Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram When we got home from traveling for the holidays, I told Eric that putting away all the new gifts after Christmas is the same exact way that I feel when I come home from Costco. Like, technically I’m glad I have food now. But I still have no idea how I’m going to fit these jumbo items into my kitchen! Small house problems, am I right? It’s like one giant game of Tetris that you never win. Instead you are punished with packets of food falling in your face when you open the cupboard, because last time you were so fed up that you literally threw stuff in and slammed the door, hoping you aren’t the next one to open it. (Oh, is this just at my house??) And today I’ve got another winner for you: these are the BEST Peanut Butter Cookies in the world. Hands down. Stop the search. This is THE ONE! Someday I will share my mother-in-law Kris’ peanut butter cookie recipe. Hers is the classic version with a slightly chewy center but a definite snap on the edges, the kind your grandma probably made. (Hint: it’s similar to Betty Crocker). Both types of cookies (crispy vs soft) have their place in the world. Sometimes you want a nice snappy cookie that will hold up to multiple milk dippings. Other times you want a completely decadent, indulgent, knock-you-out-with-peanut-butter cookie experience, the kind you might need to sit down for. That’s what today’s recipe is. Beat the butter and sugars together for 1-2 minutes until completely mixed. There should be no chunks of butter, it should be completely smooth like this picture on the left. Next add in the peanut butter! I love Jif. I’m a choosy mom like that. I didn’t feel this way until recently, actually. I was using generic peanut butter for testing these very cookies when my brother Nathan came over and helped me do a blind taste test between generic and Jif. I spun around in a circle 3 times to disorient myself, closed my eyes, and he was supposed to feed me a bite of each one, but instead he smashed it all over my face (brothers, amiright?) and then he gave me 2 spoonfuls of the same peanut butter in a row to throw me off, but it didn’t matter, once I tried them both I could tell immediately which one was higher quality. Jif won hands down (the texture is SO much creamier and more homogenous), so now I can say I’m a choosy mom. A choosy mom with peanut butter all over her chin and in her hair. THANKS A LOT NATE.Anyway. Add in that full cup of peanut butter, plus 2 tablespoons for good measure. Mix it in until combined. Add in an egg and some vanilla. Mix it up. Then add in your dry ingredients: flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder. I did a lot of testing with the baking soda and powder for this recipe. A 1/2 teaspoon each is my favorite combo. Using only baking soda makes your cookies crisp up on the edges a bit more, and they flatten more. A combination of both lands you with the perfect texture, just enough crisp on the edges (but not too much!) and the perfect puffiness level. Mix the dough together, but don’t overdo it! Over mixed dough makes for tough cookies. At this point you can chill…if you want. This is a really soft dough, so it’s actually easier to handle if you chill it a bit. It’s not necessary, though. Use a cookie scoop to shape your cookies. I love the textured edge of a cookie released from a dough scoop. I don’t roll them in my hands to smooth out the edges. I feel like this is actually one of the secrets to that gorgeous textured, layered cookie-top that you love. Next, smash with a fork (I know, I know, I was just talking about the texture of the top…you still get it on the edges if you don’t roll smooth in your hands. Am I going a little too deep here??) I like to dip the fork in sugar if it starts to stick to the dough. Flour will work too. (But who wants flour all over their cookie?) Don’t smash them too much. The thickness of your cookie when it goes in the oven is about the thickness it will be when baked. I like to smash them to be about 1/2 inch tall. Bake until they are just baaaarely starting to brown on the very edge, and devour immediately.
Add semi sweet chocolate chips or peanut butter chips Add M&Ms. Bonus points if their color matches the nearest holiday! Use chunky peanut butter for some crunch Drizzle finished cookies with melted peanut butter and let cool
But if you really want to step it up a notch, try out some of my other favorite peanut butter cookie recipes, like this Outrageous Pretzel Reese’s Peanut Butter Cookies or Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies (even the frosting has peanut butter in it!). Or my new easy favorite, No Bake Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies. A childhood classic! Once they’re cool, place cookies in a tightly closed plastic container or resealable bag. They will stay fresh for 3-5 days. Good luck. Another great option is the freezer. Gently stack cookies in freezer-weight ziplocks after they are cooled, or store in an airtight container. Let thaw on the counter in the container until they reach room temp. Also, don’t ignore your reheat options. Warm yesterday’s cookies in the microwave for 10-20 seconds to soften them. It almost tastes like they are just out of the oven! All you have to do is roll out the dough balls as if you were going to bake. Roll them in sugar and store in a ziplock. (I do this all the time, and rarely is there a moment in my life when I don’t have cookie dough balls of some kind in my freezer.) You can even bake straight from frozen, no need to thaw first. You might need to add 1-2 minutes to the bake time. Watch them!
