Hershey's Kiss Peanut Butter Cookies

One of my lovely friends gifted me with some Hershey's Kisses - I used them to bake some fluffy peanut butter cookies!

Recipe heavily adapted from: How Sweet It Is
Ingredients
125g butter
35g peanut butter
200g white sugar
40g brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
280g flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
Hershey's Kisses or choc chips (optional)

Method
1. Preheat your oven to 175C (350F).

2. Beat the butter, peanut butter, white sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy.

3. Beat the egg and vanilla essence into the mixture.

4. Mix in the flour and baking powder until just combined.

5. Scoop heaped tablespoons of cookie dough onto a baking tray lined with baking paper or a silicon mat, leaving a bit of space between the dough balls.

6. Top each ball with a Hershey's Kiss or a chocolate chip.  Of course, you can also make these without the chocolate kisses!

7. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until lightly golden.  You want the middle to still be soft!

8. Allow the cookies to cool on the trays for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cookies sans kisses

Enjoy!

Soft, Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

These cookies are divine!  They have a nice crunch on the outside from being rolled in sugar, and the insides are chewy and soft.  You can also add choc chips if you like.

Recipe adapted from: Everyday Home Cook
Ingredients
125g butter
250g peanut butter (I used smooth)
185g white sugar
95g brown sugar
1 egg
1 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla essence
194g flour
3/4 tsp bicarb soda
1/2 tsp baking powder

Additional white sugar for coating the cookies

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 175 C (350 F).

2. Beat the butter and peanut butter until light and fluffy.

3. Add the white sugar and brown sugar, beat until combined.

4. Add the egg, milk and vanilla, beat until smooth.

5. Finally, add the flour, bicarb and baking powder and mix until combined.

6. Create balls of dough a bit larger than a tablespoon and roll them in white sugar.

7. Place the dough on baking trays covered with baking paper, spacing them out as they do spread.

8. Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, until lightly golden - make sure not to overbake as these biscuits should be soft.

9. Let the cookies cool on the tray for a few minutes then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Fudge Peanut Butter Cookies

These cookies are beautifully soft and chocolatey, the peanut butter is present but not overwhelming.  Another great chocolate/peanut butter staple!

Recipe adapted from: How Sweet Eats
Ingredients
115g dark chocolate
250g butter
125g peanut butter
375g white sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla essence
310g flour
30g cocoa powder
1 tsp bicarb soda
1/2 tsp salt
250g chocolate chips (more if required...)

Method
1. Melt the 115g dark chocolate in the microwave and set aside.

2. Cream the butter, peanut butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating between additions.  Add the vanilla and beat until combined.

4. Add the flour, cocoa powder (sift this for best results), bicarb soda and salt, mix until combined.  It will be quite a soft dough but that's okay, once you add the melted chocolate it will firm up a bit; and you want these cookies to be gooey and soft in the end.

5. Mix the melted chocolate in, and finally fold the chocolate chips into the batter.

6. Cover the dough and refrigerate for a few hours.  I left mine overnight - you can just cool it for however long you like and bake it when you're ready.

7. When you're ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 175C (350F).

8. Form balls of dough about 1 tablespoon in size (you can go bigger or smaller if you like, but make sure you adjust the baking time accordingly) and place them spread out on a baking tray covered with baking paper or a silicone mat.

9. Bake the cookies for about 10 minutes.  They should be soft in the middle still, you don't want to overbake these and lose their squishiness.

Peanut Butter Double Choc Chip Cookies

I make no secret about my love of peanut butter, and these cookies satisfy my cravings.  The combination of whole peanuts, dark chocolate chips as well as white chocolate chips really make them great.

Recipe adapted from: Brown Eyed Baker
Ingredients
115g butter
185g peanut butter
125g brown sugar
80g white sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla essence
200g flour
30g cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarb soda
2/3 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 white chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanuts

Method
1. Preheat oven to 175C (350F).  If desired, at this time you can toast the peanuts under a grill or in a frying pan and then set them aside to cool.

2. Beat the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar and white sugar until light and fluffy.

3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating in between the additions.

4. Beat the vanilla essence in.

5. Stir the flour, cocoa powder (it's best if you sift the cocoa!), baking powder and bicarb soda into the wet mixture.

6. When all ingredients are combined, add the dark and white chocolate chips as well as the peanuts.

7. Roll the dough into balls about 1 tbsp size (or whatever size you want them, just make sure you adjust the baking time accordingly) and place them on a baking tray covered with baking paper or a silicone mat.  The oil from the peanuts may make the dough slide off them (especially if the nuts are toasted), but just squish them together in your hands and they'll be fine!

8. Bake the cookies for about 10 minutes.  You want the middles to still be a bit soft.

9. Let them cool (or eat them straight away...) and enjoy!

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Choc Chip Cookies

These delicious peanutty creations are made extra wholesome by the addition of rolled oats.  Choc chips are optional, but of course I couldn't resist!

Recipe adapted from: Hidden Ponies
Ingredients
125g butter
140g peanut butter
125g white sugar
93g brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
170g flour
100g rolled oats
1/2 tsp bicarb soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt (if using unsalted butter/margarine)
1 cup chocolate chips

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 190C (375F).

2. Beat the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar and white sugar until light and fluffy.

3. Beat in the egg and vanilla essence until combined.

4. Mix the flour, oats, bicarb soda, baking powder and salt.

5. Fold the flour and oat mixture into the batter until combined.

6. Finally, stir the chocolate chips into the batter.

7. Roll the dough into balls the size of your choosing, place onto baking paper/silicon mats and bake for about 12 minutes.

8. Allow the cookies to cool on wire racks...or just eat them when they're warm.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

These decadent cupcakes are rich and fudgy - a delicious combination of chocolate and peanut butter!

Recipe adapted from: Sis. Boom. [blog!]
Ingredients - chocolate batter
170g dark chocolate
113g butter
125g white sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
105g flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt (if using unsalted butter/margarine)

Ingredients - peanut butter filling
92g icing sugar
52g butter
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 tsp salt (if using unsalted butter/margarine)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 165 C (325 F) and prepare your cupcake tin with patty pans.

2. Make the chocolate batter.  Melt the chocolate and butter and set aside to cool.

3. Beat the eggs and sugar with the vanilla, then add the cooled chocolate mixture.  Set this batter aside.

4. Make the peanut butter filling.  Melt the butter and mix it with the icing sugar, peanut butter, salt and vanilla extract.  My mixture wasn't very liquid so I heated the bowl above a saucepan of boiling water to make everything a bit more workable.  (Only do this if you're using an appropriate bowl!)

5. Assemble the cupcakes.  Spoon some of the chocolate mixture into the patty pans then plop some of the peanut butter filling on top.  Use a toothpick or a small knife to swirl the batter around.

6. Bake the cupcakes for about 30 minutes or until the tops are lightly browned and an inserted toothpick comes out with only a few crumbs on it.

7. Let the cupcakes cool and then consume at your leisure!

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

These bars have an interesting combination of tastes and textures.  The oats make it very muesli-bar like, but then you hit the smoothness of the chocolate and taste the hint of cinnamon.  Overall it creates a delicious bar that seems healthy.  Oats, am I right?

Recipe adapted from: pdxfoodlove
Ingredients (20 cm (8 inch) square tin)
125g white sugar
92g brown sugar
62g butter
155g flour
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp bicarb soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
85g choc chips or choc chunks

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 190 C (375 F).  Line a 20cm square baking tin or equivalent with baking paper.

2. Cream the white and brown sugar with the butter and peanut butter.

3. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until combined.

4. Stir the bicarb soda, cinnamon, baking powder and flour, then the oats and choc chips.

5. Spread the mixture into the prepared baking tin and bake for about 25 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.  I baked mine for a bit longer, which resulted in a firmer texture - bake for less if you prefer the bars to be more squishy.

6. Cool the bars in the tin then cut into squares or rectangles.

Peanut Butter Cookies

These cookies are lovely, with a slightly crumbly outside, soft inside and the delightful crunch of peanuts all the way through.

Recipe adapted from: Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-In-Your-Mouth Cookies by Alice Medrich
Ingredients
105g butter
50g brown sugar
150g white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
315g crunchy peanut butter (alternatively, use about 280g smooth peanut butter and 35g peanuts)
190g flour
1/2 tsp bicarb soda
1 tsp salt

Method
1. If you're using smooth peanut butter, chop the peanuts into small bits and set aside.

2. Beat the butter, brown sugar and white sugar together until creamy but not fluffy.

3. Add the egg, vanilla, peanut butter and peanuts (if you're using them) and mix until combined.

4. Add the flour, bicarb soda and salt then mix until incorporated.  At this point, my family ate most of the dough.

5. Cover the (remaining) dough and let it sit in the fridge for at least two hours and up to three days.  I kept mine refrigerating for about 4 hours.

6. When you're ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 165 C (325 F).

7. Roll the dough into balls a bit larger than 1 tablespoon and place on baking trays lined with silicone or baking paper.  Flatten the balls a bit with the tines of a fork or your palm if you'd prefer non-lined cookies.

8. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the cookies are golden.  I baked mine for closer to 20 minutes, but my oven is notoriously inaccurate with temperature.

9. Let the cookies cool before storing or devouring.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies

Do you feel like soft, chocolatey, peanutty melt-in-your-mouth cookies?  Yeah, me too.  Here's the perfect recipe.
Recipe Adapted From: Scientifically Sweet
Ingredients
125g butter
185g brown sugar
63g white sugar
1/4 cup peanut butter (crunchy or smooth, your pick)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla essence/extract
1/2 tsp bicarb soda
250g flour
20g cocoa powder
150g choc chips

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 175 C (350 F).

2. Cream the butter with both sugars until light and fluffy.  Add peanut butter and beat until combined.

3. Add the egg and vanilla, mix until combined.

4. Add the bicarb, flour and cocoa powder and fold in.

5. Add the chocolate chips and mix.

6. Roll the dough into balls the size of your choosing (I did mine a bit smaller than a tablespoon) and place onto a tray covered in baking paper or a silicone sheet.  They don't spread much, so you can put them quite close together.

7. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the tops of the cookies start getting cracks.  Don't overbake them, or they'll lose the softness of their insides.

8. After the cookies have cooled on the tray for a bit, transfer them to a wire rack and enjoy.

Chocolate Cookies with Peanut Butter Chips

I love practically all things peanut butter, so when I spied peanut butter chips in David Jones I had a bit of a freak out.

The chips are definitely peanutty, but they taste artificial and the texture is kind of weird.  However, I can safely say that they are much better when baked in a delicious cookie.

Recipe Adapted From: White On Rice Couple

Ingredients (this ingredient list is 2/5 of the original recipe from the link above and should make about 30 small cookies)

250g dark chocolate

35g butter/margarine

10mL very strong coffee

2 eggs

160g white sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

35g flour

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

115g peanut butter chips

Method (this is a lot like the method for brownies, which I think says a lot about the deliciousness of these cookies!)

1. Heat the chocolate and butter in the microwave in 20 second bursts until melted.  Stir to combine and then set aside.

2. Make the strong coffee - I usually just use instant coffee and mix it with boiling water.  Set aside to cool.

3. Beat the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy.

4. Add the coffee and vanilla extract and mix to combine.

5. Combine the egg mixture and the melted chocolate, mixing to incorporate.

6. Mix the baking powder, salt and flour into the chocolate mixture until just combined.  Stir the peanut butter chips in, then cover and leave to chill in the fridge for about 20 minutes.

7. Roll your chilled dough into logs of whatever size you like.  Wrap in cling wrap and put in the freezer or fridge until fairly hard.  You want to be able to cut them with a knife without having the logs squish or collapse.

8. When your logs are firm enough, preheat your oven to 205 C (400 F).

9. There are two different looks you can do for your cookies.  The first will let your peanut butter chips stay whole within your cookie, while the second will leave some of your peanut butter chips cut.  It's really a matter or your personal preference - both look good and taste exactly the same.

Option 1 (hand rolling): break bits of dough off the logs and roll in your hands until spherical.

Option 2 (cutting): using a sharp knife, cut the log into slices.

10. Bake for about 10 minutes.  You want the cookies to be squishy in the middle.

 Enjoy!

The Beginning of an Addiction - Peanut Butter Bars

Yes, it's official.  I, The Speeding Turtle, am addicted and obsessed with peanut butter.
It probably isn't healthy to have little twitch-fits and hyperventilate with the mere mention of the delicious food, and yet it happens to me.


I'd never been much of a fan of peanut butter before, and only really ate it when it was mixed with honey on toast.  So where does this addiction spring from?  I'll tell you.  It all began the fateful day that I made Nigella Lawson's Peanut Butter Bars.


The Peanut Butter Bars were amazing; sweet, chocolatey, peanutty and so good I wanted to whip up another batch right away and devour it all.  It's easy enough, too, with no baking involved (unless you count microwaving).  In the words of Nigella Lawson: "You may think that seeing how the dough is made - just peanut butter, butter and sugar - might put you off eating them.  Sadly not."

I made them so often after that first time that Mum had to restrict me to making them only once every two months.  *Sigh*
12 days until July.

Recipe Adapted From: How to be a Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson

Ingredients - Base (20 cm (8 inch) square tin)

50g brown sugar
200g icing sugar
50g margarine (you can use butter, but I think it tastes better with margarine)
200g smooth (or crunchy) peanut butter

Ingredients - Topping
150g dark/milk chocolate (I use dark)
1 tablespoon margarine/butter


Method
1. Combine the ingredients for the base.  I use my Kitchenaid with the K beater attachment.

2. Sample the dough.  If you want it more peanutty, add more peanut butter; but know that this will make the dough softer and more squidgy.


3. Line a 23cm square tin (or equivalent) with baking paper.  Press the dough evenly into the tin and refrigerate.

4. Make the topping.  Put the chocolate and butter into a microwave-safe bowl and microwave until mostly melted.  Stir.


5. Pour the chocolate mixture onto the base and spread.  To get the chocolate flat, rap the tin on the tabletop and it should flatten out.

6. Refrigerate until chocolate is just set.  Occupy yourself with other tasks so you don't die of anticipation.


7. Cut the peanut butter bar into little squares with a hot knife.  If the chocolate is too hard and the base too soft - meaning that when you try to cut, the base all squidges out of shape - then turn the bar upside down and cut.


8. Eat.  Omnomnomnomnomnom.

For a bit of class, instead of having Peanut Butter Bars you can have Peanut Butter Balls.  Instead of forming the dough into a bar, roll the dough into small balls and freeze them.  Then dip in chocolate.  If desired, you can drizzle more chocolate over the top once the bottom layer is hard.

Another change you can make is to add Rice Bubbles to the dough.  This is a good thing - the crunchiness is good, and the addition of another ingredient means the volume of dough is greater.  Therefore, you can get more yum out of the same recipe!

I thoroughly recommend that you try these.  Enjoy!