I can promise you, this will be the only version of peanut butter cookies you will ever need.
George Washington Carver (1864–1943), an American agricultural extension educator, from Alabama’s Tuskegee Institute, was the most well known promoter of the peanut as a replacement for the cotton crop, which had been heavily damaged by the boll weevil. He compiled 105 peanut recipes from various cookbooks, agricultural bulletins and other sources. In his 1925 research bulletin called How to Grow the Peanut and 105 Ways of Preparing it for Human Consumption, he included three recipes for peanut cookies calling for crushed or chopped peanuts. It was not until the early 1930s that peanut butter was listed as an ingredient in the cookies.
Try some of other great cookie recipes.
Classic Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup crunchy peanut butter use creamy if desired
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup peanut butter chips
- 1/2 cup roasted and salted peanuts chopped
Instructions
- Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat together butter and both sugars (a paddle attachment is best for this). Beat until creamy (2-3 minutes). Add in 1 egg at a time, and continue to beat at a lower speed. Once eggs are incorporated, add in vanilla and peanut butter. Pause to scrape down the sides of a bowl with a rubber spatula when needed. Beat until well combined and creamy, set aside.
- In a smaller bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Fold dry ingredients into wet until a thick dough forms. Be sure to scrape down the bottom and the sides of the bowl to ensure dry ingredients are completely mixed in the dough. Fold in peanut butter chips and peanuts. Cover dough and refrigerate for at least 3 hours (or overnight).
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees when ready to bake.
- Using a 1.5 – 2 inch ice cream scoop, or large spoon, spoon cookie dough onto a baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Using a fork, gently press down on the cookies in two directions to create a criss-cross fork pattern across the cookies. Cookies should flatten slightly, but maintain a thick shape.
- Bake for 16-18 minutes (depends on oven and thickness of cookies). Cookies will still look slightly raw in the middle when pulled out of the oven, and will be soft to the touch and also slightly firm. Cool on the pan for at least 5 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack or cool surface.
- Cookies can be stored in an air tight container for a few days, or stored in the freezer and defrosted when ready to consume. Dough can stay in the fridge for up to 3 days, but should be moved to the freezer after 3 days.
