Best Ever Peanut Butter Cookies....(really)....

Peanut Butter Cookies are not something I normally think to make in the middle of summer.  For some reason they seem more appropriate for fall or winter.  But I thought of them this month.  It had nothing to do with the weather...or the current season...but rather my line of vision.  I noticed that a friend had shared a link on her Facebook timeline to a "Best Ever" peanut butter cookie.  Well, since I am already in possession of the best ever recipe for peanut butter cookies, I had to click through and take a look.

I didn't see anything about this 'best ever' recipe that tempted me to switch my allegiance, so I messaged my friend to tell her she really needed to try the recipe that I use.  The next day she did try it...and she loved it. 

This particular peanut butter cookie truly is exceptional.  It is also a recipe for which I can take no credit.  From Rose's Christmas Cookies by Rose Beranbaum (an all around exceptional cookie book, by the way), these cookies were created for the 100th anniversary of Peanut Butter.  Most appropriately for such an occasion, the recipe contains a lot more peanut butter than most recipes (twice as much, in fact).  Not surprisingly, the resulting cookie is intensely peanut-y.  Other versions pale in comparison.  There is also much less flour than is the norm for peanut butter cookies.  It must be this—in combination with the higher percentage of peanut butter—that gives these cookies their unusual texture:  incredibly tender and sandy, with a moist, slightly chewy finish.  They are delicious...  and addictive.....

It has been a while since I made these cookies, but seeing the pictures my friend posted of hers on her timeline made me hungry for them.  So I made a batch....and I thought it would be nice to pass along to others what I think really is the best ever peanut butter cookie recipe.  But I hesitated since they seem a bit "out of season".  Then I heard that July has been dubbed National Ice Cream month (by whoever it is that decides these things).  

And since these cookies are fantastic with Ice Cream (preferably a flavor that includes a little chocolate), I decided it would be a good idea to post them after all.  Clearly peanut butter cookies are something I need to think about making during the summer.  Or at least during the month of July.

Peanut Butter Cookies

 

1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour (5 oz.; 142 g.)

1 t. baking soda

1/8 t. salt

1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 c. smooth peanut butter (9.25 oz.; 266 g.)

1/2 c. light brown sugar (3.75 oz.; 108 g.)

1/4 c. granulated sugar (1.75 oz.; 50 g.)

1 egg

1/2 t. vanilla

Sugar for dipping

Combine the dry ingredients and set aside.  Beat the butter and peanut butter together.  Cream the sugars into the butter/peanut butter mixture.  Beat in the egg and vanilla to the creamed mixture until incorporated.  Stir in the dry ingredients.  Cover and chill at least one hour (or overnight if you have time).

Shape the dough into 1-inch balls.  (I use a level 1/2-ounce cookie scoop to scoop all of the dough, then I go back and roll the cookie scoops between my hands to give the cookies a nice round shape.)  

Place the balls of dough on parchment-lined baking sheets 1 1/2 inches apart.  Using a fork dipped in granulated sugar, flatten the balls using the traditional criss-cross motion. 

Bake in a 350° oven until set and lightly browned around the edges—about 10 to 12 minutes.  Cool the cookies on the sheets for a minute or two (they will fall apart if you try to lift them off immediately).  

Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.  Makes 4 1/2 dozen.

(Recipe adapted from Rose's Christmas Cookies by Rose Beranbaum)

Note:  These cookies are so tender that they can be eaten from frozen...which makes them an especially good choice for making miniature ice cream sandwiches....

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