Dan’s Birthday Peanut Butter Cookies

OK- so I would like to think I am a fabulously gifted baker…not to brag, I won a few blue 4-H ribbons back in the day :0)… BUT I am currently having issues in the baking department.  Not sure if I am my toughest critic, if my sampling ruins my palette or if I really haven’t mastered the science of baking.  I am pretty sure it is the latter :0(

Today is Mark’s younger brother’s birthday and he said that the only thing he wanted was Peanut Butter Cookies (and about 20 gifts…) so last night we stopped by the IGA on 3rd around 8:30 pm to pick up the ingredients.  The flavor of this recipe is absolutely perfect but the consistency was just a tad off…looking back, I know exactly what I did wrong and have made the adjustments below.

What you need:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup of creamy peanut butter
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated white sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• salt, to taste
• 3/4 cup finely chopped peanuts, to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, cream butter, brown sugar, white sugar and peanut butter until smooth.  Add the egg and vanilla, mix for about 30 seconds.

In another bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda and salt together.  *You may also sift, which I one of the things I wish I had done.

While stirring, combine the flour mixture to the peanut mixture by the cup until the dough is well mixed, then add the chopped peanuts.

Drop even spoonfuls of the dough onto your sheet and then use a fork to flatten in a crisscross pattern.  *While my batches were in the oven, I put the dough in the freezer to stiffen a bit.  If you have time, prepare the dough in advance to baking and chill for an hour in the fridge.

Bake for exactly 10 minutes (not a second more as it is hard to tell when the cookies are done).  Cool on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes and then transfer to cooling racks.

A lot of love went into these cookies last night and I hope Dan enjoys them- Happy Birthday!!

I also would like to thank all my colleagues at the office who gladly devour my treats and tell me that they are great (even though I know they could be better)…bless you!