Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Cookies

The only Skippy Peanut Butter plant in the country is located in Little Rock, Arkansas.  Skippy, believe it or not, is the number one peanut butter in China and is second only to Jif in the United States.  I probably would have guessed Peter Pan, wouldn’t you? I’m a huge peanut butter fan, and I especially like the extra crunchy natural variety of Skippy which is what I used in these cookies.  However, you can use whatever peanut butter is your favorite.

According to several informal internet polls, chocolate chip cookies reign supreme as everyone’s favorite, followed closely by sugar cookies and the white chocolate chip macadamia nut variety.  While I would never turn one of those down, a good peanut butter cookie would be my first choice any day.

Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Cookies

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup peanut butter (extra chunky for me)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla11/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
Granulated sugar

Cream the butter, peanut butter, sugars, egg and vanilla. Sift together the flour, soda and salt.  Blend the dry and creamed mixtures well.  Stir in the chopped, roasted nuts evenly throughout the dough.  Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for two hours or more.

Break the dough into chunks large enough to make 1 to 1 1/2-inch balls.  Roll the balls in a bowl of granulated sugar.  Place 2-inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Press a crisscross pattern in the tops of the cookies with a fork.  Do not crowd the pan.

Bake for approximately 10-12 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven.  Allow the cookies to cool slightly before removing from the pan to  a wire rack.  Store in a sealed container.

What’s your favorite homemade cookie?  I’d love to know your recipe.