Classic Peanut Butter Cookies

Classic Peanut Butter Cookies - made dough December 19, 2015 from Sally's Baking Addiction

You’ve heard me say repeatedly that I’m indifferent to peanut butter. And that’s really true. Even when I add chocolate chips to peanut butter baked goods, I still can take them or leave them. I have 2 big Costco-sized jars of peanut butter in my pantry which are still unopened and it’s unlikely I’ll be able to make enough peanut butter baked goods to use even one of them. So they’re both going to the donation bin at my local library to be distributed to a local food pantry. But that still left me with the already-opened jar of peanut butter, also Costco-sized, since I’m incapable of shopping elsewhere if it’s available at Costco.

The main, okay, the “only” reason I make peanut butter cookies is to have an excuse to use the pointy side of my meat mallet to make the crosshatches with instead of a fork. Seriously, that’s why I make peanut butter cookies. My meat mallet has yet to ever touch a piece of meat to tenderize it. But it knows its way around peanut butter cookie dough balls. I give full credit to my friend Annie the Baker for teaching me that trick.

Unfortunately, it’s harder to tell with these cookies since they spread enough that you couldn’t see the pointy indents. Bummer. I also didn’t want to press down too hard to make the indents since I didn’t want to flatten the cookie dough balls too much as I still had hopes for a thick cookie. Which I got but there was enough spread to almost bake out the indents. This cookie has only butter and no shortening so it won’t be as crisp or “dry” as other traditional peanut butter cookies and that’s fine with me. I despise the dry mouthfeel from those types of peanut butter cookies and prefer something more moist. I added both peanut butter chips and mini chocolate chips to these cookies to make them a little more interesting. Given my peanut butter indifference, can’t say I’d rave about these but that’s literally just me. I gave some to a coworker who loves peanut butter cookies and she did the raving for me so I guess they’re pretty good.

1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup creamy peanut butter
3 cups + 2 tablespoons (391 grams) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup granulated sugar, for rolling (optional)

1. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together on medium speed until smooth. Add the eggs and mix on high until combined, about 1 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla and peanut butter; mix on high until combined. Set aside.
2. In a separate bowl, toss the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together. Add to the wet ingredients and mix on low until combined. Cover dough tightly and chill for at least 3 hours. Or portion into golf-size dough balls, and, using the pointy side of a meat mallet dipped in granulated sugar, press indents into dough balls, flattening into thick discs. Cover and freeze until firm.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Evenly space cookie dough discs and bake for 11 minutes or until very lightly browned on the sides. Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.