Peanut butter is one of those things that almost everyone has tried at least once. From squashed peanut butter sandwiches in primary school to spicy peanut satay to the world famous Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and everything in between, there is a wide variety of uses for peanut butter in sweet or savoury cooking.
This Peanut Butter Cookie recipe was brought back from South America by my Grandmother when I was still very young and I unfortunately don't remember if she ever used it, but in recent years I found it in her archive of recipes and gave it a whirl.
These cookies are chewy, decadent and highly addictive. Great for a special occasion or just to have with afternoon tea, they're also a great base for Peanut Snickerdoodles, with some crushed macadamias or cashews for some variety, or a smattering of choc-chips (peanut M&Ms are great in them too).
Image by Janet Hudson (Wikimedia Commons)
1 1/4 Cups sifted plain four
1 Teaspoon of baking powder*
1/2 Teaspoon of salt
1/2 Cup of softened butter or shortening. Margarine will not work.
1/2 Cup of smooth or crunch peanut butter depending on preference.
1/2 Cup of granulated white sugar
1/2 Cup of brown sugar, packed tightly
1/2 Teaspoon of vanilla essence
1 large egg
Method:
1) Preheat oven to 375F (around 190C) on the bake setting, not fan forced. If you only have fan forced, preheat to 170C instead.
Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.
2) Using an electric beater, beat the softened butter on high until it is white and fluffy.
3) Beat in the peanut butter and sugar for another 2 minutes.
Add the vanilla and egg and beat gently to combine.
4) Stir in flour mixture until there are no floury lumps remaining. The mixture should be firm but pliable, almost like play dough. If it is too thin, sift in 1 tablespoon of flour at a time until it is the right texture. If it is too thick, add 1 tablespoon of milk until you reach the right texture.
5) Line a tray with baking paper and using a teaspoon to measure, drop rounds of dough onto the tray. Use a fork to flatten the rounds, dipping it in flour between each cookie to prevent it from sticking.
6) Bake the cookies in batches for about 12 minutes per batch for chewy cookies. Use 2 baking trays so the first has time to cool before putting more dough on it.
Enjoy your freshly baked cookies with a cup of milk.
*If you don't have baking powder, substitute the plain flour with the equivalent amount of self raising flour.
