I have to admit, peanut butter cookies have never been my favorite. I tend to naturally gravitate towards any cookie with chocolate as my priority, and sometimes find peanut butter cookies to have an odd texture, almost sandy. And so, I have not often made them, and never made them for the blog. By the end of this blog post you will see why I feel remorse for this decision.
But where do peanut butter cookies come from? Did they just start when time began, showing up at gatherings across centuries?
When I was in school as a kid, I recall associating George Washington Carver with Peanut Butter. He encouraged the use of peanuts and even provided recipes featuring them as a key ingredient. Of course, his expertise went well beyond peanuts. as Carver was a botanist and teacher who taught of proper gardening and cultivation techniques.
A quote, from Carver, that I so agree with: “It is not the style of clothes one wears, neither the kind of automobile one drives, nor the amount of money one has in the bank, that counts. These mean nothing. It is simply service that measures success.”
It is in one of his pamphlets that the first peanut butter cookie recipe has been traced. In a world of immense availability - availability of out of off season fruits and vegetables, ingredients from around the world, and so on, it is important to appreciate a time when we cooked with what was available. This recipe is born from necessity, and that makes it not only an interesting read, but an interesting bake.
It starts with whipping together oil and peanut butter, then adding the sugar. The basis for many a cookie recipe, but dairy free. I opted for a dairy free recipe as I was making these for family and being cautious of an allergy.
Then, I added the eggs and mixed well. I mixed the dry ingredients together separately, then slowly poured it into the peanut butter mixture.
Though not a requirement, I refrigerated the dough for about 10 minutes to firm it up. I wanted to be able to easily roll the dough up. I used a cookie scoop to spoon out even sections of dough, then rolled the dough into a ball in my hands. I put some sugar in a bowl and rolled the cookie in it before placing it on a pan.
I set the cookies on a silicone baking sheet lined cookie pan.
I gently smashed the cookies flatter, then used a fork to imprint the traditional crisscross pattern known of peanut butter cookies (and interestingly, the crisscross pattern came about as a way to flatten the dough and make it a consistent shape).
I had about 3 trays total of little peanut butter cookies.
Easy enough! That's all there is to it.
The cookies turned out delightful - moist and well, peanut buttery.
Not only did they turn out cute, they tasted excellent.
These changed my perception of the peanut butter cookie potentials. They were a zippy recipe to put together and made for a delicious little treat. Save these for the next get together and you can proudly show off your dairy-free skills.
Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe
Ingredients:
Instructions:
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup coconut oil (or softened butter)
- 1/2 cup sugar + 1/4 cup additional
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter (crunchy if you prefer)
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
- 1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Beat together the butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Stir in peanut butter, then egg. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add in to the wet ingredients, stirring until combined. Refrigerate dough for 10 minutes to firm up. Scoop dough, then roll into a ball. Roll in sugar, then place on a parchment or silicone lined baking sheet. Flatten using a fork to create pattern on top. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until lightly browned.
adapted from peanut butter cookies
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