Perfect Peanut Butter Cookies (small batch)

 

 

You might think I am being pretty audacious in calling this the Perfect Peanut Butter Cookie recipe.  Perhaps that is so, but after having baked them I can tell you that they are indeed pretty darn perfect peanut butter cookies. I don't think you can get much more perfect than these.

They have beautiful crisp and buttery edges and lovely dense and chewy middles. They are also loaded to the hilt with beautiful peanut flavor which is what you want from a great peanut butter cookie!

 

The recipe itself is one that I adapted from a cookie cookbook I have called The Perfect Cookie, by America's Test Kitchen.  It is a lovely book filled with 250 foolproof recipes.  I have always found that you can trust the recipes from America's Test Kitchen. 

They do all the legwork and testing so that you don't have to. I have found the recipes always work out perfectly. If they don't, then it's because you have done something you shouldn't have, or tried to cut corners.

 

I did take the liberty of cutting the recipe down to make a small batch of only 12 cookies. This worked very well.  They turned out beautiful.  Extra crunchy peanut butter gives them an intense nuttiness and the addition of dry roasted peanuts that have been blitzed to a fine crumb also add a layer of roasted peanutty goodness.

White sugar adds a lovely crisp edge, while brown sugar gives them a hint of smoky molasses flavor that goes very well in peanut butter cookies.  

Note, you can use regular creamy peanut butter, or crunchy peanut butter without any problems, but if you can get the extra crunchy do use that if you can for  a cookie with a beautiful peanut flavor.  These cookies are quite simply everything you are looking for in a peanut butter cookie. 

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE PERFECT PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES (small batch)

Pretty standard ingredients with a few surprises. These cookies are a great way to use up the last bits of of a jar of dry roasted peanuts!

• 1 1/4 cups (175g) plain all purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup (75g) salted dry roasted peanuts
• 8 TBS (1/2 cup/115g) butter
• 1/2 cup (100g) soft light brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (90g) crunchy peanut butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 large free range egg

 

I always use real butter and a good quality peanut butter when I am baking peanut butter cookies. Don't be tempted to use natural peanut butter. They will not turn out the same as they will with a simple ordinary peanut butter.

You can use smooth peanut butter if you wish, but I like the extra crunchy peanut butter which gives these cookies an extra peanutty oomph!

 

I did not add salt the recipe as I used salted butter and of course there are the dry roasted peanuts.  These will give you plenty of salty flavor. If you are using unsalted butter, you can add 1/2 tsp of salt to the recipe with the flour.

Don't be tempted to cut back on the sugar for this recipe. This is the amount of sugar needed to give you the correct consistency and fudgy texture for these delicious cookies.  The butter also gives them nice crisp edges.

 

HOW TO MAKE PERFECT PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES (small batch)

These go together quickly and easily in a stand mixer using the paddle attachment. If you don't have a stand  mixer you can use a hand mixer.

Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Line a large baking sheet with baking paper. Set aside.

Whisk the flour, soda, and baking power together until well combined in a bowl.

Put the peanuts into a food processor and pulse to fine crumbs. (Don't over pulse)

 

Put the butter and both sugars into the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Beat on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Add the peanut butter and beat for a further 30 seconds.

Add the vanilla and the egg, beat for about 30 seconds more, scraping down the side of the bowl as needed.

Reduce the speed to low and slowly beat in toe flour mixture, beating until well combined. Then stir in the chopped peanuts by hand, making sure there are no floury pockets.

Working with about 3 TBS of dough at a time, shape the dough into balls and place them onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving two inches in between each. Flatten slightly with two fingers. (You can also press down with a fork.)

Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are golden brown. The centers should have puffed up but begun to deflate.

Leave to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

 

These ARE the perfect peanut butter cookie. They have beautiful crisp edges and chewy dense middles.  Loaded with peanut flavor and lots of peanuts.  They went beautifully with a glass of cold milk.

You can easily double the recipe to make two dozen cookies if you wish.  These will keep beautifully, stored in a covered container at room temperature for 4 to 5 days.  You can also freeze them for longer. 

The dough can also be rolled into balls and frozen for up to one month.  Bake frozen cookies for 17 to 22  minutes in a 300*F/150*C.

 

If you are a small family and like small batch baking, you might also be interested in the following small batch recipes:

SMALL BATCH CHOCOLATE CHIP BARS -  Baked in a loaf tin, these bars may be small in size, but are HUGE on flavor!  These incredibly moreish bars lack none of the tastiness of their larger sized counterpart! Cuts into 8 wedge shaped bars.

MAGIC COOKIE BARS - Seven layers of deliciousness, layered in a 7 by 11 inch pan. Incredibly lush.  Moreish.  Much beloved.  Incredibly easy to make, bake and eat! This small batch makes 8 bars and lacks none of the deliciousness of its full-batch counterpart!

Yield: 12

Author: Marie Rayner

Perfect Peanut Butter Cookies

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 12 MinInactive time: 10 MinTotal time: 32 Min

This small batch recipe makes only 12 of the most delicious peanut butter cookies you have ever eaten. Crispy edges and chewy centers with plenty of peanut flavor.

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups (175g) plain all purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup (75g) salted dry roasted peanuts
• 8 TBS (1/2 cup/115g) butter
• 1/2 cup (100g) soft light brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (90g) crunchy peanut butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 large free range egg

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Line a large baking sheet with baking paper. Set aside.
2. Whisk the flour, soda, and baking power together until well combined in a bowl.
3. Put the peanuts into a food processor and pulse to fine crumbs. (Don't over pulse)
4. Put the butter and both sugars into the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Beat on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Add the peanut butter and beat for a further 30 seconds.
5. Add the vanilla and the egg, beat for about 30 seconds more, scraping down the side of the bowl as needed.
6. Reduce the speed to low and slowly beat in toe flour mixture, beating until well combined. Then stir in the chopped peanuts by hand, making sure there are no floury pockets.
7. Working with about 3 TBS of dough at a time, shape the dough into balls and place them onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving two inches in between each. Flatten slightly with two fingers. (You can also press down with a fork.)
8. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are golden brown. The centers should have puffed up but begun to deflate.
9. Leave to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

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