Classic Peanut Butter Cookies

Oh peanut butter, I love you.  Seriously of all of the sweet flavors in the world, peanut butter is my favorite.  I love chocolate.  I love caramel.  I love cooked fruit, especially with a crumbly, crisp topping.  Let's be real, I love dessert.  That being said, at the end of the day, it is peanut butter that really makes my heart beat faster.  I honestly can't get enough.  My absolute favorite cookie is a peanut butter chocolate chip cookie, but sometimes you just need something a little more straightforward.  Not everyone loves chocolate (crazy I know) so if you are going for a chocolate free treat, the classic peanut butter cookie is an excellent choice.

I used the peanut butter cookie recipe from the classic red and white checkered cookbook as a jumping off point.  Everyone has this Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook right?  It is a great recipe and I love it, but I made a few tweaks that make these peanut butter cookies even better.  These cookies come together quickly with a few basic ingredients and are oh so good.  They are soft, chewy, peanut buttery, and delicious.

Start out by beating together a stick of softened butter and some peanut butter (I used Skippy because that's what I had, but use the brand of your choice.  JIF is my favorite.  I wouldn't use one of those natural, keep in the fridge types of peanut butter in these).  Add in some sugar, brown sugar, and a little bit of honey because honey and peanut butter equals Y-U-M!  Put in some baking powder and baking soda because you want these cookies to be nice and puffy.  I mean honestly, who wants a flat cookie?  Go ahead and add a pinch of sea salt too.

Once that is all combined, crack in an egg and add in some vanilla.  Then take some white whole wheat flour (whole wheat equals health food right?) and mix it in until combined.  Stick the cookie dough in the fridge while you preheat your oven to 375 and line a couple of cookie sheets with parchment paper.

I used my cookie scoop to portion out my dough so my cookies would all be the same size.  Once you have it all scooped out, roll each portion of dough into a ball.  Then use a fork to make a cross hatch across the top.

Bake the cookies for 7 minutes.  Put the cookie sheet on a cooling rack for 2 minutes, then slide the parchment off of the cookie sheet and onto the cooling rack to cool completely.

I recommend eating these with an ice cold glass of milk.  Peanut butter cookies and milk are the perfect comfort food combo.  Yum, yum, yum.

Classic Peanut Butter Cookies 

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbls. honey
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 1/4 cups white whole-wheat flour

1. Beat together butter and peanut butter.
2. Add in the sugars, honey, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt and beat until combined.
3. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then beat in the egg and vanilla.
4. Add in the flour and beat until just combined.
5. Refrigerate dough while oven preheats to 375.
6. Use a medium cookie scoop to portion dough, then roll into balls and place onto parchment lined cookie sheets.
7. Cross hatch the top of each cookie with a fork and bake for 7-8 minutes.
8. Let cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

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