Roll-and-Bake Peanut Butter Cookies
By America's Test KitchenPublished on December 20, 2009
Yield
Makes about 7 dozen 2 1/2 inch cookies rolled to 1/8-inch thick (rerolling only once)
Ingredients
½ pound (227 grams/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature1 cup granulated sugar, processed in food processor for 30 seconds, or superfine sugar⅔ cup peanut butter ½ teaspoon salt 1 whole egg plus 1 yolk2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 ½ cups bleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for work surface
Before You Begin
We found that dough rolled three times does indeed bake into a tougher cookie. So get as many dough shapes as you can out of each sheet, and donate dough that's been rolled more than twice to someone who needs rolling practice.
Instructions
- Cream butter, sugar, peanut butter, and salt in workbowl of electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add yolk, beat well then add whole egg and vanilla; continue beating until well incorporated. Add flour; beat over low speed until flour is just mixed. Divide dough in half and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour. (Can be refrigerated up to 2 days or double-wrapped and frozen 1 month.)
- Adjust oven racks to upper and lower middle positions. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Remove one disk of dough from refrigerator and cut in half. Return unused portion of dough to refrigerator.
- Lightly flour work surface; roll dough to 1/8-inch thick, using offset spatula to loosen dough. Sprinkle surface lightly with flour as needed to keep dough from sticking.
- Cut or form dough into desired shape. Place dough shapes 1/2-inch apart on parchment-lined cookie sheet. Bake, rotating cookie sheets halfway through baking if necessary, until evenly golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Use thin-bladed spatula to immediately transfer cookies to cooling rack. Cool to room temperature. Repeat rolling, cutting, and baking remaining dough. Decorate cooled cookies, if desired, and transfer to airtight container (can be stored up to 3 weeks).
Yield
Makes about 7 dozen 2 1/2 inch cookies rolled to 1/8-inch thick (rerolling only once)Ingredients
½ pound (227 grams/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar, processed in food processor for 30 seconds, or superfine sugar
⅔ cup peanut butter
½ teaspoon salt
1 whole egg plus 1 yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 ½ cups bleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for work surface
Ingredients
½ pound (227 grams/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar, processed in food processor for 30 seconds, or superfine sugar
⅔ cup peanut butter
½ teaspoon salt
1 whole egg plus 1 yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 ½ cups bleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for work surface
Ingredients
½ pound (227 grams/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar, processed in food processor for 30 seconds, or superfine sugar
⅔ cup peanut butter
½ teaspoon salt
1 whole egg plus 1 yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 ½ cups bleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for work surface
Why This Recipe Works
Recipes for peanut butter cookies tend to fall into one of two categories: sweet and chewy with a mild peanut flavor, and sandy and crumbly with a strong peanut flavor. What we wanted, of course, was the best of both worlds—that is, cookies that were crisp on the edges and chewy in the center, with lots of peanut flavor.
Before You Begin
We found that dough rolled three times does indeed bake into a tougher cookie. So get as many dough shapes as you can out of each sheet, and donate dough that's been rolled more than twice to someone who needs rolling practice.
Instructions
- Cream butter, sugar, peanut butter, and salt in workbowl of electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add yolk, beat well then add whole egg and vanilla; continue beating until well incorporated. Add flour; beat over low speed until flour is just mixed. Divide dough in half and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour. (Can be refrigerated up to 2 days or double-wrapped and frozen 1 month.)
- Adjust oven racks to upper and lower middle positions. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Remove one disk of dough from refrigerator and cut in half. Return unused portion of dough to refrigerator.
- Lightly flour work surface; roll dough to 1/8-inch thick, using offset spatula to loosen dough. Sprinkle surface lightly with flour as needed to keep dough from sticking.
- Cut or form dough into desired shape. Place dough shapes 1/2-inch apart on parchment-lined cookie sheet. Bake, rotating cookie sheets halfway through baking if necessary, until evenly golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Use thin-bladed spatula to immediately transfer cookies to cooling rack. Cool to room temperature. Repeat rolling, cutting, and baking remaining dough. Decorate cooled cookies, if desired, and transfer to airtight container (can be stored up to 3 weeks).
Gift This Recipe
Enjoyed this dish? Let others know by sharing it as a gift recipe.
More Like This
Keep Exploring
My Rating
This is a members' feature.
0 Comments