There is something that is so comforting about baking; I can’t quite put my finger on it. Maybe it is the meditative process of carefully measuring out the ingredients. Perhaps it could be the bringing together of something from simple household ingredients. Or maybe it is just that you are making something with butter and sugar. Regardless, I have loved turning to baking during difficult times in my life. Whether you are celebrating or looking for comfort, these peanut butter cookies hit the mark. These went through so many rounds of testing so they could be perfection when I gave them to you. The end result cookies are perfectly crips on the outside while buttery soft on the inside and packed with peanut butter flavor.
Tips and Tricks
While these are easy peanut butter cookies, there are a few tips and tricks that will ensure that these turn out perfect.
Use room temperature butter. Room temperature butter will feel cold to the touch. You should be able to easily dent it without your finger going too deep or all the way through. Resist the urge to microwave your butter to soften it. It will work better to cut it into 1 inch pieces and leave it on the counter for 15 to 30 minutes depending on the time of year. Properly measure your flour. While your best bet is to use a kitchen scale, if you follow my steps below, you will get the perfect amount of flour without it packing. Use baking soda that is fresh. Baking soda typically needs to be replaced every three months. You can test yours by placing a little in some vinegar. It should bubble right away. Do not use baking powder. It is not interchangeable with baking soda. Make sure to pack your brown sugar. It is what helps make these cookies chewy. Bring your eggs to room temperature. To do this, put them in a bowl of luke warm water for five minutes while you are prepping the rest of the recipe. Cream your butter and sugar for about three minutes. This is an important step of the recipe, as the sugar beats air into the butter and is part of what makes your cookies delightfully chewy. So you aren’t just “mixing” these two ingredients, you are really working them together. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients all at once. Read more on this below. Use a cookie scoop. This creates uniform cookies that cook at the same rate. Use good baking sheets. A baking sheet can literally make or break a cookie recipe. See my recommendation below. Rotate your cookies while baking. Lots of ovens have hot spots and this will help them cook evenly.
Other Great Cookie Recipes
I have so many great classic cookie recipes. Here are a few to try next: Here are step by step instructions to measuring flour. I have learned that you will be less likely to over mix if you add all the flour at once. To do this, you add all of the dry ingredients at once. Turn your mixer on very low and get it incorporated just enough that when you turn up your mixer the flour won’t fly out of the bowl. Then you crank the mixer up all the way for just a matter of seconds until the flour is just incorporated. The end result is dough that has mixed for a fraction of the time compared to mixing in a little of the flour mixture at a time. You can store it like this for 3 months. When you are ready to bake, put the frozen dough (as many cookies as you would like to make), on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 11 to 12 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. My peanut butter cookie recipe is also great for freezing after baking. After the cookies have cooled completely, place in an airtight container in the freezer for up to three months. My husband likes eating frozen cookies right from the freezer without any thawing.
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If you make these cookies or any of my other recipes, leave me a comment and let me know what you think!
