Just Like Mom Used To Make

Old-Fashioned Chunky Peanut Butter Cookies

Dessert

This recipe for peanut butter cookies is from my mom’s very first cookbook, Miss B’s First Cookbook, which she received in 1950.  My mom would have been eight at that time, so I suspect the crayon markings all over the book are mine.

These are the cookies I grew up with. It was my job to press the fork tines into the cookies to form the hatch marks. I love the first instruction: “Have Mother light the oven …”

I have updated the recipe a tad using butter instead of shortening and adding ground dry roasted peanuts to boost the peanut flavor. I use Extra Crunchy Skippy Super Chunk peanut butter, because that is what Tom and I both grew up with. Use whatever peanut butter you prefer, but not the ones with oil on the top that have to be stirred, as the texture of the cookies will be off.

I used my stand mixer to make these cookies but growing up we did it with a hand mixer and my mom learned to make these with a wooden spoon!

The cookies will spread so bake eight on a sheet. For a cookie that is chewy in the center and crispy around the edges, bake them just until the edges are slightly golden and the cookie looks somewhat underdone as they will firm up while cooling. Tom prefers them barely baked at the 10-minute mark. For a crispier cookie leave in two minutes longer until barely golden.

Much to my surprise, after nearly 27 years of marriage, I just learned that peanut butter cookies are Tom’s favorite! I always thought it was Thin Mints. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 cup salted dry-roasted peanuts, ground in food processor or blender
2 large eggs at room temperature
8 oz. unsalted butter (2 sticks) softened, but still cool
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup extra-crunchy peanut butter
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon fine sea salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, a Silpat or spray with non-stick cooking spray.

In a small bowl, whisk the eggs until frothy and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together and set aside.

In a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter until creamy. Add both sugars and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the peanut butter until incorporated, then the whisked eggs and then the vanilla.

Gently stir the dry ingredients into the peanut butter mixture. Add the ground peanuts and stir until just incorporated.

Using your fingers or two tablespoons, roll a generous tablespoon of dough into a ball and drop onto the prepared cookie sheet about 2 inches apart as they will spread. Eight cookies per sheet.

Using a fork dipped in water, press the cookies flat and then rotate 90 degrees and press into the dough a second time to make the crosshatch marks on the cookies.Bake until the cookies are slightly golden on the edges, 10 to 12 minutes. They will look somewhat underdone but firm up as they cool. If you prefer crispy cookies, bake 12-15 minutes. Let cool on the sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Refrigerate the dough between batches and allow the baking sheets to cool completely before doing the next batch.

Makes 40 cookies.

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