Fabulous Peanut Butter Cookies
I wanted to make up a batch of peanut butter cookies that were thick and soft with a nice chewiness, in other words, perfect. So I started experimenting. My first few batches turned out crumbly… nope! I wanted cookies that were hard to resist and would disappeared quickly. So I kept at it until I finally ended up with these fabulous peanut butter cookies.
Part of the secret to great peanut butter cookies is in the baking. Since all ovens are different you may need to experiment over several pans to see what the perfect temperature and timing are for your cookies. These cookies should be browned on the bottom, but not browned around the edges. When they are done baking, they look like they need another minute.. but they don’t! The cookies are softer and more fragile when they are still warm but firm up as they cool. So try out these fabulous peanut butter cookies and see what you think, or see what your mouth thinks!
Makes approximately 3 -3.5 dozen cookies.
AuthorTeresaFirst mix your dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Mix the all purpose flour, salt and baking soda together and set the flour mixture aside. Reminder: If you use salted butter, then don't add salt to the flour mixture (unless you like your cookies extra salty).
Next, using your mixer and your cookie paddle begin by adding the butter, the peanut butter and the brown sugar to the mixing bowl. Mix on low speed (2-3) for about one minute.
Then add the eggs, vanilla and molasses to the batter and mix until the ingredients are well incorporated. Hint: if you oil your measuring spoon first, the molasses will fall right off of it.
Your batter should look thick like this.
Now grab your reserved flour mixture bowl and using a large spoon, add a few spoonful's of flour mixture to the batter, then turn on the mixer (ON LOW!!) and incorporate the flour mixture. Continue to add flour a bit at a time until the flour is all incorporated. I usually add two to three spoonful's of flour mixture at a time. If you add too much or start your mixture on too high of a speed, you'll have flour flying everywhere! Don't ask me how I know 😉
Once the flour mixture is incorporated, don't keep mixing, you don't want tough cookies. The final batter/dough should look like this.
Scoop the dough into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, flatten it then cover it with a lid and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. I usually refrigerate overnight.
Pre heat your oven to 350F/176C.
Weigh out chilled dough balls at 45 grams each. Flatten the balls gently and place on a baking sheet, I use a baking mat, but a parchment sheet would work as well. You could also use baking pan spray if you don't have either. Place about six balls per sheet to give plenty of room for the cookies to spread. Decorate your cookies with mnm's (I used miniature and regular mnm's and liked the miniature ones the best), chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, chopped peanuts etc (whatever your heart desires!) One of my kiddos helped me decorate, he liked less mnm's, I liked more.... hmmm
Place your oven rack in the middle of the oven. Bake only one pan of cookies at a time. Put your timer on for nine minutes. You do NOT want to over bake. Take the cookies out when the bottoms are browned, but there are no brown edges on top (then you've over baked). The cookies set up as they cool and are at their best once fully cooled. I even think they are better next day, if you have any left over by then! They are fragile hot out of the oven so be careful to wait a few minutes for them to cool before moving to a cooling rack.
Adjust the timing of your cookies, a minute more if they are not done enough, a minute less if they are too brown. Over browned cookies are crumbly, so don't over brown.
Optionally, you can make larger or smaller cookies, just adjust the time accordingly.
The cookies with lots of mnm's were the ones I decorated! 😀 Enjoy!
Ingredients
Directions
First mix your dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Mix the all purpose flour, salt and baking soda together and set the flour mixture aside. Reminder: If you use salted butter, then don't add salt to the flour mixture (unless you like your cookies extra salty).
Next, using your mixer and your cookie paddle begin by adding the butter, the peanut butter and the brown sugar to the mixing bowl. Mix on low speed (2-3) for about one minute.
Then add the eggs, vanilla and molasses to the batter and mix until the ingredients are well incorporated. Hint: if you oil your measuring spoon first, the molasses will fall right off of it.
Your batter should look thick like this.
Now grab your reserved flour mixture bowl and using a large spoon, add a few spoonful's of flour mixture to the batter, then turn on the mixer (ON LOW!!) and incorporate the flour mixture. Continue to add flour a bit at a time until the flour is all incorporated. I usually add two to three spoonful's of flour mixture at a time. If you add too much or start your mixture on too high of a speed, you'll have flour flying everywhere! Don't ask me how I know 😉
Once the flour mixture is incorporated, don't keep mixing, you don't want tough cookies. The final batter/dough should look like this.
Scoop the dough into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, flatten it then cover it with a lid and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. I usually refrigerate overnight.
Pre heat your oven to 350F/176C.
Weigh out chilled dough balls at 45 grams each. Flatten the balls gently and place on a baking sheet, I use a baking mat, but a parchment sheet would work as well. You could also use baking pan spray if you don't have either. Place about six balls per sheet to give plenty of room for the cookies to spread. Decorate your cookies with mnm's (I used miniature and regular mnm's and liked the miniature ones the best), chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, chopped peanuts etc (whatever your heart desires!) One of my kiddos helped me decorate, he liked less mnm's, I liked more.... hmmm
Place your oven rack in the middle of the oven. Bake only one pan of cookies at a time. Put your timer on for nine minutes. You do NOT want to over bake. Take the cookies out when the bottoms are browned, but there are no brown edges on top (then you've over baked). The cookies set up as they cool and are at their best once fully cooled. I even think they are better next day, if you have any left over by then! They are fragile hot out of the oven so be careful to wait a few minutes for them to cool before moving to a cooling rack.
Adjust the timing of your cookies, a minute more if they are not done enough, a minute less if they are too brown. Over browned cookies are crumbly, so don't over brown.
Optionally, you can make larger or smaller cookies, just adjust the time accordingly.
The cookies with lots of mnm's were the ones I decorated! 😀 Enjoy!
These look amazing! I’m making them this week 🙂
Let me know how they turn out for you Rochelle. 🙂