Giangi's Kitchen

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Pulling all stops for one more Christmas cookie batch in the oven.

Peanut Butter Cookies have been a traditional cookie in our house, and it would not be Christmas without them.

A super easy Christmas treats recipe that takes no time to prepare and bake.  Peanut butter cookies are a classic American dessert. The principal ingredient is peanut butter, the creamy kind.

Add sugar, eggs, flour, butter, and vanilla, and you have a crispy outside with a soft inside cookie.

Why do you make fork marks on peanut butter cookies?

Peanut butter is a thick and dense ingredient. Adding the criss-cross pattern to your cookies allows them to bake evenly.

It also gives you that crisp exterior around the edges and chewy interior where the criss-cross marks are formed.

Here are a few helpful tips for the ingredients needed

You can find the printable recipe with all the correct ingredient amounts at the bottom of this post. Besides the staple salt and pepper, you will need:

Granulated sugar: white stuff, also known as sucrose, sweet tasting.

Brown sugar: Sucrose sugar with a distinctive brown color due to the presence of molasses.

Unsalted butter: You do not want your cookies to be salty

Eggs: Large eggs and bring them to room temperature before starting to bake.

Peanut butter: Buy your favorite brand but MOST be the creamy type.

Baking soda: activation agent that helps your cookies to puff up.

Vanilla Extract: A liquid that adds a beautiful flavor to all bakings.

Flour: All-purpose and unbleached

Equipment needed 

I have a kitchen filled with gadgets and cooking tools, all I purchased. I only recommend what I use and love.

Therefore to achieve this recipe, I used the following:

Silpat or parchment paper

KitchenAid stand-alone mixer

Spatula

Fork

Baking sheets

Ice cream scooper

Cooling rack

Baking tips and step by step to make those beautiful peanut butter cookies:

• Start by preheating the oven and gathering all the ingredients needed.
• Add the butter to the bowl of your mixer or a regular bowl and gradually increase the speed to soften your butter.
• Add the sugars to the butter until a creamy consistency is formed.
• Add one egg at a time to the butter.
• Always sift the flour before adding it to your peanut butter mixture. Add a few scoops at a time.
• Although there is enough fat content in your cookies, I always use a Silpat mat or parchment paper to prevent sticking to my cookie sheet.
• With the help of an ice cream scooper, grab some of the dough and form a small ball.
• Place each ball 1 inch apart.
• If the fork sticks to the cookie, dip it prior into some flour and then proceed with the crisscross pattern.
• Bake in the hot oven and watch the time. With my old oven, 10 minutes is perfect. You want some golden around the edges and still soft in the middle.
• Please move to a cooling rack when you can handle them.
• Let the cookie sheet cool off completely, or use two before baking the second batch of peanut butter cookies. The hot baking sheet will not allow your cookies to rise but will make them spread out.

Working the dough too much will result in cookies that will spread all over your baking sheet. Let it rest in the refrigerator for a few minutes before baking.

Parchment paper

I cannot live without using it. Using parchment paper is convenient in case of jam spillage and burning of the cookie.

It also prevents sticking to your cookie sheet, which will relate to less mess to clean.

Storage instructions

If you are lucky to have some peanut butter cookies left over, a rare occurrence at my house, wait until they are completely cool before storing them in an airtight glass container.

You can keep them at room temperature, lasting up to 4 days.

I like to store mine on a cookie dish with a dome so everyone can enjoy one as they pass by the kitchen.

If you enjoy these peanut butter cookies recipe, look at my other recipes!

Dried Cranberry Chocolate Cookies – The Best Recipe Ever

Brown Sugar Cookies

Poached Pears In Wine

Cardamom Snickerdoodle Cookies

Equipment and ingredients used to make this recipe.

Visit my Amazon Storefront for my selection of favorite kitchen essentials. I only recommend equipment that I use and love.

Please read my privacy policy for more info. I only recommend the products that I love and use. This site contains affiliate links to products. We receive a commission at no cost to you.