Since we’ve been “sheltering-in-place” or “quarantining” as most of us are calling it, I’ve been a lot more relaxed about my eating habits than I would be otherwise. More sugar, more carbs, more cheese, and overall more comfort.
But one thing that’s been tough, and I can’t be the only one who feels this way, is that it’s hard to keep up with 3 healthy, balanced meals per day while working a corporate job from home. Grateful to be employed, but it can feel overwhelming at times. All the cooking and getting really creative with ingredients already on-hand to avoid going to the grocery store, plus all the dishes that accompany cooking, feels like a never-ending chore… Even though it’s the basis of existence…
So, when my sweet tooth rings the alarm and I’m looking for a sweet treat that’s not just Easter candy, it means I have to get really creative so that I’m not just eating spoonfuls of white sugar out of the bag. Yeah, I thought about it.
With only a few ingredients needed and options for some substitutions of course, you too could be salivating over these sweet and simple peanut butter cookies. From start to finish, it only takes about 30 minutes to go from “Hmm is my KitchenAid mixing bowl clean?” to “Okay, I should really stop at 2 cookies right now.”
A couple things to keep in mind with this recipe––it was only tested once and it was only tasted by two people. While we both liked it, there’s a chance it might not suite your taste whether it’s too sweet, oily, dry, etc. Please be kind in sharing your experience with the recipe and leave helpful comments for anyone else who could use your tips :)
Sweet & Simple Peanut Butter Cookies
Notes
- If you’re using an organic peanut butter that requires you to stir after any separation, make sure the peanut butter is well-mixed
- If you’ve only got one type of sugar, just use one full cup of what you’ve got. You won’t have the exact same results but you’ll still have cookies.
- If you’ve got only one type of peanut butter, again just use one full cup of what you’ve got.
Ingredients
- ½ cup Dark Brown Sugar
- ½ cup Granulated Sugar
- ½ cup Creamy, Unsalted Peanut Butter (I’m using the Trader Joe’s Brand)
- ½ cup Crunchy, salted Peanut Butter (I’m using the Trader Joe’s Brand)
- 1 Egg
- 1 tbsp Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer (or if you’re using a hand mixer, in your mixing bowl), add in the sugars, peanut butters, and vanilla extract. Cream together on a low setting for a minute or two (it really shouldn’t take too long).
- Next, add in the egg and mix until just combined (about another minute or two). You’ll end up with a crumbly dough that sticks together when you press on it.
- Using a cookie scoop if you have one (I just use a 1 tbsp measuring spoon), scoop out small sections of dough, roll into balls, and place on the baking sheet an inch or two apart. I ended up with 24.
- Using a fork, create the classic criss-cross shape across the top of the ball while gently pressing down to make sure the dough doesn’t just crumble.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes (Mine went closer to 12).
- Let cool for a bit on the baking sheet until they’re solid enough to handle and then move to a wire cooling rack and let them finish cooling.
- Store in an airtight container to keep the cookies as fresh as possible.
Thanks for sharing! Can’t wait to make these at home on quarantine!