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My Mom's Peanut Butter cookies were the best I have ever tasted, she and my grandmother used the same recipe for as far back as I can remember. And if your mother, aunt, or grandmother baked peanut butter cookies it is probably is the same recipe you had while growing up.
~Dirty Little Secret~
Since I live with a grown-up Cookie Monster (Mr. OUaP) I usually bake cookies every other week to keep the cookie jar ~ a fixture on the kitchen island~ filled:
Happiness is a full Cookie Jar?! Who knew?
I still make Mom's recipe for Peanut Butter cookies, except I've made them a wee bit more nutritious by subbing some of the all purpose flour with whole wheat flour, adding some non-fat dry milk to the mix, and using an old-fashioned peanut butter (non-hydrogenated.)
And I use all-butter rather than half butter & half solid shortening.
They are delicious ~ but I wanted to try something different this time.
This recipe (click) from allrecipes.com captured my attention because of the number of positive reviews it received.
I wanted to try them so I mixed up the dough according to the recipe and baked off one tray of cookies. Hmmm. To be honest, they were very good, but they didn't knock my socks off. I believe the liquid milk in the recipe slightly dulls the peanut butter flavor. However the milk is needed to achieve the proper dough consistency.
To amp up the flavor a bit I scooped the remainder of the dough onto baking sheets with a medium-size ice cream/cookie scoop, then sprinkled and pressed some chopped, lightly salted peanuts on the surface of each, flattening the cookies slightly at the same time (instead of pressing them with a fork.) I also sprinkled the very center of each cookie with a teeny bit of Fleur de Sel (flaky French sea salt.)
Ooh-la-la!!! Viva la difference! :D
Thumbs up, all the way around at my house, the slightly salty accent made the peanut flavor sing.
These probably won't replace (my slightly healthier version of) Mom's Peanut Butter cookies, but they are an interesting change. I may try Mom's recipe using the same method, I'll certainly share the results here if I do.
If you try them this way, I hope you love them.
Also ~ If you haven't entered my current Give Away it is not too late!
Cut off for entering is Saturday, September 18th at 9PM Pacific time.
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These peanut butter cookies look so delicious that I could just take a bite out of my computer screen. Goodness! I LOVE the idea of using chopped peanuts and a little salt on the top of each cookie. The sweet/salt ballance sends a dish over-the-top for me.
ReplyDeleteGreat recipe. I am in a baking mood now!
As always, another recipe for my Once Upon A Plate file.
xo Yvonne
Oh my! I love the addition of chopped peanuts and salt!
ReplyDeleteI spy that aqua plate, and since I also have that plate, I now know how to serve my peanut butter cookies. Great color combo! Your photos are beautiful! xo
OO yummy!! I'm making some cookies too right now :) I noticed you saw my post on Facebook :)
ReplyDeleteI like how substantial these cookies are, they look like they have quite a bite to them, and the touch of fleur de sel must bring out so much of that wonderful toasted nutty flavor.
ReplyDeleteNow that really dresses up a peanut butter cookie. I would love these! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteHi, Mari! I have a soft spot in my heart for peanut butter cookies but I haven't baked them since both daughters moved out of our home. This looks like just the recipe to change that! They look so good!
ReplyDeleteYour peanut butter cookies are stunning-wow! The twist on your mother's recipe and the fleur de sel just brings them to a new level.
ReplyDeleteHi Mari,
ReplyDeleteHere is the link to the recipe:
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=226679
Peanut Butter cookies are my favorite but adding the bit of sea salt sounds heavenly. Salty and sweet I can't go wrong. I'm anxious to give it a try. Thanks so much for making a yummy cookie even more yummy.
ReplyDeleteI love this- so beautiful and fresh looking.
ReplyDeleteTheres nothing worse than shop bought cookies in comparison to the home made, real deal like these :-)
I agree the sea salt really makes them extra special- I love fleur de sel and use it all the time on food and in cooking, so flavorsome in its own right and more than just a seasoning :-)
Great cookie recipe... I do love peanut butter cookies and was positively addicted to Archer's version when I was in college... these are a fabulous grown up version.. thanks for the recipe!!
ReplyDeleteI love a filled cookie jar/cloche..etc..makes a house a home..the cookies looks just perfect!
ReplyDeleteHey Mar...could you send me a copy of Mom's recipe. I seem to have lost mine. Thanks, Sis!
ReplyDeleteI love that picture of cookies in the jar, it's somehow cute :).
ReplyDeleteMy SIL loves peanut butter cookies so will keep thsi recipe for baking cookies at Christmas.
ReplyDeleteOh boy does this look good! What time is desert? :)
ReplyDeleteOH my goodness...a glass of milk and one of those and i would be in heaven!
ReplyDeleteI gotta give these a whirl!
Thanks again Mary!
L~xo
OH my goodness...a glass of milk and one of those and i would be in heaven!
ReplyDeleteI gotta give these a whirl!
Thanks again Mary!
L~xo
Now that's thinking on your feet!! I'm not sure it would have occurred to me to edit the recipe mid-baking. What a wonderful baker you are! They look delicious and makes me want to tinker with my great-grandmother's recipe (sacrilege!) Uh oh!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful twist on an old favorite! Beautiful cookies.
ReplyDeleteWow those peanuts on top look delicious. I would love a small plateful with a tall glass of milk.
ReplyDeleteFantastic recipe. I love the combination of salty peanut butter mixed into a cookie dough.
ReplyDeleteYour photographs are amazing...I can practically smell the peanut butter just looking at them...and peanut butter with fleur de sel must be out-of-this-world good.
ReplyDelete