This peanut butter cookie recipe yields what I think are the perfect peanut butter cookies. Made with brown butter as well as brown and white sugar, these cookies are perfect for lunchboxes, picnics or any time you need a crispy-on-the-edges, peanutty cookie!
85grams3 oz or a generous half cup all-purpose flour (See NOTES)
85grams3 oz or a generous half cup bread flour (See NOTES)
1teaspoonbaking powder
½teaspoonbaking soda
170grams6 oz, 1 1/2 sticks, 3/4 cup, or 12 Tablespoons butter, browned and chilled until solid but not hard (NOTE 6 oz/170 grams is the weight before browning)
113grams4 oz or about 1/2 cup granulated sugar
142grams5 oz or about 1/2 cup, tightly packed dark brown sugar
28grams1 oz or 2 Tablespoons milk (See NOTES)
2teaspoonsvanilla
1teaspoonkosher salt
425grams15 oz or 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter (I used Jif)
2eggs
To Finish
113grams4 oz or about 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1teaspoonkosher salt
Instructions
In a medium bowl, whisk the two flours, baking powder, and baking soda together. Set aside.
In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl, combine solidified-but-not-hard browned butter, sugar, brown sugar, milk (optional, see NOTES), vanilla, and salt.
Mix on medium-low speed (or using a hand mixer or spatula) until the mixture is uniform. It does not need to be fluffy.
Add the peanut butter and eggs and mix until smooth and well-combined.
Dump in the flour mixture and mix just until you can see no loose flour.
Cover the dough and refrigerate for 45 minutes and up to 2 days.
About 30 minutes before baking, place a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 325F.
Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment.
Mix the second amount of granulated sugar and salt in a bowl and set aside convenient to the baking pans.
Scoop a 1 oz portion of dough (28.4 grams or about 1 1/2 Tablespoons). If you only refrigerate the dough for 45 minutes, the dough will be pretty soft but not sticky or hard to work with. Dough will be a bit firmer if you refrigerate for longer.
Gently roll the portion between your palms into a ball, and drop it into the bowl of sugar and salt.
Roll to coat the dough with the mixture.
Place dough balls onto the parchment-lined sheet pan, 9-10 to a pan. You will end up baking 4 trays. Cookies will spread to give them a good 1 1/2" between each dough ball.
Dip the tines of a fork into the bowl of sugar and salt and make criss-cross marks on all the balls of dough, flattening each to about 1/2". Dip the fork back into the sugar mixture as needed to prevent it from sticking in the dough. Sprinkle a little bit more of the sugar mixture onto each flattened cookie.
Bake one sheet at a time on the center rack for 10 minutes.
Rotate the pan 180 degrees and continue baking until done to your liking, an extra 5 minutes for chewy-in-the-center cookies and up to about 19-20 minutes for cookies that will be crisp throughout.
Allow cookies to cool on the pan for 3 minutes and then use a spatula to remove them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Repeat with the remaining dough.
Store at room temperature in an airtight container for a few days. Freeze for longer storage.
Notes
To Make a Half Batch
1 1/2 ounces EACH all-purpose flour and bread flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3 oz butter, browned and chilled until solid but not hard
2 oz granulated sugar
2.5 oz dark brown sugar
1/2 ounce (1 Tablespoon) milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
7.5 oz peanut butter (3/4 cup)
1 egg
About Flour and Milk Amounts
Use all bread flour for a chewier, sturdier cookie or all all-purpose flour for a more delicate, crispy cookie.For a dough that is a bit easier to handle right away, increase both flours to 3.5 ounces each instead of 3 ounces each. Another option is to leave out the milk. But don't do both. Either increase the flour OR omit the milk.For cookies that don't spread quite as much, omit the milk while leaving the flour amounts as they are.
Variations
Add Reece's pieces for extra peanutty flavor and little bits of creamy goodness
Mix in dark chocolate chips for peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. Or use M&Ms instead
Replace 1 1/2 ounces of flour with quick-cooking (not instant) oats for oatmeal peanut butter cookies
Storage
Store cooled cookies in airtight containers (cookie jars!) at room temperature for up to 5 days. Freeze for longer storage. You can also freeze the dough after shaping and "x-ing" with a fork and bake them from frozen, allowing 1-2 minutes extra baking time.