The ultimate peanut butter cookie

One thing that always reminds me of summer is peanut butter cookies. These are one of those dessert that are easy, and travel well. Not to mention, peanut butter cookies are a real crowd pleaser. Kids and adults love them. This is an easy recipe I developed today to take with me to our Fourth of July festivities tomorrow. Hope you like them as much as my husband, who could barely let them cool before diving in.

The ultimate peanut butter cookie
1/2 c. softened salted butter
1/2 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 c. granulated sugar
3/4 c. smooth peanut butter
1 large egg
1 1/2 tsp. good vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 large pinch of cinnamon (optional)



With an electric mixer, blend the butter and sugars until creamed
Then mix in the peanut butter until combined
Next add the egg and the vanilla
Separately, sift the flour, baking soda and baking powder
With your mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in 3 batches, allowing the flour to be completely mixed before adding the rest. Do not over mix.
Drop 2 tbs of cookie dough on to an ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.
I find an ice cream scoop is the easiest and produces the most consistent cookies, but you can use spoons too.
Using a fork, press down lightly on the balls of dough one way, then the other, to form a cross hatch pattern.
Bake in a preheated 350 oven for 25-30 minutes or until cookies are brown around the edges