Peanut Butter Cookies

Hi. I’ve been gone a while. I Know. ‘Life ‘ was busy being a bit unfair to me. I'll tell you about it one day. But I’m back now, and look what I’ve made you!

I didn’t have much ingredients in the cupboard! Just enough to put this together and use half a jar of peanut butter that was due to pass its ‘eat before date’ in July of this year! I was pleased I found a cause for it!

But I’m gonna be honest with you, because I’m that type of girl: 
I made these; they came out right; they look good; and they were quite nice; but I'm just not that crazy enough about peanut butter! As I only ate one and a half!

Now you know that is not like me at all!  

See what you make of them...

Irresistible Peanut Butter Cookies

Taken from Baking Made Easy by Lorraine Pascale
(Makes 12)

130g /4 ½ oz butter, softened

200g /7 oz soft light brown sugar

1 egg

2 drops of vanilla extract

200g /7 oz plain flour

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

300g /10 ½ oz peanut butter

Handful of lightly toasted peanuts

Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F), Gas Mark 3.

Put the butter and the sugar in a large bowl and cream together until pale and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well, then stir in the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Gently stir in the peanut butter then squidge the dough into a ball.

Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and, using your hands, roll each one into a ball. Place on a large baking tray, spaced at least 10cm (4 in) apart.

Flatten each one slightly with a fork, sprinkle over the peanuts, if using, and bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes, or until the cookies start to go golden brown. The cookies will still be soft when they come out of the oven but will firm up as they cool.

Remove from the oven and leave to cool on the baking tray.