Peanut butter cookies
Soft-centred, crumbly-edged cookies rich with smooth peanut butter and brown sugar, pressed with the familiar fork crosshatch.
Method
- 1
Heat the oven to 180°C and line two baking trays with baking paper.
- 2
Beat the butter, peanut butter and both sugars together until smooth and creamy.
- 3
Beat in the egg and vanilla.
- 4
Whisk the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and salt together, then stir them into the peanut butter mixture to make a soft dough.
- 5
Roll the dough into walnut-sized balls and roll each one in the extra caster sugar.
- 6
Set the balls 5 cm apart on the trays.
- 7
Press each ball flat with the back of a fork, then press again at a right angle to make a crosshatch.
- 8
Bake until puffed and lightly golden at the edges, still soft in the middle.
- 9
Leave on the trays to firm up before moving them to a wire rack.
- 10
Cool completely on the rack.
Notes
- Natural peanut butter separates and makes the cookies dry and crumbly. A standard smooth type gives a better texture.
- Dip the fork in sugar between cookies so it does not stick to the dough.
- Crunchy peanut butter works too and adds texture. They keep for 5 days in an airtight tin.
Equipment
Two baking trays, Baking paper, Mixing bowls, Electric hand mixer, Fork, Wire rack