Crumbly peanut butter cookies that are quite delicious.

CRUMBLY PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

My mom and auntie Lulu had this awesome peanut butter cookie recipe they made all the time on Guam. Unfortunately, they both lost the recipe. I have not tried a peanut butter cookie as wonderful and crumbly as the one they used to bake…until now that is. I found a “classic peanut butter cookies” recipe on allrecipes.com. I combined several of the suggestions by other readers and added a few of my own. OMG, I’ve got a recipe as good as I had on Guam.

The unbaked dough may be wrapped in plastic wrap then in freezer bags. Dough may be kept frozen for at least a month; the end result is just as fabulous.

To jaz up the appearance of the cookies, I dipped some in tempered Dove dark chocolate then into freshly grated coconut. I actually like these cookies plain because the chocolate somewhat overpowers the peanut-buttery taste. On the other hand, when you bite into a decorated cookie, you first taste the chocolate, followed by a hint of coconut, and finally, the peanut butter flavor comes through.

If you want a true peanut butter-cookie flavor, leave the chocolate and coconut out. Cookies with fresh coconut should be refrigerated if made a day ahead or if there are leftovers. Consider using dried, unsweetened coconut if refrigeration is not possible.

Visit my “chocolate biscotti” page for directions on tempering chocolate.

INGREDIENTS

Set 1

2 ¾ c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 ½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

Set 2

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp.

1 ½ c. crunchy peanut butter

2 c. packed LIGHT brown sugar

2 eggs, room temp.

1 tsp. vanilla extract

TOOLS: large bowl, medium bowl, electric beater, plastic wrap, freezer bags, cookie sheets, non-stick baking parchment or non-stick baking foil, fork, strainer or sifter, rubber spatula

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit

1. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into the medium bowl. Stir to mix then set aside.

2. Cream the butter with an electric beater. Add the sugar, peanut butter and vanilla to the butter then beat till combined. Add the eggs then beat till the eggs are well incorporated.

3. Pour the dry mixture into the bowl of wet ingredients.

4. Use one hand to mix very well.

5. Clean off your hand then use a rubber spatula to gather all of the dough.

6. Divide the dough into four equal balls.

7. Place one ball at the center of a sheet of plastic wrap and flatten into a small disc. Wrap securely and place in a freezer bag. Repeat with remaining balls.

8. Place in fridge for an hour or overnight. If you keep the dough in fridge for several hours or overnight, you will have to set the dough out to soften prior to baking.

9. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

10. Remove one ball of dough from the fridge. Knead the wrapped dough to soften if necessary.

11. Pinch off dough and roll into balls slightly smaller than an inch in diameter. Space balls about 1 ½ inches apart on a cookie sheet lined with non-stick paper or non-stick foil.

12. Dip the fork into a bowl of flour then flatten each ball using the back of the fork. Press in a crisscross pattern.

13. Bake for 12 to 13 minutes till cookies are gently browned along the edges.

14. Enjoy these delectably crunchy, melt-in-your-mouth peanut butter cookies! Yum!

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© Copyright Paula Quinene. Check out Guam cookbooks and Chamorro cookbooks, A Taste of Guam and Remember Guam, for more Guamanian recipes and Chamorro recipes that are tested, tried and true. Get Macarons Math, Science, and Art, for foolproof macaron recipes and techniques. Enjoy a Guam romance novel in Conquered. Most photos courtesy Paula and Edward Quinene.