Peanut Butter Cookies

Would you like some favorite peanut butter cookies?  You can choose plain or the chocolate chip variation. 

I

I'm using a favorite teacup and teapot that some dear friends gave to me.  It's so romantic looking with the roses on it.  The day I made these cookies, my son Kevin, DIL, Kristen, and granddaughters Harper and Hayden came over after mountain biking.  You should see the little girls fly on their bikes!!  They couldn't keep their hands off the warm cookies.  I think they loved them. 

My table covering is a soft pale pink throw.  My lady head vase is filled with alstroemeria, which seem to last me a long time.  The picture was from an Alaskan cruise that my late beloved and I took back in 2006.

The teas are from Adagio.  Hugs and Kisses is an herbal tea, Ripe for Romance is a black tea, and Sweet Nothings is a white tea.  

Yield: About 3 dozen

Author: Kitty, but from The Best Recipe cookbook from Cook's Illustrated

Peanut Butter Cookies

This is a family favorite cookie, with a chocolate chip variation. I made half plain, and the other half with chocolate chips.

Ingredients

• 2 and 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks salted butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup extra crunchy peanut butter
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 cup roasted salted peanuts, ground in food processor to resemble bread crumbs

Instructions

1. Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions and heat to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside.
3. With electric mixer, beat butter until creamy. Add sugars; beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes, stopping to scrape down the bowl as necessary. Beat in peanut butter until fully incorporated, then eggs, one at a time, then vanilla. Gently stir dry  ingredients into peanut butter mixture.  Add ground peanuts; stir gently until just incorporated. See NOTE.
4. Roll dough into 2" balls. Place on the lined cookie sheets, leaving 2 and 1/2" between each ball. Press dough twice with dinner fork dipped in cold water to make crisscross design.
5. Bake, reversing position of sheets halfway through baking time, until cookies are puffed and slightly brown along the edges, but not on top, 10-12 minutes. Cookies will not look fully baked. Cool cookies on cookie sheet until set, about 4 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to completely cool.

Notes:

Variation: Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Follow recipe, adding 1 and 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips with the ground nuts.

I took out half the dough and left it plain, and added 3/4 cup chocolate chips to the other half.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Thank you for your visit!  xo

I am sharing this with:

Love Your Creativity Link Party

Full Plate Thursday at Miz Helen's Country Cottage

Encouraging Hearts and Home