In honor of National Peanut Butter Cookie Day, I am planning to make a batch to go with our dinner. Even though we’re trying to be a little bit healthier, I think a little splurge now and then is worth it. It’s all about moderation 🙂

Honestly, it’s the nutty flavor that makes my mouth water even now. It’s times like these that I feel sorry for the growing number of people allergic to them.

After perusing Pinterest, here are some of my favorite recipes. Do you have a go-to recipe for cookies?

From Spoonful of Sugar –

Ingredients:
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cup flour
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Cream peanut butter and shortening. Add sugars and cream. Add egg, vanilla, and dry ingredients. Chill dough. Roll into balls and place on a greased cookie sheet. Flatten with a fork dipped in sugar. Bake 8-10 minutes.

From Delish.com –

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup(s) white whole-wheat flour (see Tip)
• 1 1/2 cup(s) all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoon(s) baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon(s) baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
• 1 cup(s) sugar
• 1/3 cup(s) smooth natural peanut butter
• 5 tablespoon(s) canola oil
• 4 tablespoon(s) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup(s) chopped roasted peanuts

 Directions

1. Whisk white whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
2. Beat sugar, peanut butter, oil, and butter in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer on high until smooth, scraping down the sides. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth, scraping down the sides. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until just combined.
3. Place half the dough on a large piece of plastic wrap and shape into a 10-inch log (it’s okay if it’s not perfectly round). Repeat with the remaining dough. Wrap and freeze until just firm, about 45 minutes. Reroll the logs to make them rounder and return to the freezer until very firm, at least 1 hour more.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
5. Remove one roll of dough at a time from the freezer and let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes. Unwrap the dough and slice crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rounds, turning the dough a quarter turn after each slice to help keep the cookies round. Place 1/2 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. If your cookies aren’t as round as you want them to be, shape the dough with your fingers. Sprinkle each cookie with a little chopped peanuts and gently press into the cookie to help them adhere.
6. Bake 8 minutes for soft cookies or 10 minutes for crisp cookies. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining roll of dough, if desired.Exchanges: 1/2 carbohydrate (other), 1 fat Carbohydrate Servings: 1/2

 Tips & Techniques

Make Ahead Tip: Store wrapped rolls of dough in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Tip: White whole-wheat flour, made from a special variety of white wheat, is light in color and flavor but has the same nutritional properties as regular whole-wheat flour. It is available at large supermarkets and natural-foods stores and online at bobsredmill.com or kingarthurflour.com. Store it in the freezer.

From 101Cookbooks {for the organic types} –

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour, spelt flour, or unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 cup organic, chunky natural peanut butter
1 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

 Directions

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Place racks in the top third.

In a medium mixing bowl combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. in a separate larger bowl combine the peanut butter, maple syrup, olive oil, and vanilla. Stir until combined. Pour the flour mixture over the peanut butter mixture and stir until barely combined – still a bit dusty looking. Let sit for five minutes, give one more quick stir, just a stroke or two. Now drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Press down on each one gently with the back of a fork. It’s a loose batter, so if you’re set on doing criss-crosses, go ahead and chill the batter for an hour or so before this step. Bake for 10, maybe 11 minutes – but don’t over bake or they will be dry. Let cool five minutes and transfer to a cooling rack.

Make 2 – 3 dozen cookies.