Favourite Recipe: Peanut Butter Cookies

This is a tried and true cookie recipe that I’ve been making since I was in High School (in other words….a VERY long time).

One memory of these cookies that will forever be embedded in my brain is coming home from high school with friends. These same friends, victims of hunger and cookie-monster-like reflexes quickly eyeballed a container on the counter, opened it, and each stuffed a cookie into their mouth so fast I couldn’t get a warning out.

That’s when I lost it. 🙂 I burst out laughing……and couldn’t stop!
My family (myself included), for some unknown reason–had forgotten about the cookies inside and just assumed the cookie jar was empty. So there they sat. Waiting. Waiting for a hapless victim for close to 2 months. Yes, my friends were shocked by both my laughter and the cookie/sawdust in their mouths that couldn’t be swallowed due to the 2 month drying out period they had endured. . Ahahhahahhaaa! Yup. Memories……

That being said….they really are good when still warm out of the oven, or a day or two later…..if they last that long 😉

Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup butter (room temperature & unsalted)
1 cup peanut butter (I use smooth)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. In a large bowl, cream together butter & peanut butter. Add sugars, blending well. Add eggs and mix together.

3. Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl.

4. Alternate adding & mixing: 1 cup at a time of dry ingredients into the peanut butter mix.

5. Roll into 1 inch balls and place on parchment paper lined baking sheet. Mark cross wise with a fork pressing down slightly. Bake for 12-15 minutes depending on your oven and how brown you like them.

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NOTE: Make sure to use a good peanut butter. I grabbed this one out of the cupboard which had been bought in error (right brand/wrong jar):

Well, my first batch spread out on the cookie sheet into one giant ugly mass. Not cool. I couldn’t understand why…..then I looked at the label.
Notice the “25% less fat“? Arrrrggghhhh!!

Then I remembered the real stuff I had in the fridge….. Back to the drawing board (or in this case, bowl)!