If you love peanut butter, these cookies will be It. I created what I believe to be quintessential peanut butter cookies to honor the one hundredth anniversary of peanut butter. They areverypeanut buttery yet exceptionally light, with a lovely "sandy" bite. At my husband's urging, I doubled up on the peanut butter and decreased the flour, making the chocolate cookie centers seem like biting into a Reese's peanut butter cup.
Chocolate centers blend wonderfully with the peanut flavor, but the bright, tart, sticky cherry centers, are my first choice.
Ingredients
Makes about 5 dozen 1 3/4-inch cookies
Cherry Preserves Topping
Milk Chocolate Topping
EQUIPMENT:
Step 1
Place 2 oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven.
Step 2
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Food Processor Method
Step 3
Into a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt, then whisk to mix evenly. In a food processor with the metal blade, process the sugars for several minutes until very fine. Cut the butter into a few pieces and add it with the motor running. Add the peanut butter and process until smooth and creamy. Add the egg and vanilla extract and process until incorporated, scraping the sides of the bowl. Add the flour mixture and pulse in just until incorporated.
Electric Mixer Method
Step 4
Soften the butter. Into a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine well. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat the sugars until well mixed. Add the butter and peanut butter and beat for several minutes, until very smooth and creamy. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until incorporated, scraping the sides of the bowl. At low speed, gradually beat in the flour mixture just until incorporated.
For Both Methods
Step 5
Scrape the dough into a bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight. (This keeps the dough from cracking when shaped.)
Step 6
Measure the dough into a 1 1/4-inch cookie scoop or 2 level teaspoons and roll it between the palms of your hands to shape 1-inch balls. Place the balls 1 1/2 inches apart on the cookie sheets. As soon as you roll each ball, use your index finger or the handle of a wooden spoon to make a depression going down almost to the cookie sheet in the center of each ball.
Step 7
烘烤10到12分钟或直到浅金黄色and set. For even baking, rotate the cookie sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through the baking period.
Step 8
Cool the cookies on the sheets for a few minutes or until firm enough to lift. Use a small, angled metal spatula or pancake turner to transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely. If necessary, while the cookies are still hot, use the greased handle of a wooden spoon to deepen the depressions.
Step 9
Fill the centers with the cherry preserves or milk chocolate toppings.
Cherry Preserves Topping
Step 10
In a microwave oven or a saucepan, heat the preserves until boiling. Strain the jelly into a small heavy saucepan. Place the cherries remaining in the strainer in the centers of the cookies. If some are crushed, piece them together.
Step 11
On medium heat, boil the jelly for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly until, when it is dropped from the stirring spoon, the last drops gather to form one large sticky drop that hangs from the spoon. The jelly will be reduced to about 3/4 cup. Allow the jelly to cool about 1 minute or until the bubbling stops. Spoon heaping 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoons over each cherry.
Milk Chocolate Topping
Step 12
Break the chocolate into squares and place them in the top of a double boiler. Set it over hot but not simmering water. The water must not touch the bottom of the double-boiler insert. Stir until the chocolate begins to melt. Return the pan to low heat if the water cools, but be careful that the water does not get too hot. Stir the chocolate until smooth, and cool it until it is no longer warm to the touch. (The chocolate may be melted in a microwave ovenif stirred every 15 seconds.Remove it before it is fully melted and stir, using residual heat to complete melting). Whisk in the softened butter. The mixture will immediately thicken. Do not overwhisk. Use a reclosable quart-size freezer bag with one corner cut off to pipe the chocolate into the centers of the cookies or use a small metal spatula to spread on a dollop. You can also use a coupler with a number 22 star decorating tube to pipe the chocolate decoratively into the centers. Allow the chocolate to set until firm.
Store:
Step 13
Cookies filled with chocolate can be stacked in an airtight container at room temperature. Cookies with cherry centers need to be placed in single layers in airtight containers at room temperature. Do not cover the surface of the cookie with plastic wrap as the cherry center remains slightly sticky.
Keeps:
Step 14
1 month if filled, several months unfilled.
Smart Cookie
Step 15
• For the best texture and flavor, be sure to use commercially prepared peanut butter such as Skippy and not homemade or health food varieties, which are less smooth.
Step 16
• The dry ingredients are sifted together because baking soda has a tendency to lump.
Step 17
• Using superfine sugar will result in fewer cracks in the cookie's surface. It can be prepared easily in a food processor by processing granulated sugar for a few minutes or until it is as fine as sand.
Step 18
• These cookies are much lighter than the usual peanut butter cookie, despite the high amount of peanut butter, because there is less flour, which offsets the bulk of the peanuts.
Step 19
• For a more delicate flavor and a finer, less "sandy" texture, that does not crack, try a batch using half the amount of peanut butter. The cookies will also be flatter and crisper.
Step 20
• Cherry preserves, straight from the jar, can be placed in the center of the unbaked cookie and baked in it, but the cookie is far less attractive.
Step 21
•允许烤板(s)完全冷却性能ore using for the next batch.
Step 22
• Distribute the cookies evenly around the cookie sheet. Avoid crowding the cookies into one section of the cookie sheet, leaving a large area bare.
Step 23
• For a delicious variation that will enable you to pack the cherry variety without their sticking together, top the cherry centers with melted chocolate. Use 3 ounces of bittersweet or semisweet chocolate and 2 ounces offinelychopped milk chocolate. Melt the bittersweet chocolate as indicated for the Milk Chocolate Topping. Scrape it into a small container, immediately add the finely chopped milk chocolate, and stir until the chocolate is completely melted. Use a small spoon to cover the cherry center with the chocolate or pipe it from a reclosable quart-size freezer bag with a small piece cut from one of the corners of the bag. Place the cookies in a cool place or the refrigerator for about 5 minutes or until the chocolate is set and no longer shiny.
Leave a Review
Reviews (17)
Back to TopThis is so poorly written and confusing. Good thing I didn't make these, once you get to the jelly portion of the directions be prepared to get completely lost.
Anonymous
Chicago
4/2/2013
This cookie was very good. I too am a purist so didn't add the chocolate or cherry filling. Will try that for my grandchildren though. I didn't have enough patience to wait an hour before baking. Reduced heat to 350 and baked for 7 1/2 minutes on a silpat. They didn't crack at all. They were suprisingly delicate and light. Not chewy, crumbly or crunchy. A nice change from the old standby.
53162
Sedro Woolley, Washington
4/23/2008
My dough came out very dry, and only became workable after adding 2 extra yolks. Decent flavor, but I've had better.
dtlay
12/16/2007
I used raspberry jam instead of cherry, and made sandwiches with both fillings...easier to store, although that won't be a problem 'cause they have all but disappeared in a day!
Anonymous
Southerner In England
6/2/2007
The texture of these cookies is perfect. I made the chocolate topping and had so much left over I made another batch of cookies. I used a 1 1/2 tsp. scoop which made cookies a little under 2 inches around. I might make them a little smaller next time. Otherwise a good, basic, easy peanut butter cookie recipe.
wynsim
NY
1/3/2006
Followed recipe exactly. Filled with chocolate, didn't try cherry filling. I've had better peanut butter cookies and I felt that the chocolate centers were just too sweet. A good chocolate chip cookie is less work and much more tasty in my opinion.
Anonymous
Chico, CA
11/30/2005
I have tried a few other peanut butter cookie recipies,and this one beats the others hands down. I substituted half organic whole wheat flour and used half becel margarine and half butter. I did not add any filling. I found that they were rich and tasty - the consistency of shortbread. One note - I would either reduce the temperature to 350 degrees or ensure the rack was on a higher level to avoid burning the bottoms. Fabulous!
Anonymous
Calgary, Alberta
3/9/2004
我的花生酱和果冻珠宝也觉得难以置信。They did fall in the oven and turned out more like cookies though. I made swirls of chocolate on the top and they looked beautiful! I think I over-mixed the flour into the cookie dough making it too soft. Next time I will hold back with the mixing. There will be a next time soon...
Anonymous
ottawa
12/16/2003
I want to make these ahead for Christmas. Will they freeze ok? A Redondo cook 12-103
Anonymous
Redondo Beach
12/11/2003
These aren't as much work as the recipe makes them seem. Don't make the cookies too big or they will crack. I just filled them with plain jam after they came out of the oven and they were heavenly. The chocolate ones are great, too.
Anonymous
Nashville, Tenn.
8/7/2003
These are among the best pb cookies I've had. Mine cracked quite a bit because I used whole wheat flour and natural pb (I dislike the taste of the commercial stuff) but they were still marvellous. Next time I'll underbake them slightly to get a chewier, plain pb cookie.
Anonymous
5/17/2003
This is a wonderful recipe for just plain peanut butter cookies too. I made them without the chocolate or jam (but with extra double-strength vanilla) for my mother who is a peanut butter cookie "purist", and she raved about them. I can't wait to make them again-- this time for me-- with the chocolate!
Anonymous
New York, NY
12/21/2002
The jelly reduction is too much work. Use regular jelly and put in before baking, like regular thumbprints. I filled all with jelly then piped on top zig-zags of dark chocolate. Delicious.
L. Hess
Fairfax, VA
5/22/2002
If you love peanut butter and chocolate together this is a cookie you will love. When you bake them the depression you made will puff back up, I used the wooden end of a ladle (easier than a small wooden spoon end) to tamp down a circular depression, leaving a nice clean edge. Do this as soon as they come out of the oven because once they cool they harden up a bit. I did not find the cookies to be overly sandy as some PB cookies are, rather on the fine side and I did not use superfine or processed sugar. I used callebaut chocolate (milk and bittersweet) and the filling came out perfect,awesome actually. I used a star tip and pastry bag to pipe the chocolate on. I was generous with the filling so I had to make up another 1/2 batch of the filling, this only took a few minutes and was worth it. I will do this from the start next time. The chocolate filling firms up a bit and the beautiful appearance of the piped filling stood up to being layered between waxed paper for storage. I will also use this filling to top and sandwich my spritz cookies sometime, I loved it so much I could just eat the filling (ok, I did eat a little..bakers perk I say). One last thing, don't make the balls of dough too big, I switched to a 3/4 in. scoop and found this to be a more attractive size.
D. Benizzi
Long Island, NY
12/22/2001
Crisp and light, these cookies are more delicate than most other peanut butter cookies. I had problems with the cherry reduction. It is important not to cook the syup more than 5 minutes as it will burn. My syrup never acheived the described consistancy and I had to toss it, thereby forcing me to cover my cherries with chocolate. A pleasant accident! The instructions for this chocolate option are not clear in terms of how much butter to use. I used a total of 5 ounces chocolate and 3 tbls. butter.
Anonymous
A cook from NY
12/18/2001
