as if peanut butter was made for cookies—the sweet/salty connection, the fat substitute, the starchiness that blends well with flour. So here’s a set of American favorites: peanut butter and jelly thumbprints, peanut butter snickerdoodles, and peanut butter bar cookies. And here are some decidedly American takes on international favorites: macaroons, biscotti, and even rugalach. In other words, get out the baking sheets— because peanut butter is about to take over your kitchen!
These are old-fashioned cookies from your grandmother’s era, but sure to cure the PB&J cravings of the most die-hard fans. You make a rich buttery dough, bake it halfway, press a dent in the center of each cookie, and fill it with jam that melts as it continues to bake.
MAKES ABOUT 24 COOKIES
1 stick (8 tablespoons) cool unsalted butter, cut into chunks
6 tablespoons creamy standard peanut butter
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt, optional
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten in a small bowl
11/2 cups finely ground, roasted unsalted peanuts, placed on a large plate
1/2 cup Concord grape jelly
1. Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a large baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper; set it aside.
2. Beat the butter and peanut butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until light and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar; continue beating until light and pale brown, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as necessary. Beat in the egg yolks and vanilla until smooth. Turn off the beaters; add the flour (and salt, if using). Beat at low speed just until the batter begins to cohere into a ball. Turn off and remove the beaters, scraping any excess batter back into the bowl; mix in any remaining flour with your hands, just until the batter is uniform in color if still a little grainy.
3. Pull off a small amount of dough, about the size of a walnut, and roll it into a ball between your palms. Dip it fully in the beaten egg whites, shake off any excess, then roll it in the ground peanuts. Place on the prepared baking sheet; flatten slightly with the palm of your hand. Continue making the cookies, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
4. Bake for 10 minutes, then take the tray out of the oven. Use the handle of a wooden spoon to make a small indentation in each cookie without pressing through to the baking sheet underneath. (You can use your thumb, but be careful because the cookies are hot.) Place 1 teaspoon jelly in each indentation. Return the baking sheet to the oven and continue baking until the cookies have dry, firm edges, are lightly browned, and the jelly has melted, about 10 more minutes. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Use a second lined baking sheet for additional cookies, or cool this baking sheet for 5 minutes and replace the parchment paper if it’s frizzled or singed. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container, between sheets of wax paper, for up to 3 days.
Add 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon or ground ginger or 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg with the flour.
Substitute chopped pecans or walnuts for the roasted unsalted peanuts.
Of course, you can use any jam or jelly you prefer: cherry, raspberry, strawberry, or red currant. However, we do not recommend using preserves or marmalades because the individual chunks of fruit may be too large to fit in the center of the cookies.
These classic bar cookies may be a little retro, but they’re as good as ever with peanut butter and oats—and no flour at all, so they’re both crunchy and moist!
MAKES 24 BAR COOKIES
12 tablespoons (11/2 sticks) cool unsalted butter, cut into chunks
3/4 cup crunchy peanut butter
11/4 cups dark brown sugar
11/2 cup light corn syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
41/2 cups rolled oats (do not use steel-cut or quick-cooking oats)
12 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped, or 11/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup creamy standard peanut butter
1. Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Use an electric mixer to beat the butter, crunchy peanut butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and vanilla in a large bowl until creamy and light, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Beat in the oats until fully incorporated. Spread this mixture into a 9 x 13-inch pan.
3. Bake until set and browned, about 30 minutes. Transfer the bar cookies in the pan to a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in the top half of a double boiler set over about 1 inch of simmering water or in a medium bowl that fits securely over a medium saucepan with about the same amount of simmering water. Stir until half the chocolate has melted, then remove the top half of the double boiler or the bowl from the heat and continue stirring until all the chocolate has melted. Stir in the creamy peanut butter until smooth. (If for any reason the chocolate breaks into tight threads and a thin liquid, whisk in cream in 2-tablespoon increments until the chocolate is again glossy and smooth.) Set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
5. Unmold the bar cookies by placing a cutting board over the baking dish and turning the whole thing upside down. Tap a few times and the bar cookies will come out in one piece. Put a second cutting board over the cookies and invert again so that they are now right side up. Spread the melted chocolate mixture over the bar cookies, then place them on their cutting board in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to let the chocolate harden. Cut into 24 cookies; store them at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Mix 1/2 cup of any of the following into the chocolate with the creamy peanut butter: chopped dried figs, chopped pecans, chopped roasted unsalted peanuts, chopped walnuts, dried cranberries, M&M Baking Bits, raisins, or Reese’s Pieces.
These twice-baked hard Italian cookies are given the good ol’ American razzmatazz with peanut butter. They’re perfect for dunking in coffee, milk, or red wine.
MAKES ABOUT 36 BISCOTTI
11/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting your work surface
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt, optional
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup crunchy standard peanut butter
2 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
1. Position two baking racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a large, lipped baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper; set aside. Whisk the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, if using, in a medium bowl until uniform; set aside as well.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the sugar, peanut butter, eggs, and egg yolk until smooth. Stir in the prepared flour mixture with a wooden spoon until a dough forms. Gather it together in the bowl, then dust a clean work surface with flour and turn the dough out onto it. Shape the dough into a mound, then divide it in half. Lightly flour each half, then use your palms to roll them into logs about 10 inches long and 11/2 inches in diameter. Place both logs on the baking sheet, spacing them about 3 inches apart.
3. Bake in the upper third of the oven for 30 minutes, until somewhat dried out. Remove the baking sheet and cool the logs at room temperature for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 275°F.
4. Transfer the logs to a cutting board and slice them with a serrated knife into 1/2-inch-wide cookies. Slicing on the diagonal will produce longer cookies. Lay the cookies on two large baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Bake in the top and bottom thirds of the oven for 20 minutes. Remove the baking sheets and turn each cookie over. Reverse the sheets top to bottom and continue baking until the cookies are hard, about 20 more minutes. Cool on the sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. The biscotti can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
Substitute 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg for the cinnamon.
Stir in 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips with the cinnamon.
Stir in 2/3 cup dried cherries, dried cranberries, or dried currants with the cinnamon, but first chop the cherries or cranberries until they are the size of currants.
Add 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, 2 teaspoons maple extract, or 11/2 teaspoons rum extract with the eggs.
Since peanut butter itself is starchy, we find the most tender chocolate chip cookies are made with a combination of all-purpose flour and whole wheat pastry flour, a higher starch, more finely ground flour made from a soft wheat with the germ ground into the mix. You can find it at most gourmet markets or from outlets listed in the Source Guide (page 237).
MAKES ABOUT 40 COOKIES
11/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (about 12 ounces)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat or whole-grain pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt, optional
1 cup chunky standard peanut butter
1/4 cup solid vegetable shortening
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup honey (see page 10)
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1. Position the racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven; preheat the oven to 350°F. Whisk the chocolate chips, all-purpose flour, pastry flour, baking soda, and salt, if using, in a medium bowl until well combined; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, beat the chunky peanut butter and vegetable shortening with an electric mixer at medium speed until light and airy, about 1 minute. Beat in the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and honey until the mixture’s color lightens a little, about 1 more minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, and beat in the eggs, one at a time, then beat in the vanilla. Turn off the beaters, add the flour mixture, and beat at a very low speed just until combined if still grainy.
3. Gather up a rounded tablespoon of the dough and roll it into a ball in your hand. Place it on an ungreased, nonstick baking sheet. Continue making the balls until you have filled two baking sheets, spacing the balls about 3 inches apart (see Note). Flatten them slightly with your fingers, just until they look like partially deflated basketballs but not until they crack at the sides.
4. Bake for 7 minutes, then switch the baking sheets top to bottom and front to back. Continue baking until browned and dry to the touch, if still a little soft, about 7 more minutes. Cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Cool the baking sheet for 5 minutes before making additional batches. Store the cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days; or place them in zip-closed plastic bags and freeze them for up to 3 months.
NOTE: If you have only one baking sheet, bake the cookies for 6 minutes in the upper third of the oven, then switch them to the lower third and continue baking as directed.
For crunchier cookies, replace the 2 large eggs with 1 large egg and 2 large egg whites.
For chewier cookies, reduce the granulated sugar to 2 tablespoons and add 2 tablespoons light corn syrup with it.
Reduce the semisweet chocolate chips to 3/4 cup; add 3/4 cup peanut butter chips with the remaining semisweet chips.
Reduce the semisweet chocolate chips to 3/4 cup; add 3/4 cup white chocolate chips with the remaining semisweet chips.
Reduce the vanilla extract to 1 teaspoon; add 1 teaspoon banana or rum flavoring with the remaining vanilla extract.
Look no further for the ultimate peanut butter cookie: unadorned, straightfor-ward, and tasty. They’re cakey and not too sweet, perfect with a cup of coffee or tea.
MAKES ABOUT 42 COOKIES
21/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt, optional
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons creamy standard peanut butter
1/4 cup solid vegetable shortening
2/3 cup canola oil
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1. Position the rack in the center of the oven; preheat the oven to 350°F. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt, if using, in a medium bowl; set aside.
2. Use an electric mixer at medium speed to beat the sugar, peanut butter, and shortening in a large bowl until creamy and smooth, about 2 minutes. Beat in the oil, then the eggs, one at a time. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in the vanilla until smooth.
3. Remove the beaters (scrape any excess back into the batter) and stir in the prepared flour mixture with a wooden spoon, just until the batter coheres into a mass and can be gathered into a ball. Scoop out the dough in 1-tablespoon increments and roll them into balls about the size of a whole walnut. Place the balls on a large ungreased baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Use a fork to press a crosshatch pattern into the cookies, pressing down one direction with the tines, then rotating them 90 degrees and pressing down a second time. Don’t press the ball completely flat so that the sides crack open; it should look like a mostly flattened basketball with tire marks running both ways across it.
4. Bake until firm and light to the touch, about 18 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack and cool completely. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. They can also be frozen for up to 4 months; let them stand for 15 minutes at room temperature before serving.
Stir 2/3 cup of any of the following or any combination of the following into the flour mixture before it’s added to the wet ingredients: butterscotch chips, chocolate-covered espresso beans, chopped dried bananas, chopped pecans, chopped roasted unsalted peanuts, chopped walnuts, dried raspberries, M&M Baking Bits, peanut butter chips, raisins, Reese’s Pieces, semisweet chocolate chips, or white chocolate chips.
Here are the classic standards: cream sandwich cookies made from two crisp peanut butter rounds and a decadently smooth peanut butter filling.
MAKES 30 SANDWICH COOKIES
FOR THE COOKIES
13/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt, optional
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup solid vegetable shortening
3/4 cup creamy natural peanut butter
1/4 cup dark corn syrup
1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
FOR THE CREAM FILLING
2/3 cup creamy standard peanut butter
1/4 cup solid vegetable shortening
11/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1. Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt, if using, in a medium bowl until the baking soda is evenly distributed; set aside.
2. Beat the sugar, shortening, and natural peanut butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until creamy and soft, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, beat in the corn syrup, then beat in the egg yolk and vanilla until smooth. Turn off the beaters, add the prepared flour mixture, and beat at a very low speed until a dough gathers together in the bowl.
3. Dot your work surface with water and lay a large piece of wax paper on the water droplets (the water will keep it from skidding around while you roll out the dough). Divide the dough into thirds and place one-third on the wax paper. Press into a squat circle and cover with a second large sheet of wax paper. Roll out the dough until it is 1/4 inch, then cut out cookies using a 1 1/2-inch round cookie cutter. Place these on a large ungreased baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
4. Bake until set but soft, about 12 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Cool the sheet at least 5 minutes before using it again.
5. Roll out a second piece of the dough as indicated in step 3 and bake as directed in step 4. Then repeat with the last piece of dough.
6. Once the cookies are completely cooled, make the cream filling by beating the standard peanut butter and shortening in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until creamy. Beat in the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla until a smooth icing forms. Place a scant 2 teaspoons of the filling on the flat bottom of one of the cookies and sandwich it between another cookie, flat bottom to flat bottom. Continue making all the filled sandwich cookies. They can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Add 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice, 1/4 teaspoon grated mace, and/or 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves with the baking soda.
Substitute chocolate, maple, orange, or rum extracts for the vanilla extract in the filling.
Don’t feel constrained by the round cookie cutter we recommend for these spicy, chewy cookies—use any shape you wish.
MAKES ABOUT 60 COOKIES
Nonstick spray or unsalted butter for greasing the baking sheets
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting
2 teaspoons ground ginger
11/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt, optional
6 tablespoons cool unsalted butter, cut into chunks
6 tablespoons creamy standard peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses, preferably unsulphured molasses (see page 13)
1 large egg white, at room temperature
1. Position the racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven; preheat it to 350°F. Lightly spray or butter a large baking sheet; set aside. Whisk the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt, if using, in a medium bowl until the spices are well distributed in the mixture; set aside.
2. Beat the butter and peanut butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the sugar until fairly creamy, about 1 more minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then beat in the molasses until smooth. Finally, beat in the egg white until uniform. Turn off the beaters, add the flour mixture, and beat at low speed just until the dough begins to gather together and the flour has dissolved.
3. Dust your work surface with flour. Divide the dough in half and place one-half on your work surface. Dust it and a rolling pin with flour. Roll the dough to a large circle about 1/4 inch thick; use additional flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking. Use a 2-inch-round cookie cutter to cut out as many cookies as possible; use a thin metal spatula to transfer them to the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 1 inch apart.
4. Bake until slightly dry and a little firm but not hard, about 7 minutes. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Lightly spray or butter a second baking sheet and continue making cookies, or cool this first cookie sheet for 5 minutes before respraying it or buttering it lightly again and baking more cookies. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or they can be frozen in an airtight container between sheets of wax paper for up to 3 months.
After rolling the dough out, use a gingerbread man-shaped cookie cutter to cut out as many cookies as possible and bake them for a total of about 9 minutes, or until slightly dry and a little firm without being hard. Once the cookies have cooled to room temperature on a wire rack, frost them with Chocolate Icing (below).
MAKES A LITTLE MORE THAN 1/2 CUP
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
11/2 tablespoons half-and-half or heavy cream
2 teaspoons light corn syrup
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, maybe a little less or more
Beat the butter, cocoa powder, half-and-half, and corn syrup in a medium bowl with a mixer at medium speed until thick and creamy, about 4 minutes. Then beat in the confectioners’ sugar in 2-tablespoon increments until a thick icing forms. Spread this onto the cooled cookies with a small rubber spatula or an icing spatula.
If desired, decorate the gingerbread men with red hots and raisins for their eyes, nose, and buttons.
These are the classic French cookies, little puffed-up dots of batter, served in the middle of the day or after dinner with a cup of espresso. The recipe makes plenty—although each is just a bite.
MAKES 110-120 MACAROONS
One 16-ounce jar creamy natural peanut butter, any oil that’s separated from it drained off and discarded
2 cups sugar
6 large egg whites, at room temperature
1. Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F. Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat; set aside.
2. Beat the peanut butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until very smooth, about 5 minutes. You want most of the sugar to dissolve into the peanut butter. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary while the mixture beats.
3. Place the egg whites in a second bowl. With the mixer running at medium speed, add them to the peanut butter mixture in 1-tablespoon increments. Once all the egg whites have been added, continue beating until the mixture is smooth, thick, and pastelike. (This may take up to 5 minutes.) Scoop this mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch tip; or cut a small hole in one corner of a zipclosed plastic bag, fit it with a 1/2-inch tip, add the dough, and squeeze it down to the tip. Squeeze out 1-inch rounds onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 1 inch apart and swirling the mixture up into a little cowlick as you finish each one. Alternatively, you can drop the batter by teaspoons onto the sheet, making little irregular mounds.
4. Bake until dry and set, about 11 minutes. Cool them on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them with a metal spatula to a wire rack to cool completely. They will firm up as they cool. Cool the baking sheet 5 more minutes before adding more rounds; if you’ve used parchment paper, replace it before a second baking. Store the macaroons at room temperature in an airtight container or a plastic bag for up to 5 days.
MAKES 55-60 MACAROONS
1 recipe Peanut Butter Macaroons (page 158)
The classic macaroons are actually sandwich cookies. Spread about 1/2 teaspoon raspberry or strawberry jam on the bottom of one of the macaroons, then sandwich another to it, bottom to bottom. Place it on a wire rack and continue making the cookies until you’ve sandwiched them all with the jam (you’ll need about 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons jam).
Or make chocolate sandwiched macaroons by placing 3 ounces chopped semisweet chocolate in the top half of a double boiler set over a pot with about 1 inch of simmering water or in a medium bowl that fits securely over a medium saucepan with about the same amount of simmering water. Stir until half the chocolate has melted, then remove the top half of the double boiler or the bowl from the heat and continue stirring until all the chocolate has melted. Cool for 5 minutes. Smear 1 teaspoon of the melted chocolate on the flat bottom of one of the cookies, then press a second cookie’s flat bottom against the chocolate, thereby making a small sandwich cookie. Place the filled cookies on a wire rack to allow the chocolate to firm up at room temperature, about 1 hour. Repeat with the remaining cookies and chocolate.
If you like crunchy cookies, leave these classic oat cookies in the oven for another minute or so, just until they’re firm to the touch.
MAKES ABOUT 50 COOKIES
11/2 cups all-purpose flour
11/4 cups rolled oats (do not use steel-cut or quick-cooking oats)
11/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt, optional
1 cup chunky standard peanut butter
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cool unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1/4 cup solid vegetable shortening
1/4 cup light corn syrup
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1. Position the rack in the middle of the oven; preheat the oven to 350°F. Whisk the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt, if using, in a medium bowl; set aside.
2. Beat the peanut butter, butter, and vegetable shortening in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the corn syrup, then scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add both kinds of sugar. Continue beating at medium speed until the sugar dissolves and the color of the batter lightens somewhat, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla.
3. Turn off the mixer and add the flour mixture all at once. Beat at a very low speed, just until the flour has been thoroughly moistened. Do not overbeat. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a large, nonstick baking sheet, spacing the mounds about 3 inches apart.
4. Bake until golden, a little puffed, and dry to the touch if still soft, about 13 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Use a second baking sheet for another batch, or let this baking sheet cool for 5 minutes before dropping more batter mounds on it. Store the cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or place them in a zip-closed plastic bag and freeze them for up to 3 months.
Add 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon finely minced dried orange peel, or 1 teaspoon grated nutmeg with the baking soda.
Add 1 cup of any of the following with the dry ingredients: chopped dried bananas, chopped dried figs, chopped dried strawberries, chopped Heath bars, chopped pecans, chopped pitted dates, chopped roasted unsalted peanuts, chopped walnuts, dried cherries, dried cranberries, M&M Baking Bits, mini chocolate chips, raisins, or Reese’s Pieces.
Substitute banana, maple, orange, or rum extracts for the vanilla.
Refrigerator cookies may be the easiest of all—you make the dough in advance, roll it into a log, and store it in your refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, slicing off as many cookies as you’d like to bake at any one time. Better yet, you can freeze those logs, tightly sealed with plastic wrap, for up to 2 months; let them thaw in the refrigerator for 4 hours.
MAKES ABOUT 80 COOKIES
21/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting your work surface
1 cup whole wheat or whole-grain pastry flour (see headnote page 149)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt, optional
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) cool, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup chunky standard peanut butter
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1. Whisk the flour, whole wheat pastry flour, baking soda, and salt, if using, in a medium bowl; set aside.
2. Beat the butter and peanut butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until airy and light, about 2 minutes. Add both sugars and continue beating at medium speed until you can’t feel any sugar granules if you rub a small dab between your fingers, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and beat in the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla.
3. Turn off the beaters and add the flour mixture. Beat at very low speed just until a soft, pliable dough forms and there is no more dry flour visible. Scrape down the beaters, remove them, and gather the dough into a large, loose ball in the bowl. Lightly dust a clean work surface with flour and turn the dough out onto it. Divide the ball in half and use your palms to roll them into logs about 10 inches long. Don’t press down; just roll it gently back and forth on the work surface.
4. Wrap each log tightly in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or store them there for up to 2 weeks. To help the logs better keep their shape, cut the inner cardboard tube of a paper towel roll in half the long way, so that you make two long, semicircular containers that will cup the wrapped logs as they rest in the refrigerator.
5. To bake the cookies, position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Unwrap one of the logs and slice off as many 1/4-inch-thick round disks as you desire. Place these on a large nonstick baking sheet, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Wrap the remainder of the log in plastic wrap and return it to the refrigerator. Bake until golden and slightly dry to the touch, if still soft, about 15 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. They can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Refrigerator cookies make easy sandwich cookies. Consider spreading any of the following on half the cookies (1 and 2 teaspoons as the filling on each, depending on your preference) and sandwiching those cookies with the other half: grape jam, Marshmallow Fluff or Marshmallow Crème, raspberry jam, or strawberry jam. Or use this chocolate frosting.
MAKES ABOUT 11/4 CUPS
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
21/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
Place the chocolate in a medium bowl and set aside. Stir the water, corn syrup, and salt in a small saucepan until the corn syrup dissolves, then set the pan over medium heat. Do not stir, but the moment the mixture comes to a simmer, remove the pan from the heat.
Pour the hot syrup over the chopped chocolate, stirring until the chocolate has melted. Add the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla; stir until incorporated. Cool for 5 minutes, then use this frosting as a filling for the cookies.
Rugalach has always been a favorite in Jewish delis, but these little rolled, filled, pastry-style cookies were never made with peanut butter—until now.
MAKES 32 RUGALACH
11/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting
1 1/4 cups cake flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) cool, unsalted butter, cut into chunks
8 ounces cream cheese (regular or low-fat but not nonfat), softened to room temperature
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg plus 1 large egg white, at room temperature
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup creamy standard peanut butter
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons milk (regular, low-fat, or nonfat)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1. Whisk both flours and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
2. Beat the butter and cream cheese in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until soft and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the granulated sugar and continue beating until dissolved, about 2 more minutes. Beat in 1 whole egg, then 2 teaspoons of the vanilla.
3. Turn off the beaters and add half the flour mixture. Beat on low until incorporated, then add the remainder of the flour mixture and continue beating on low until a soft dough forms. Turn off the beaters, scrape them down, and gather the dough into a ball in the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours but not more than 12 hours.
4. Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F.
5. Make the filling by beating the peanut butter, light brown sugar, milk, cinnamon, the remaining egg white, and the remaining 2 teaspoons vanilla in a medium bowl until fairly smooth and creamy. Set aside at room temperature.
6. Lightly dust a clean work surface with flour. Divide the flour dough in half; gather one-half into a ball. Place it on the prepared work surface and very lightly dust the dough with flour. Press it lightly with your hands into a small circle, then roll it into a circle about 12 inches in diameter. Spread half the peanut butter filling over the dough, leaving a 1/4-inch border around the circumference. Cut the circle into 16, even, pie-shaped wedges, starting at the center point and moving out to the circumference for each cut. (You can also do this with a large knife, one large enough to measure the diameter of the circle—keep rotating the knife on the circle’s diameter until you’ve made 16 wedges.)
7. Separate these wedges from each other a little, then roll each one up, starting at the wider, outside edge and rolling toward the tip. Some of the filling will ooze out a little, creating what looks like a second strip of darker dough along the edge of the lighter dough. Place the rolled cookies tip side down on a large, lipped baking sheet, preferably a nonstick sheet, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Repeat this whole process with the second half of the dough, making 16 more rugalach.
8. Bake until lightly browned and somewhat firm to the touch, 18 to 20 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. The rugalach can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. They can also be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months; let them thaw on a wire rack at room temperature for at least 15 minutes before serving.
Here’s an American classic at its best: a homegrown sugar cookie that’s been reimagined with peanut butter. These cookies are a little softer than the originals; we think the texture better matches all that creamy peanut butter.
MAKES ABOUT 36 COOKIES
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt, optional
3/4 cup creamy standard peanut butter
1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1. Whisk the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt, if using, in a medium bowl; set aside.
2. Beat the peanut butter and shortening in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until creamy and light, about 1 minute. Add 13/4 cups sugar and continue beating until the color of the mixture lightens. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then beat in the eggs, one at a time. Beat in the vanilla. Turn off the mixer and add the flour mixture all at once. Beat at a low speed, just until a smooth dough comes together. Do not overbeat. Remove the mixer, after first scraping down the blades, and set the dough aside for 10 minutes.
3. Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a lipped baking sheet with a silicon baking mat or parchment paper; set aside. Mix the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
4. Gather up a rounded tablespoon of the dough and gently firm it into a ball in your hand. Roll it in the sugar mixture, then place it on the prepared baking sheet. Continue making balls and rolling them in the sugar mixture until you have filled the sheet, spacing the balls 3 inches apart.
5. Bake until lightly browned, crackled, and flattened but still a little puffy, 13 to 15 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. While the cookies are baking, you can roll additional balls and coat them in sugar—to bake them, use a second lined baking sheet or allow the one that’s been in the oven to cool for 5 minutes. If you’ve used parchment paper, replace it before you bake a second batch. When cooled, store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 4 days; or seal them in zip-closed plastic bags and freeze them for up to 3 months.
Substitute banana, maple, orange, or rum extracts for the vanilla extract.