Shortly after my first book came out, my phone rang one night a little after 10:30 p.m. A reader had tracked me down to let me know, with urgency, that she loved these cookies, but that they took 10 minutes to bake in her oven instead of the 9 minutes indicated in the recipe. When in doubt, err on the side of underbaking so your peanut butter cookies remain moist. Take them out when they’re still a bit soft, as they’ll continue to firm up a bit after cooling. This time around, I’ve given a bit more latitude with the timing so as to avoid any late-night baking-related emergency phone calls.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 30 cookies
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Step 2
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a bowl by hand), beat together the butter, granulated and brown sugars, and the peanut butter on medium speed just until smooth. Beat in the egg. Add the flour mixture and mix just until the dough comes together. If necessary, knead the dough with your hands until smooth.
Step 3
Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours or up to overnight. (The rest gives the ingredients time to meld so the cookies bake up especially softy and chewy.)
Step 4
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature.
Step 5
Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Pour some granulated sugar into a small bowl.
Step 6
Pinch off pieces of dough and roll them into 1-inch (3-cm) balls. Roll the balls in the granulated sugar and place them 3 inches (8 cm) apart on the prepared baking sheets. When you’ve filled the baking sheets, flatten and make a crosshatch pattern on each cookie by pressing down on the ball with the back of the tines of a fork.
Step 7
Bake, rotating the baking sheets midway through baking, until the cookies begin to brown around the edges but the centers still look somewhat uncooked, 9 to 10 minutes. (Remove them from the oven before they look done so they’ll stay chewy once cooled.)
Step 8
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets until firm enough to handle, then use a spatula to transfer them to a wire rack.
Storage
Step 9
These cookies will keep well, stored in an airtight container, for up to 3 days.
tips
Step 10
Although I do prefer natural-style peanut butter for eating, I don’t use it for these cookies. It makes the dough crumbly and hard to roll, and the cookies bake up somewhat drier.
Step 11
The dough requires a good dose of baking powder for leavening, so make sure to use aluminum free baking powder, which won’t leave the cookies with an unpleasant aftertaste.
