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We love these classic peanut butter cookies, especially around the holidays. My mom dips them in chocolate, and they are a family favorite!
Day 11 of Christmas Cookies. Whaa?????
I keep going back to the archives and counting and re-counting, because I feel like there is no way we can possibly be at the end of the cookie baking fun! I totally thought I was going to get so bored of posting cookies, but it turns out I could probably be happy with posting nothing but cookies all year long.
I cannot wait to do this again next year, it’s definitely going to be a Something Swanky tradition from now on. Although in future years, I hope to step outside the box a little more. I got kind of obsessed with classic cookies this year and didn’t get too creative. Which is FINE (because, YUM!), but get ready for some creativity in 2016. I already have some fun ideas rolling around in my ever-cookie-loving brain!
So. Speaking of classic cookies… Peanut Butter Cookies! I was shocked to realize I didn’t have a recipe for good old fashioned peanut butter cookies here, and I knew I had to fix that right away.
Plus, this is the perfect time for me to make PB cookies, because they are a holiday favorite in my family!
When my mom makes these, she always dips part of the cookie in melted chocolate chips. And we gobble.them.up.
Naturally.
If you’re a regular reader over here, you know I typically advocate using chocolatemelting candy for this sort of a thing instead of chocolate chips. The reason for this is because melting candymelts easier, dips smoother, hardens faster and better (without refrigeration), and doesn’t melt on your hands or in packaging– without having to temper chocolate! Overall, it’s what I recommend for any sort of chocolate dipping 99.9% of the time.
But this is the .01% exception. My mom always uses melted chocolate chips, and I wouldn’t make this cookie any other way, because it just wouldn’t taste the same!
So let’s talk about melting chocolate chips.
Not that melting chocolate chips is particularly hard, but if you don’t do a lot of chocolate melting on a regular basis, there are a few helpful things you might want to know before beginning:
First off, a double boiler is the best way to melt chocolate chips so they don’t seize or burn. It melts them evenly and slowly, and it’s really the best way to go.
But you know me… if I can’t microwave it, I probably won’t do it.Chocolate chips burn easily in the microwave if you aren’t careful. You MUST, MUST, MUST use a microwave safe bowl. If it’s too hot to handle after a few minutes in the microwave, it’s not microwave safe. Not for melting chocolate anyway.
Next, you should microwave your chocolate at 50% power in 30 second increments, stirring in between. If your microwave doesn’t allow you to go 50%, you’ll have to stir the chocolate more frequently.
Last of all, you have to know that since this chocolate isn’t tempered and contains cocoa butter, it will take much longer to cool and harden than tempered chocolate or melting candy would. And even then, it still won’t harden to the extent either of those other two would unless you stick them in the fridge (which is good too! I totally do that).
Semi-sweet morsels just don’twork like that. But we don’t mind, because they areso good 🙂
I hope you love these cookies as much as we do! And I have it on good authority, they’re one of Santa’s favorites too 😉
Classic Peanut Butter Cookies
Yield: 3-4 dozen
We love these classic peanut butter cookies, especially around the holidays. My mom dips them in chocolate, and they are a family favorite!
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon bakingpowder
- 1 teaspoon bakingsoda
- 2teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon salt
- optional: 1/2 cup granulated sugar forcoating the dough
- optional: 2 cups chocolate chips, melted, for dipping cookies
Instructions
Cream together the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth and fluffy.
Mix in the eggs and vanilla.
In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt. Add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until dough forms.
Roll the dough into balls (2 tbsps) and coat in the sugar. Place on an ungreased baking sheet.
Use a for to press a criss cross into each dough ball. Bake for 8-9 minutes, until edges look set. For softer cookies, transfer to a wire cooling rack immediately to cool completely. For firmer cookies, let cool on the baking sheet.
Once completely cool, melt chocolate chips according the directions in the post. Dip each cookie halfway in the melted chocolate, and let cool on a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
More peanut butter faves:
Peanut Butter Snickers Cookies
Peanut Butter ButterscotchFudge
Reese’s Pieces Rice Krispies Treats
