Wouldn’t it be great if all recipes required just 20 minutes in the kitchen? Well, not all of them can be that way, otherwise we’d have some under-baked casseroles, and sad, raw loaves of bread. Okay, maybe not every recipe should be a 20-minute one, but we sure do appreciate the ones that are — for example, these quick and easy 20-minute peanut butter cookies, courtesy of recipe developer Catherine Brookes. Not only do these cookies take just 20 minutes to make between prep and cooking time, but they only require a mere 4 ingredients!
“My favorite thing about this recipe is watching 4 simple ingredients transform into a batch of perfectly soft, sweet, delicious cookies,” Brookes describes. “These are absolutely packed with peanut flavor.” For those of you who think that chocolate chip cookies are a bit overrated, these peanut butter confections are definitely for you. Even the most novice of bakers can acquire these ingredients, and whip up a batch of these cookies, so without further ado, let’s dive right in.
Gather the ingredients for 20-minute peanut butter cookies
Like we’ve covered, you’ll only need 4 ingredients to make these cookies, and the star ingredient is none other than creamy peanut butter. You’ll also need brown sugar, a single egg, and a bit of vanilla extract to round out the cookies. “You could certainly swap the creamy peanut butter for crunchy, and the brown sugar for white sugar, if preferred,” Brookes notes.
Mix together the cookie batter
Kick things off by preheating your oven to 350 F, then line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Now, it’s time to mix up some nutty batter. In a large mixing bowl, add the peanut butter, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla extract. Use a wooden spoon to mix it all together — it may be a bit tough to mix at first because the peanut butter is so sticky, but you should get it to a nice, cohesive consistency with a little elbow grease.
Lay the cookies out on a baking sheet
With the dough all mixed up, you can start to form balls with your hands. Try to make sure that each cookie ball is roughly the same size — Brookes made hers about 1.4 ounces each. Lay each ball out on the baking sheet, and be sure to leave a little space in between each one. Then, use a fork to press down twice on each ball, which will flatten the cookies, and give them that classic criss-cross pattern. Then, into the oven the cookies go for 10 minutes.
Serve and enjoy these peanut butter cookies
Once the 10 minutes are up, remove the cookies from the oven. Leave them to cool on the baking sheets for about 10 minutes, then transfer them over to wire racks to finish the cooling process. Then, you’re ready to dive in! “These cookies are great enjoyed with a cup of tea or coffee, or dipped into milk,” Brookes suggests. “You can also dip one half into melted chocolate for some extra indulgence.”
And, if you happen to have leftovers, storage won’t be a problem at all. “These should keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days,” Brookes notes.
Collected by Cookingtom
Original Article
I’m Brian Danny Max, a chef and a writer at cookingtom.com. I’m here to talk about food and cooking, and to share some of my favorite recipes with you all! I’ve been interested in food and cooking since I was a child. My parents are both great cooks, and they taught me a lot about the kitchen. I’ve been cooking professionally for about 10 years now, and I’ve loved every minute of it! I specialize in healthy, flavorful recipes that are easy to make at home. I believe that anyone can cook a delicious meal, no matter their skill level. I’m here to help you learn how to cook, and to show you that it’s not as difficult as you might think! I hope you’ll check out my blog and my recipes, and I look forward to hearing from you!