The Best Peanut Butter Cookies
…and I do mean the best…if you like macadamia nuts in your cookies and chocolate ganache drizzled all over them. So delicious! These are just the right amount of softness and peanut butteriness and chocolatey goodness.
Peanut butter cookies are such a classic. I wanted to add something extra to these cookies to make them the BEST. I mean, who doesn’t love chocolate and peanut butter?!! Especially together. And the addition of the macadamia nuts. Just yum!
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Large Egg
- White and Brown Sugar
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda
- Salt
- Melter Butter
- Vanilla and Ground Cloves
- and the star of the show…Peanut Butter! You can use chunky or smooth, but do not use the kind with the oil on top. I like to use JIF Naturals.
These cookies don’t take too much time and you don’t even need a mixer, they can be mixed by hand. Kind of nice…and you only need two bowls.
Next, all you need to do is shape the dough into 1/4″ balls, roll in sugar, place on baking sheet, roll in sugar, flatten and bake.
A Bit of History
In the early 1900’s, George Washington Carver, an agricultural extension educator at Tuskegee Institute (now University), included three peanut cookie recipes in his research bulletin ‘How to Grow the Peanut and 105 Ways of Preparing it for Human Consumption’. In the 1930’s, peanut butter was introduced as an ingredient in the ‘peanut cookie’, and the peanut butter cookie was born.
What’s With the Crosshatch Pattern
Initially, peanut butter cookies were rolled out flat and cut into shapes, or rolled into balls but did not have the crosshatch pattern. This was introduced later by Pillsbury but with no explanation as to why. Turns out, because the dough is so dense, without the crosshatch pattern, they do not cook up evenly when rolled into a ball. Flattening them with a fork helps them cook up evenly. Plus, it provides a distinct look to the cookies. And, it looks cool!
Chocolate Ganache Drizzle
Sounds fancy, but really easy to make. You’ll need about two ounces of semi-sweet baking chocolate and to start with, a 1/4 cup of heavy cream. You can substitute with milk or half and half if you don’t have heavy cream. The easiest way is to boil the heavy cream in the microwave, which usually takes about two minutes. Be sure to watch it so it doesn’t boil over. It can happen quickly and then you’ll have a mess. Add the chocolate to a glass measuring cup. Once the cream has been heated, pour it over the chocolate and stir until fully melted. You may need to add a bit more cream, but it won’t have to be as hot this time. You only need it hot in the beginning to melt the chocolate. You want the consistency to be like honey because you want it to pour easily over the cookies without being too runny. *Note- be sure to add any additional cream/milk slowly so as not to make the ganache too runny.
Please be sure the cookies are fully cooled down before adding the drizzle or it will melt. You want the ganache to firm up on the cookies, not melt all over.
It is definitely a bit of a waiting game with these cookies, but they are so worth it. You can make these cookies, move on to something else, then come back in a few hours when they have cooled down, make the ganache and bam! you have your dessert.
Other Recipes to Try
If you enjoy these cookies, you will want to try my Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies or my One Bowl Brownies. My Kitchen Sink Cookies are another delicious option.
Recipe Notes
For best results, these cookies can be stored on the counter top in an airtight container for up to five days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week. They probably won’t last that long though.
Yes, you can. You can freeze the cookies or the dough. To freeze the dough, portion it out into balls of dough just like you would to cook them. Freeze them on a flat pan, and once frozen solid, transfer to a freezer safe container for up to three months. When you’re ready to bake them, thaw them out overnight in the refrigerator, roll in sugar and bake them according to the instructions. I would also wait to make the ganache until you are ready to make the cookies.
The Best Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp cloves
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1/2 cup sugar (plus 1/2 cup for rolling dough balls in)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3/4 cup peanut butter (smooth or chunky, no oil on top)
- 1/2 cup crushed macadamia nuts (optional)
Chocolate Ganache
- 2 oz semi-sweet baking chocolate
- 1/4 cup heavy cream or milk (may need a bit more)
Instructions
Peanut Butter Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Add the dry ingredients into a medium mixing bowl. (1 1/2 cups flour, 1/2 tsp cloves, 1/2 tsp bak. powder, 3/4 tsp bak. soda, 1/4 tsp salt) Whisk together and set aside.
- Melt the 1/2 cup of butter, combine with the 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup brown sugar. Mix in the egg and vanilla until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in three batches, mixing after each addition.
- After wet and dry ingredients have been fully combined, add in the 3/4 cup of peanut butter and mix until fully incorporated. Mix in the crushed macadamia nuts.
- Add another 1/2 cup of sugar to a salad bowl.
- Form the 1/4 inch dough balls. Roll in sugar and place on baking tray. You should be able to fit 12 dough balls on one baking tray, and the rest will go on the other one. This recipe yields 18-19 cookies.
- Using the tines of a fork, press down on the cookies in the crosshatch pattern just enough to flatten them. You don't have to press excessively hard.
- Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. I like to rotate the pans in the middle of the cooking time to help the cookies bake more evenly.
- The cookies will look almost too soft when they are done. Don't worry, they will firm up as they cool down. Do not remove the cookies too early as they will shred apart easily. Plus, we are cooling them down fully so we can drizzle the chocolate on top.
Chocolate Ganache
- In a glass measuring cup, add 1/4 cup of heavy cream or milk (or even half and half). Heat in microwave for 90-120 seconds. Watch as it heats so it does not boil over.
- In another small glass measuring cup, add 2 oz of semi-sweet baking chocolate. Once the cream/milk has been heated, pour over the chocolate and stir until all the chocolate has melted.
- You may need to add more cream/milk to the melted chocolate to be sure that it is the consistency of honey. Add the cream/milk a tiny bit at a time so as to not make the ganache too runny.
- Drizzle all over the cookies. Let the ganache dry for about 20 minutes.
- Enjoy! Share with friends, or eat all yourself. No one's judging.
About Author
