor of peanut butter. It also helps to intensify other flavors in the dough, resulting in a cookie that is more complex and more satisfying.
• Egg: Eggs play an important role in helping to bind the ingredients together and in giving the dough its structure. They give the cookie a tender, chewy texture and add moisture and richness.
• Vanilla Sugar: Adds a subtle but distinct taste to biscuits, enhancing their overall taste and aroma. It provides a hint of warmth and sweetness that is complementary to the flavor of the peanut butter.
• Peanut Butter: Peanut butter is the main ingredient in Cookies, providing their signature nutty flavor and creamy texture. It adds richness and depth of flavor to the cookies, making them irresistibly delicious.
• Whole peanuts: Whole peanuts are often added to add crunch and texture. They provide a delightful contrast to the soft and chewy cookie base. They add a satisfying bite and nuttiness to every bite.

Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe

1. First, beat egg and butter with a blender (use whisk attachment) until smooth.
2. Then, add vanilla sugar, peanut butter, powdered sugar, and salt. 
3. Beat until smooth (1 – 1.5 minutes)
4. Then, mix baking powder with flour and add to the egg and peanut mixture in batches.
5. Add the whole peanuts, reserving some for decoration. Form balls of 1,4-2 ounces (40-60 g) each.  
6. Press them down a bit and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. The distance between the cookies on the baking sheet should be 4-5 cm.
7. Then, sprinkle the remaining peanuts on top. Preheat the oven to 338 degrees F (170 degrees C) and bake for 20 minutes.
8. After baking, let the cookies rest for 20 to 30 minutes. Enjoy!

Chef Recipe Tips:

• You can add your favorite spices to the cookies: cinnamon, orange zest, freeze-dried raspberries, and others. 
• Do not let the cookies keep for more than 2 days. 
• Cookies are perfect to enjoy with a cup of coffee.

The Origin of Peanut Butter Cookies

The exact origin of the peanut butter cookie is a bit murky, but it is believed that the cookie was introduced to the United States sometime in the early 20th century. The peanut butter itself became popular at the end of the 19th century, thanks to the invention of the peanut butter-making machine. Bakers began to experiment with incorporating peanut butter into a variety of recipes, including cookies, as its popularity grew.

Peanut butter cookies were already a familiar treat, as one of the earliest published recipes for peanut butter cookies appeared in a 1916 issue of Good Housekeeping magazine. Appreciated for their deliciously nutty flavor and soft, chewy texture, peanut butter cookies have become a beloved classic of American baking ever since. Today, peanut butter lovers of all ages enjoy them not only in the United States but around the world.

How to Decorate Peanut Butter Cookies

The classic way of decorating peanut butter cookies is with crosses, but you can also use a decorative cookie stamp or rolling pin. If you want to add a little sparkle to your cookies, try rolling them in coarse powdered sugar just before you bake them.

Fun Peanut Butter Cookie Variations

• Roll cookie dough in sugar before pressing with a fork.
• Add a Hershey’s Kiss to the dough. Skip the fork marks (don’t press them, leave them as a ball). Roll the balls of cookie dough in the granulated sugar and bake them according to the baking instructions. Press in a chocolate Hershey’s Kiss (from the wrapper, of course) when the cookies come out of the oven. 
• Try using almond butter. For an easy almond butter cookie, swap out the peanut butter for almond butter.

Peanut Butter Cookies: Storing and Freezing

Once baked, the cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days before they will dry out.

To store or freeze cookie dough: Store cookie dough in the refrigerator for up to 3 days with plastic wrap pressed against the dough. To freeze cookie dough, line a sheet pan with foil, then place cookie dough balls on top. Press with a fork to make cross-hatch marks. Freeze until set. Transfer frozen cookie dough to an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Bake according to directions, adding a few minutes to the baking time.