Peanut Butter Cookies (recipe)

Every thing has a national or international day these days.

Not only is social media a headache to keep up with how are we meant to keep up with all these celebrations of literally everything. I mean today (June 22nd, 2018) alone is National Take your Dog to Work day and National Onion Rings Day and don't forget National Chocolate Eclair Day.  

Now don't get me wrong I have used national days to my advantage. Like the 12th of June is National Peanut Butter Cookie Day so naturally on social media I am that annoying person going 

"Hey Everyone!! It's National Peanut Butter Cookie Day didn't ya know? Why not check out these Peanut Butter Cookies I made and if you want to make them too check the recipe out on my blog now!"

But I forgot all about National Peanut Butter Cookie Day. I was going to share these with you. However that never happened, the day just passed me by. So, here ten days later I am sharing with you some peanut butter cookies.

They are still good cookies even if they weren't eaten nor blogged about on 'their' day. The worst part is I can't shamelessly promote it by claiming its National Peanut Butter Cookie Day. 

Peanut Butter Cookies

160g plain flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

pinch of salt

114g unsalted butter, room temp

150g light brown sugar

50g sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

125g peanut butter, smooth/crunchy

50g-75g salted peanuts

50g peanut butter chips (optional)

Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl and set aside. 

Beat the butter, and both sugars together until creamy and light. Add the egg and vanilla and beat again until combined. Add the peanut butter and beat to combine. Add the dry ingredients in three batches mixing until just combined in-between each addition. Fold the peanuts and peanut butter chips if using into the cookie dough. 

Cover the cookie dough and chill in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours or up to 3 days. 

When ready to bake remove from the fridge while you heat the oven to 170C/350F and line the baking trays with grease proof baking paper. 

Scoop out about 2 tablespoons of cookie dough and roll into a ball and place on the prepared baking tray. Once you've used all the dough, gently press down on each one with a fork in a criss-cross pattern. 

Bake for 10-13 minutes depending on your oven. The less you bake the softer the are and the longer the more crispy they are. Because cookies can look under-baked when they come out trust your timer and oven especially if you want softer cookies. 

Leave to cool and enjoy with a glass of cold milk! 

Brown Sugar Cookies

In a world where only over the top food things reign, for example the trending freak shake and anything rainbow, I think basic, delicious, melt-in-your-mouth treats get over looked just because they aren't loud and in your face.

Don't get me wrong I am the first to hit that like button on something loud, big, and amazing because they are amazing. Drooling over food pictures is a daily occurrence for me. Food is a form of art and I am always impressed with the creativity of chefs and home bakers.

For some bakes there is only so much you can do to it. Cookies for example can be sandwiched or iced or be 'overloaded' with add-ins, but they will always be a cookie. And sometimes there is nothing better then a good old plain sugar cookie.

And sometimes there is something better .... a brown sugar cookie.

Brown Sugar Cookies

340g plain flour
2 tsps cornstarch
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
228g butter
300g dark brown sugar
1 large egg
2 tsps vanilla extract

Heat the oven to 170C/350F and line your cookie sheet(s) with grease proof paper.
Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt together and leave aside.
Beat the butter and sugar together until light and creamy.
Add the egg and vanilla and beat until just combined.
Add 1/3 of the flour mixture at a time and mix well between each addition.
Scoop out with a large scoop and leave each mound of cookie dough about 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet. They don't spread much, but they will spread.
Bake for 15 minutes.
Once out of the oven leave to cool on the sheet for a couple minutes before leaving to cool completely on a wire rack.

Although these cookies may not be something to look at they are delicious and it is very hard to just have one! It is always fun experimenting with different sugars when baking because the results will always be different. The dark brown sugar gives these cookies a deeper flavor then regular sugar cookies.