Softilicious Peanut Butter Cookies

One of my ex-husbands actually told me that he fell in love with me when he tasted my peanut butter cookies. Maybe if I had made them more often he wouldn’t be my ex. Ha! This recipe produces two dozen scrumptious cookies, that are soft, moist, and perfect with a big glass of milk.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) Margarine, softened
  • 1/2 cup Creamy Peanut Butter
  • 1/2 cup White Sugar
  • 1/2 cup Brown Sugar, packed
  • 1 Large Egg
  • 1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
  • 1-3/4 cups All Purpose Flour
  • 3/4 tsp. Baking Soda
  • 1/4 tsp. Salt
  • 2 to 3 additional tbsp. White Sugar

Directions

  1. In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream together margarine and peanut butter.
  2. Add white sugar, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla, and beat until well blended.
  3. Add flour, baking soda, and salt, and mix until well combined. The dough will be stiff and crumbly.
  4. Cover dough and chill in refrigerator for at least thirty minutes.
  5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  6. Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil. Set aside.
  7. Remove dough from refrigerator and roll into 24 tight balls, a wee bit smaller than ping pong balls.
  8. Squish the balls between your palms to flatten and arrange on baking sheets.
  9. Using the tines of a fork, press down on each cookie twice, turning the fork ninety degrees between the first and second press to create a cross-hatch pattern.
  10. Sprinkle cookies with a little additional white sugar.
  11. Bake in preheated oven for 9 to 11 minutes.
  12. Remove from oven and immediately slide foil off of the baking sheet and onto a heat-resistant surface to cool.*

*Why is it important to get the cookies off the baking sheet A.S.A.P.? There’s nothing worse than a dry, hard, over-baked cookie. As long as the cookies are still on the sheet, they’re still baking! Removing them immediately so they can cool quickly keeps them moist and soft, and they won’t require dipping in milk to make them edible. In my opinion, dipping anything in milk is just plain disgusting. All of those crumbs, detritus, and sludge at the bottom of your glass?? Yuck!

Buckeyes

I was introduced to these by a friend’s mother when I was just twelve years-old, and have loved them ever since. They’re like the freshest, richest, most decadent peanut butter cup you’ve ever tasted. This recipe makes about sixteen Buckeyes, and it’s an easy recipe to double, or even triple. Be careful though: It’s easy to eat the entire batch!

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup Creamy Peanut Butter
  • 1/4 cup Butter or Margarine (softened)
  • 1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
  • 2 cups Powdered Sugar
  • 2/3 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
  • 2 tbsp. Shortening

Directions

  1. In a large bowl or stand mixer, blend together peanut butter, butter or margarine, vanilla, and powdered sugar.
  2. Mix until completely combined into a large, slightly crumbly lump.
  3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil, and lightly spray with cooking spray.
  4. Roll dough into round balls, about 1-inch in diameter, and place on prepared baking sheet.
  5. Refrigerate balls for at least 30 minutes.
  6. In a small saucepan, melt chocolate chips and shortening on medium heat, stirring frequently.
  7. When completely melted and smooth, remove saucepan from heat.
  8. Remove baking sheet from refrigerator, and dip balls into melted chocolate. Use a toothpick to remove them if the chocolate it too hot.
  9. Return balls to baking sheet, and reserve remaining chocolate. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
  10. Re-heat chocolate if needed. Remove baking sheet from the refrigerator and dip the balls into melted chocolate a second time.
  11. Return balls to baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
  12. Serve, taste, and vow that you will never buy another plastic-wrapped peanut butter cup again!