Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut butter is the love my life! well, almost... of course my loved ones are the real loves of my life! 

but... there isn't a day without peanut butter for me. I can have it for breakfast or lunch or dinner (but rarely, with the Hub watching me so closely on my food choices).

my relationship with PB (and chocolates!): never enough of it.

PB is sooooo versatile; you can have it with jelly, jam, nutella, cream and - my favourite combination - Kaya. extremely sinful, yes, but totally comforting. And, you can have it on breads (ALL kinds, ANY bread, ANY brand. in fact, if the bread does not taste good on its own, just spread them generously with PB  and they will be most delicious..), cream crackers, scones, etc. Or, in milkshakes even... 

and, PB whether crunchy or creamy is a wonderful baking ingredient. personally, i use crunchy ones for baking and creamy ones just to eat it on its own. recently, i bought a large tin of crunchy PB just for baking and here is what I tried out. 

Peanut Butter (shortbread) cookies (adapted from Leite's Culinaria)

Ingredients:

• 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons chunky peanut butter 

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 176°C. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on high speed, beat together the butter, granulated and brown sugars, and vanilla until light and fluffy, something like 4 to 5 minutes. Add the egg and beat until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the peanut butter and mix until everything is smooth and uniform. Add the flour mixture and mix just until combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and mix again a few times by hand.
4. To make small cookies, roll scant teaspoon-sized portions of dough into 3/4-inch balls. To make larger cookies, roll 1 1/2-tablespoon portions of dough into balls. Place the dough balls 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Flatten the cookies slightly and imprint the cookie dough with any design you like. Sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake in batches until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in airtight containers for up to 2 days