Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut Butter Cookies.

Indian cooking does not involve lot of baking and most homes are not equipped with the oven. When I landed up in the US where most homes have ovens, I used the oven only to prepare store bought food. Cooking being my passion, baking was something that I considered trying. Equipped with an electric mixer which I bought for around $10 and the oven, my first baking trials started with few easy recipes and I`m still a beginner.

After numerous trials, all of which were edible, some were promising even, but most of which weren't worth making a second time.  
This is an excellent and easy recipe for a softer and chewier Peanut Butter Cookies. I've been making these cookies for some time now and have been meaning to blog them, but slacked off and never did.

List of ingredients:

1. 1 cup cold unsalted butter, diced
2. 1 cup granulated sugar
3. 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
4. 2 eggs
5. 1 cup creamy peanut butter
6. 3 cups all-purpose flour
7. 2 teaspoons baking soda
8. 1/2 teaspoon salt
9. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Procedure:

1. Beat together butter, peanut butter and sugars with an electric mixer on medium to low speed until light and fluffy
2. Slowly add eggs and vanilla until thoroughly combined.
   
3. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir into batter. Cover and chill batter in refrigerator for 2 hours.
   
4. Roll into balls and put on greased baking sheets. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for about 10 minutes or until cookies begin to brown. Do not over-bake.
   
5. Let cookies cool on a baking rack or on waxed paper. Makes about 30 to 35 cookies.

Tips: Oven temperatures vary so adjust accordingly. Chilling the batter in the refrigerator gives those little cracks on the cookies and the brown sugar gives a nutty and caramel flavor to the cookies.