Bake Shoppe Peanut Butter Cookies

I have been trying to find the perfect homemade peanut butter cookie for a couple of years now. The kind like you get from the corner bake shoppe (if you live in the kind of place with a corner bake shoppe). Nothing fancy, just a good, solid peanut butter cookie. I couldn't help but wonder if the world really needed another recipe for Peanut Butter Cookies? Then that got me to thinking about why I started this blog in the first place. This started as a place for me to keep my recipes, a place for notes, for trial and error. In the beginning I made several brownie recipes and several chocolate chip cookie recipes trying to find the perfect one. Over time I grew more concerned about what my readers wanted to see, I tried to do more of whatever it was that was driving more traffic to this little old corner of the internet. Many times I think I have been guilty of trying to be original or unique, when to be honest all I really wanted was one really good peanut butter cookie. Don't get me wrong, I like to be cute and clever at times and those recipes are really tasty. Sometimes I don't post things here because I think that it's not something really all that exciting. Then I thought about it like this...I think of this space as a place where friends should gather, to sit down with me over a cup of coffee. If you came to my house for a chat and a morning cup of coffee and I offered you these peanut butter cookies would you tell me that you had already been at Jane's house and she also made peanut butter cookies and she served them on a much fancier plate and last week Mary made you some peanut butter cookies drizzled with chocolate and sprinkled with sea salt? Would you say these cookies seem a little plain compared to all the other peanut butter cookies you have been eating? No, of course not. Well, if you did I'm not sure how long we would be friends!
What I did realize in making these cookies is that peanut butter cookies are only as good as the peanut butter they are made with. This is true with so many recipes, good quality ingredients really matter. So, make sure you are using peanut butter that you would want to eat straight out of the jar with a spoon, because that is what these cookies are going to taste like. So, if you too are still looking for that perfect yet simple peanut butter cookie, then pull out your best ingredients and give these a try. I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

Bake Shoppe Peanut Butter Cookies

Amazon.com

adapted from Flour by Joanne Chang

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup crunchy peanut butter

Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy (this should take about 5 minutes on medium speed). Scrape down the edges of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.  Add eggs and vanilla and beat until thoroughly incorporated, about 3 minutes. Beat in the peanut butter, both creamy and crunchy until thoroughly combined.
Slowly add dry ingredients with the mixer on low speed. Mix until all the ingredients are well combined, but be careful not to over mix. As soon as the dry ingredients are incorporated, turn off the mixer. Scoop the dough into a covered container and refrigerate for about 3 hours before baking the cookies.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. I found that the bottoms of the cookies got a little dark too quickly. To insulate the bottoms of the cookies I doubled up my cookie sheets. Line the top cookie sheet with parchment and drop the dough in 1/4 cup balls onto the baking sheet. Space about three inches apart. Flatten each ball slightly and use a fork to create the crosshatch pattern.
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until the edges are golden brown. Let them sit on the baking sheet to cool for a few minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.