Description
A classic and simple recipe for Jimmy Carter’s Grandmother’s Peanut Butter Cookies, featuring a rich peanut butter flavor with a sweet and slightly salty finish. These cookies are quick to prepare and baked to golden perfection, offering a chewy texture that crisp up around the edges.
Ingredients
Scale
Ingredients
- 1 cup peanut butter, creamy or chunky
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Sea salt, for sprinkling (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) to ensure it’s at the right temperature when you’re ready to bake the cookies.
- Prepare the Baking Sheet: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat to prevent the cookies from sticking and to make cleanup easier.
- Mix Ingredients: In a medium bowl, combine the peanut butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla extract. Stir thoroughly until the mixture is smooth and well combined; the dough will be slightly thick and sticky.
- Form the Cookie Dough Balls: Scoop tablespoons of dough and roll them into balls. Place these balls on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.
- Create the Crisscross Pattern: Use a fork to gently press down on each dough ball, creating the classic crisscross pattern associated with peanut butter cookies.
- Add Sea Salt: Sprinkle the tops lightly with sea salt if desired, to enhance the flavor with a hint of saltiness.
- Bake the Cookies: Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes. The edges of the cookies should be just set while the centers might still look slightly underdone, which is perfect for a chewy texture.
- Cool the Cookies: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes to firm up before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Using either creamy or chunky peanut butter can slightly affect the texture – creamy will yield smoother cookies, chunky adds bits of peanut for crunch.
- For more pronounced salt flavor, add a pinch of sea salt directly into the dough as well.
- Do not overbake; cookies continue to firm as they cool, so take them out when edges are set.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
- These cookies are naturally gluten-free, but always check ingredient labels to confirm if using packaged peanut butter or vanilla extract.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
