Cookies and photo by sugarpie © Sarah Phillips
I created this recipe so you can have rich-tasting, thick-with-a-chew peanut butter cookies, requested by kate773, a Premium Member. She put me up to the challenge after baking my Crunchy Peanut Butter Cookies! At least 50 recipes later, I finally came up with this delicious version.
The beauty of this dough is you do not have to refrigerate it before baking. I use all natural crunchy peanut butter from the jar for this recipe. You will know you have the right kind because you will see that the oil separates from the peanut butter in the jar. Before using, stir it really well to incorporate all of the oil into before measuring. Because it is all-natural, the dough will vary from dry to moist because of amount of oil in the jar and how long the peanut butter has sat on the shelf, drying it out on the bottom. I have given instructions on how to correct the dough. But, this dough is very forgiving – it bakes well no matter what, as long as you can press it together and shape it, it will bake. Natural peanut butter in the jar contains zero trans fat as does butter.
COOKIE RECIPE HELP
meg, Premium Member, Says: “That to me is a nice balance – you get plenty of peanut flavor, plus the thick and chewy texture…but it doesn't come off as overly sweet. You might try that cookie as the thick & chewy one in your repertoire. I made these recently and added some chocolate chips.”
kate773, Premium Member, Says: “…still one of my favorite all time recipes, so glad I put you up to it… : )”
INGREDIENTS
1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour; spoon into dry measuring cup and level to rim
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups natural crunchy or smooth peanut butter, Smucker's Brand in the jar (16 ounces yields 1 1/2 cups) well stirred; measure in dry measuring cup and level to rim
SARAH SAYS: For more flavor, use crunchy p'nut butter, but you can use smooth. I find that Smucker's brand is the most consistent.
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, cold
2 large eggs, cold
2 tablespoons corn syrup, light
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
EXTRAS
2 to 4 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour – ONLY if needed in Step #4
1 to 3 teaspoons (1 tablespoon) peanut or canola oil, ONLY if necessary in Step #4
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat the oven: Position the oven shelf in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
SARAH SAYS: I find better results when baking one cookie sheet at a time.
You'’ll need two UNGREASED non-insulated cookie sheets or sheet pans. Instead, you can cover them with parchment paper (not waxed), if desired.
2. In a medium bowl combine 1 3/4 cups flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the peanut butter, sugar, brown sugar, and butter on low speed until JUST combined. Do not beat until fluffy and light in color.
Add the eggs, corn syrup and vanilla extract and beat on low until JUST combined. Do not beat until fluffy and light in color.
4. Unlatch the mixing bowl from the mixer. Add in the flour mixture, 1/4 cup at a time, and fold in with a large rubber spatula until just combined. Repeat with the the flour until the last mixture is combined and a few wisps of flour are showing – do not be concerned about mixing in every last bit.
The dough should be tacky in feel and should just hold together when you pinch some between your thumb and forefinger – it should not be dry but not be moist, either. Try pinching some together between your thumb and index finger – it should just hold together. Stop adding flour.
If it is too sticky, add in 1 tablespoon extra flour, a little at a time, and fold after each addition before deciding to add more. Stop when the dough is tacky.
If you have added too much flour, and the dough crumbles, start with 1 teaspoon peanut or canola oil to correct, adding a few drops at a time, and mix afterwards.
The resulting dough should be tacky and slightly sticky. But, don't worry if the dough is not the exact texture. The cookies will still bake perfectly and will taste delicious! I have baked them when the dough is dry and when the dough is “too moist”. Try not to play with the dough too much to get it perfect; it ruins it if you do!
5. Shape the cookie dough into 1 1/2- inch sized balls or weigh 1-ounce size portions for evenly sized cookies and then roll into balls. Place formed dough balls on sheet pans about 2-inches apart.
SARAH SAYS: The beauty of this dough is that you do not need to refrigerate it before baking.
With the tines of fork, lightly press and flatten each ball making a crisscross pattern. The cookie's diameter will increase to about 2-inches in diameter when you make the pattern.
6. Bake cookies 10 to 13 minutes until they are JUST SET and start to show a tiny amount of light brown color on the edges. The cookies spread to 2 1/2-inches in diameter and will crack slightly. Be sure to rotate the pan in the middle of the baking time, only if they are baking unevenly.
Cool the cookies in the pan for 2 minutes. Then, transfer cookies with a metal spatula to a wire cake rack to cool completely. If baked on parchment paper, cookies can be cooled right on its surface; slide the paper with the cookies on top to a wire cake rack to cool. Remove cookies when cooled.
STORAGE
Store cookies in airtight containers or freeze wrapped in plastic zip bags in a plastic container for about 1 to 2 months. This dough does not freeze well.
NOTES ABOUT PEANUT BUTTER
I use Smucker's Crunchy or Smooth (Creamy) Natural Peanut Butter for the recipe and do not add in extra canola oil in Step #4. It yields the most consistent results because the peanut butter is the most consistent as an ingredient. For more flavor, I have found dark roasted crunchy peanut butter in the jar made by Santa Cruz Organic in Whole Foods, but the dough became drier; it still held together, though, and baked. Roasted peanuts give much more flavor to a recipe.
Skippy Brand or store bought peanut butter types do not separate into oil and peanut butter in the jar because they contain hydrogenated oils and lots of extra sugar rather than peanuts – you may need to add extra oil in the recipe in Step #4. As a result, the cookies will spread more and flatten. I do not add in canola oil to my recipes because I like puffy and thicker cookies.
If you use freshly ground peanut butter from the health food store you may need to add extra oil in the recipe in Step #4. However, I do not add in extra canola oil in Step #4.
