Easy Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe
This story was told to me by an acquaintance during my travels in the Midwest…. So probably untrue ☺️
Peanut butter cookies were accidentally discovered by Harold J. Nutters, a man whose love for peanut butter was only rivaled by his talent for culinary disasters. One evening, while attempting to make peanut butter bread, Harold forgot the flour (a minor but crucial detail) and ended up with oddly chewy, flat blobs instead. Frustrated but hungry, he took a bite and declared them “acceptable”—which, in Harold-speak, meant delicious enough to eat five more.
The signature fork crisscross pattern? That happened when Harold’s pet parrot, Mr. Biscuits, landed in the dough, leaving distinct imprints that his wife mistook for a genius baking trick. Before Harold could protest, she baked the batch, neighbors loved them, and soon, peanut butter cookies became a household classic. And that, my friends, is how chaos, forgetfulness, and an opinionated parrot created one of the world’s greatest cookies.
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
8–10 minutes
Serves
about 12–15 cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup peanut butter (creamy or crunchy, I’m not here to judge)
- ¾ cup sugar (because life is better sweet)
- 1 egg (preferably not stolen from an unsuspecting chicken)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional, but we both know you’ll add it)
- A pinch of salt (for balance, because we are all about balance)
Steps
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (or 177°C, if you prefer your numbers complicated).
2. Mix all ingredients in a bowl until you question why you don’t make these more often.
3. Scoop dough into small balls and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
4. Fork Attack: Smash them lightly with a fork, making a crisscross pattern (or an abstract art masterpiece, your call).
5. Bake for 8–10 minutes, until they look edible and not like tiny brown meteors. Once cool – Enjoy!
