Peanut Butter cookies are my absolute favorite! They become even more delightful when I use mydifferent Peanut Butter Cookie Variations. Any time I take these cookies to a get together, they disappear quickly, so leave some at home for your family. There will be no left-overs! Plus, this is a recipe the kids can help with!
Ingredients for Peanut Butter Cookies:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup creamy or crunchy peanut butter (My preference for flavor is Jif Creamy)
3/4 cup firmly packed pure cane brown sugar
1/4 cup pure cane granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons pure cane granulated sugar (separate in a small bowl)
Instructions for Peanut Butter Cookies:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a medium mixing bowl, beat together butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and 1/4 cup granulated sugar until creamy.
Add egg, vanilla, and salt; continue beating until light and fluffy.
Add flour and baking soda, beat until thoroughly combined.
Shape dough in to balls (about 1 1/2 inch in diameter). Roll the balls in bowl of granulated sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
This is where the fun begins! At this point you can do the usual fork criss crosses on the top and bake them for 8 to 10 minutes.
…or, here are some fun variations for your Peanut Butter Cookies:
Peanut Butter Heaven:
(at least that’s what I call them)! This variation makes my favorite kind of cookie even better.
Needed:
12 ounce bag of Reese Peanut Butter Cups (milk or dark chocolate)
Instead of doing the fork criss crosses, go ahead and put your peanut butter cookies in the oven.
Bake them at 375 degrees F for 8 to 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, open some Reese Cups, one for each cookie you have in the oven.
As soon as you get them out of the oven, press one Reese Cup in to the center of each of your cookies.
Allow to cool on a cooling rack (as long as you can stand it), enjoy!
Peanut Butter Kisses:
Needed: 12 ounce bag of Hershey Kisses
Same as above, only press a Hershey Kiss in to the center of each cookie.
Peanut Butter and Jelly Thumbprints:
Needed: a jar of your favorite jelly or jam
For this variation, don’t roll your peanut butter balls in sugar. Place balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees F. Immediately upon removal from the oven, make an imprint with a wooden spoon handle (about the size of your thumb) in the center of each cookie. Fill the center of each ‘thumbprint’ with 1/4 teaspoon of your favorite kind of jelly, jam, etc. (i.e. strawberry preserves, raspberry jam, grape jelly). Remove cookies from cookie sheet from cookie sheet, cool on cooling racks. Enjoy!
Do you have a Peanut Butter Cookie Variation? Tell me about it!
