Peanut Butter Snickerdoodles

Some people think of snickerdoodles as a winter cookie. I’m not some people.

Despite containing warming cinnamon, these gooey peanut butter snickerdoodles are perfect any time of year, as I proved by making them when the sun was shining and the calendar most definitely showed summer on the horizon. In fact, the dog can also attest to this fact, as she managed to steal one off the plate as I was photographing them and scarfed it down like she hadn’t been fed in months.

Oh, who am I kidding? She eats everything like that. But I like to think that the enticing peanutty/cinnamon smell of these was just too much for her and she couldn’t help herself. I myself may have eaten four or five of these in one go. Ahem. *wipes crumbs away from mouth*

For those who don’t know, snickerdoodles are essentially just buttery vanilla cookies rolled in cinnamon sugar. Popular in the US, they are somewhat of an unsung hero when it comes to the Cookie Hall of Fame (of which we can all agree that triple chocolate chip takes the top spot, right?)

I enjoy devouring a snickerdoodle or two, especially when they’re gooey and chewy, but I’ve always felt that they’re lacking a little ‘something’. What that something was, I could never quite put my finger on – until I added peanut butter and it just took the taste factor up a notch.

I roll the dough for these out into big balls so that it makes fat, squishy cookies, but you can make a much bigger batch of smaller, thinner cookies if you prefer. Either way, you – and your dog – will be begging for more.

Peanut Butter Snickerdoodles

Recipe by Julia

Servings

14

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

10

minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups (250g) plain flour

• 2 tsp baking powder

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened

• 1/2 cup (125g) peanut butter (I used organic, no added sugar)

• 1 cup (200g) + 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar, divided

• 2 eggs

• 1 tbsp vanilla extract

• 2 tsp cinnamon, divided

Directions

• Preheat oven to 180C / 350F. Whisk flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium-sized mixing bowl and then set to one side.
• In a separate bowl, cream together the butter, peanut butter and 1 cup of sugar until fluffy and light. Stir in eggs, vanilla and 1 tsp cinnamon powder. Tip in the dry ingredients and stir well to combine.
• In a small dish or bowl, combine the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon.
• Divide the dough into golf ball-sized rounds and roll them in the cinnamon sugar mixture to coat the outside. Place on a lined baking tray and press each one down slightly with the palm of your hand. You can also use a fork to press the cookie down and create a criss-cross pattern on top (don’t press down too hard or the cookies will be flat).
• Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes. Cookies should still be soft and slightly underdone. Leave to cool slightly on the baking tray before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.