HOW TO MAKE THE PERFECT PB&J RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F; have ungreased shiny cookie sheets ready.
• In a large mixing bowl, with electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugars; next, beat in egg, peanut butter and vanilla.
• In a smaller bowl, sift together salt, baking soda and flour (I do this through a sieve, not with a sifter).
• With a wooden spoon, stir flour mixture into peanut butter mixture until a dough is formed.
• If desired, you could stir in about 1/2 cup (or more) of chocolate chips now; I usually don't (even though I'm a chocoholic) as I often just want a pure peanut butter cookie with nothing else in it, not even peanut bits.
• Stash dough in fridge while you clean up the dishes; this step isn't absolutely necessary but the fridge slightly firms up the dough, making it easier to work with.
• Drop by heaping teaspoons onto cookie sheets and press down, criss-cross style, with a fork-- the classic peanut butter cookie look.
• If fork sticks to cookies too much as you press down, lightly flour the fork.
• Bake in preheated oven for 7 to 9 minutes, or until edges are slightly darkened (I like to cook these at 7-1/2 minutes).
• Do not worry if they don't look done; cookies firm up as they cool and if you want chewier cookies it is very important not to overbake them.
• Add an extra minute if you like crispier cookies.
• Remove cookies from sheets after letting them rest on sheets for one minute, then let cooked cookies cool on racks.
• Store cookies in a tin or in cookie jar (airtight containers are best).
• I use a one-inch scoop to make the cookies; the approximate yield I get is 4-1/2 dozen cookies.

Steps:

• Cream butter, peanut butter, and sugars together in a bowl; beat in eggs.
• In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; stir into butter mixture. Put dough in refrigerator for 1 hour.
• Roll dough into 1 inch balls and put on baking sheets. Flatten each ball with a fork, making a crisscross pattern. Bake in a preheated 375 degrees F oven for about 10 minutes or until cookies begin to brown.