These cookies are soft and not too dry, but a glass of milk still goes really well with peanut butter cookies. I recently made these and brought them to my work. They were a hit, and people frequently described them as "not too sweet".
Be sure to use natural peanut butter that is not hydrogenated or else they can be really dry. It only takes a few minutes to incorporate the oil in natural peanut butter and it is better for you. Enjoy.
Preheat Oven to 375°F
1 cup butter3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 oz. chocolate chips (optional)
Cream butter, eggs, sugars and vanilla together. Mix in peanut butter until smooth. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt together until well combined. Gradually add this flour mixture to the dough until blended, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally.
Roll dough into 1 1/1 inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheets. Using a dinner fork, press down lightly on each ball until an impression is made and the ball is almost 2/3 of its original height. Repeat fork impression in a perpendicular direction, pressing until ball is about 1/2 its original height.
Bake 11 - 13 minutes until edges just begin to brown. If you like a crispier cookie, then you can bake an additional couple minutes to brown more—these cookies are fairly forgiving to overcooking. Cool on cookie sheets for 1 - 2 minutes (skip if you baked cookie longer to brown more) before removing to cooling racks. Cookies will be crisp on the edges with just a hint of moistness in the center. Makes roughly 30 cookies.
Ingredients for Peanut Butter Criss-Cross Cookies.
Add eggs to creamed butter.
Add sugar to butter and eggs.
Add 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar.
Churn or mix natural peanut butter that has separated for several minutes until smooth.
Add 1 cup peanut butter to dough before adding dry ingredients.
Add 1 teaspoon vanilla to creamed butter, eggs, and sugars.
Add 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Add 1 teaspoon baking soda to flour.
Mix together dry ingredients until blended.
Gradually mix in dry ingredients, scraping down sides of bowl occasionally.
Once all flour is mixed in it can be a workout for weaker mixers.
Roll dough into 1 1/4 inch balls.
Gently press with fork at perpendicular angles.
Space flattened dough evenly on ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 11 - 13 minutes at 375°F until edges just begin to brown.
Let cool 1 - 2 minutes before removing from cookie sheet.
Cool completely on cooling racks before packaging or storing.
Peanut Butter Criss-Cross Cookies.
Close-up detail of Peanut Butter Criss-Cross Cookies.
Peanut Butter Criss-Cross Cookies.
