Peanut butter is one of the more useful pantry staples. It pairs nicely with everything from tofu and noodles to chocolate and jam. It makes a very fine sandwich, and it does unspeakably good things to a simple piece of buttered toast. Peanut butter also happens to be a star in the realm of texture: Thickening sauces, yielding luxurious frostings, and sticking granola bars firmly together. Thus, it’s no surprise it shines in cookie dough.
The classic peanut butter cookie features that iconic cross-hatch pattern (easily made with the tines of a fork!) and a chewy, moist interior. I did a little research, wondering if there was merit in trying to elevate such a beloved recipe. Turns out, there is! Today’s recipe isn’t a full overhaul of the original (which comes from the back of the Jif jar). Instead, it takes the best elements of the cookie—sugar, salt, nuttiness, a tender crumb—and turns up the volume on each.
You’ll brown your butter, layering in more nutty flavor. You’ll use less flour and more peanut butter to increase the chewiness. You’ll add roasted, salted peanuts (toasted, then roughly chopped) for crunch and salt. And if you want to really get serious, you’ll sprinkle the cookies with flaky sea salt and sugar just before baking.
What you’ll get is the peanut butter cookie you remember, but louder and brighter. It’s the technicolor version of a black and white movie: both good in their own rights, but one more subdued and one more colorfully memorable.
| 1/2 | cup roasted, salted peanuts |
| 1/2 | cup unsalted butter |
| 1 | cup brown sugar |
| 1/2 | teaspoon vanilla extract |
| 1 | egg |
| 1 1/4 | cups all-purpose flour |
| 1/2 | teaspoon salt |
| 1/2 | teaspoon baking powder |
| 1/4 | teaspoon baking soda |
| 1 | cup creamy peanut butter |
| 1/2 | cup roasted, salted peanuts |
| 1/2 | cup unsalted butter |
| 1 | cup brown sugar |
| 1/2 | teaspoon vanilla extract |
| 1 | egg |
| 1 1/4 | cups all-purpose flour |
| 1/2 | teaspoon salt |
| 1/2 | teaspoon baking powder |
| 1/4 | teaspoon baking soda |
| 1 | cup creamy peanut butter |
Posie Harwood is a writer, photographer, and food stylist based in New York. You can read more of her writing here.
What makes your ideal peanut butter cookie? Let us know in the comments below!
Written by: Posie (Harwood) Brien
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3 Comments
1c pb, 1c sugar and 1 egg. Cook about 6 min. Very crumbly, but delicious, and great for gluten free friends.
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