If you know me (either in real life or through this blog) you’ll know that I take perfecting a particular thing very seriously. Most notably, I worked on my chocolate chip cookie for about three or four years until I got it right. I was obsessed with creating the perfect chocolate sheet cake for birthday parties (and celebrations) for about the same until I discovered an author who mostly cracked the code. For the longest time I have not been able to settle on a peanut butter cookie recipe, but using DuckDuckGo I found “Chelsea’s Messy Apron” and this recipe, which is everything, as the kids say. Did I leave it alone? No, because I’m obsessed with tweaking. Also, the recipe called for smooth peanut butter, which I’m against, even it makes the cookie worse (it doesn’t). Also, every time I make a cookie or cake now, I have to add three types of vanilla: vanilla powder, vanilla bean powder and vanilla extract (liquid).
The reviews for this cookie in my house have been unparalleled: “Top five of all time” and “The best cookie you’ve ever made.” Sure, the Coronavirus has us all sheltering in place, but you can’t ignore your public.
Ingredients
- 2-2/3 cup white all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 heaping teaspoon salt
- 1/2 tsp vanilla powder
- 1/16 tsp vanilla bean powder
- 1 cup (two sticks) unsalted butter, nearly melted
- 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup Teddie creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup Teddie crunchy peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- Semi-sweet chocolate for drizzle
Instructions:
- Fit your stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Add both sugars and combine. Melt your butter mostly all the way in a microwave. Add it to the sugars in a stand mixer and combine.
- Add both peanut butters, almond extract, and vanilla extract and mix. Add eggs, one at a time.
- In a separate bowl, combine all dry ingredients: sifted flour, baking soda, salt, vanilla and vanilla bean powder.
- Add the dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix to combine: don’t OVERMIX.
- Chill for at least 30 minutes.
- Set your oven to 325 degrees—this is a low temp, short-cook cookie recipe.
- Using a the 1 inch scoop, place balls onto parchment paper your cookie sheet. Don’t crowd, you’ll have to make multiple batches.
- Bake for 10 minutes, remove and keep on cookie sheet for 5 minutes.
- Once cool, melt chocolate (probably using your microwave) I like Ghiradelli melting wafers, but you can use any semi-sweet chocolate you have. Drizzle over cookies and serve.
Master of Low Arts 