Classic Peanut Butter Cookies

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I wrote this post for classic peanut butter cookies and then last night had the feeling that I should dedicate this post to my parents, and I try to always follow those little feelings. Thank you for taking the time to always encourage, patiently teach and most of all love me through anything and everything. You gave me the wings to fly anywhere and become anything.

Music and food. Two things that store up memories like nothing else. I can love a book but never remember what was going on when I was reading it. A certain song though, well suddenly I’m right back in college teaching a pilates class, or driving to a marching band practice. Yup. Totally did that. haha, but seriously, music and food bring back so many memories and I bet a few of you have one attached to classic peanut butter cookies.

This may seem ridiculous to some of you, but I so badly wanted to feel like I could do things on my own as a kid. With siblings much older than me I watched them doing all sorts of fun and cool things and I just wanted to be big like them. I know, I should have been more content with being little because looking back I am bummed I didn’t take more advantage of being carefree. Either way, I distinctly remember my mom making peanut butter cookies one day and she let me sit up on a stool and help her make the crisscross pattern with a fork on top of the cookie dough.

How silly, a fork to press a pattern into a cookie and warm memories attached to just that. I can see the same desire in our oldest and I struggle as a mom to let her, even encourage her to be little and at the same time push her to be more and more responsible each year. It’s in these little moments that I feel balanced, a mom having fun and being little alongside her daughter and still teaching her as a mother should.

I first teach her that it’s all about the softened butter. Not melted, and not cold, perfectly soft where you see your fingerprint and indentation in the butter. Then whip it, forcing air into the sugar and butter for a fluffier cookie. I also tell her that there’s nothing more important in baking than first following the recipe, and second measuring correctly. Wet ingredients in a glass measuring cup, dry in regular cups. Flour MUST be measure just like in our tutorial.

And in the end, the fork comes out for the indentations just like Mom taught me. She’s a good mom like that.

Is Peanut Butter Good for You?

Peanut butter is very high in fats.

The fact that it is high in fats makes it high in calories also.

Peanut butter also contains many good nutrients such as protein, fiber, minerals and vitamins.

In spite of the high calorie content, eating small amounts of pure peanut butter is fine on a weight-loss diet.

Can Peanut Butter Cookie Dough be Frozen?

Roll dough into balls and freeze in heavy duty freezer bags.

Thaw and make crisscross marks on top and bake.

Or, freeze dough in disc shape in freezer bag.

Thaw, roll into balls, crisscross and bake.

What Can You Substitute For Brown Sugar?

You can use an equal amount of white sugar although the flavor and texture may be just a little different.

You can use white sugar and a little molasses or maple syrup–1 cup sugar plus 1 Tablespoon molasses or maple syrup.

For dark brown sugar, use 2 tablespoons molasses or maple syrup and 1 cup white sugar.