PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

Our home has been smelling like a baker’s kitchen all day. I baked, baked and baked for a major part of the day – lots of cookies. Made a batch of peanut butter cookies to be gifted to family and friends. They make for great holiday cookies and a crunchy kiddie treat. You can add chocolate chips for a chocolate-y flavor and crushed peanuts for crunch.

Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe

Preparation: 10 mts, Baking: 12 mts

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Ingredients:
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter (you can use crunchy too)
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 egg (optional)
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

1 Sieve together flour, baking pwd, baking soda and salt. Keep aside.
2 In a bowl, cream together butter, peanut butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the buttermilk, vanilla essence and egg until light and creamy.
3 Mix in the sieved ingredients until just blended. Cover with plastic foil and place in refrigerator for half an hour.
4 Prepare small lemon sized balls and place on baking sheet about 2 inches apart as they spread. Lightly flatten the balls. (If you want a chewy cookie, drop a tbsp of cookie batter on the baking sheet and do not flatten it. For a crisp cookie, make a ball and flatten it.)
5 Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180 C for about 12 mts till the edges are slightly toasted or till done. Once baked, the cookie will feel soft on touch but once cool it will harden. If you over bake beyond the mentioned time limit, you will have a very crunchy cookie.
6 Cool on a wire rack. Repeat with remaining dough. Store in airtight container.