Peanut Topped Peanut Butter Cookies

If you’ve read my about me page, (c’mon, you know you’re curious!) you know that I sell homemade cookies and other treats. It’s a very side business, and I don’t push it much, mostly because I simply have no time. I don’t, however, like to turn down an order, as the money is going to a special fund for my SLR camera. Imagine how cool it will be to take pictures for the blog on something other than my iPhone?

In general, I love to bake, and I am super happy to take an order. The problem is that sometimes a customer orders something that I am simply not in the mood to bake. That’s what happened the other day. Someone emailed me asking if I could bake them a couple dozen peanut butter cookies. I wasn’t in the mood to bake peanut butter cookies. I wanted to make oatmeal butterscotch cookies. I wanted to try out my new candy thermometer. I wanted to be creative and experiment, not bake some tried and true recipe. But alas, the customer is always right. (Not really. Visit this link for hilarious examples.) And so I made peanut butter cookies. And as I stood there making the classic criss-cross with a fork, a thought dawned on me. I don’t have to decorate them the classic way. As long as the cookies look nicer than the usual, the customer definitely won’t mind. 

And this is what resulted. If I do say so myself, these do look nicer than the classic look. Whoever said not to mess with something that works obviously never met me. 

Peanut Topped Peanut Butter Cookies:

Adapted from The King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion

Ingredients:

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine or butter

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup dark brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 cup creamy peanut butter

3 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

(about) 1/2 cup peanuts, roasted and salted

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a cookie sheet.

Cream together the shortening and butter/margarine. Add both sugars and beat until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla, beat until combined. Add the peanut butter and continue to beat until all ingredients are incorporated.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Slowly add the flour mixture into the wet ingredients. Do not overmix.

Scoop out about a tablespoon of dough and roll between your palms to create a ball. Set the ball on the prepared tray. Press 5 peanut halves into the cookie to create a flour shape. (As pictured above.)  Press down slightly on the top of the cookie to flatten. Repeat with remaining dough.

Bake at 350 for 9-11 minutes, until lightly browned and set. Leave cookies to cool on cookie sheet for a minute before removing to wire rack to cool completely.

Pour yourself a glass of milk and enjoy!

 

Sharing this at Sweets for a Saturday