For the past couple of weeks I've been craving big, crunchy, bakery style peanut butter criss-cross cookies. Unfortunately, the only big peanut butter cookies that were coming out crunchy were my Monster Cookies. I gave up for a while, then remembered I had some bread flour in the pantry and that bread flour usually produces thicker, crunchier, cookies. Using the bread flour, melted butter and loads of peanut butter did the trick!
To make the cookies a little more interesting, I added a big handful of toffee bits (Bits of Brickle), which give the cookies a little extra sweetness and crunch. As of now, these are my favorite peanut butter cookies (though that could change any day and probably will). If you make them, be sure to add the peanut butter chips. The toffee bits are optional, but the texture of the cookie necessitates some peanut butter chips for textural contrast. One of my batches was crunchy through and through, which was fine with me. If you like soft centers and crunchy shells, just take them out of the oven a little sooner.
Bread Flour
I may have to rename these "Bread Flour Peanut Butter Cookies" since that, along with the toffee bits, is a distinguishing feature. Since making these I've made a lot of other good peanut butter cookies. My favorite recipe is the School Lunch Peanut Butter Cookies, which have the sandy texture I remember from childhood. Compared to those, these are a little softer in the center.
Recipe
Giant Bread Flour Peanut Butter Brickle Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter (114 grams)
- 1 ⅓ cups bread flour (170 grams)
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅜ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar (110 grams)
- ½ cup sugar -- (100 grams)
- ⅔ cup crunchy peanut butter -- (170 grams)
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup peanut butter chips
- ¼ cup Bits 'O Brickle Toffee Bits
Instructions
- Melt the butter in the microwave or in a saucepan and let it cool down a bit.
- Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside.
- Combine the melted butter, and both sugars in a large mixing bowl. Stir well, then stir in the peanut butter, egg and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and stir until blended, then stir in the peanut butter chips. At this point, dough should be stiff enough to mold, but if it's not, chill it for about 10 minutes.
- Scoop up large balls of dough (a little less than ¼ cup each) and put on two plates or a large cookie sheet. Shape into neat balls, then use a fork to make a criss-cross pattern so that you have thick discs with criss-crosses. Chill for an hour or until cold and stiff.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. and line two baking sheets foil.
- Arrange six criss-cross discs on each baking sheet and bake one sheet at a time on center rack for about 14 minutes or just until edges start to brown. Let cool on baking sheets for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. In my opinion, these are best when they are completely cool and crisp.
Notes
Anna says
Stephanie, these were really good. Since I rarely have the brickle on hand, I usually make the other one. 've never tried browned butter with peanut butter. If you try it, you might need to add a little extra water to the dough because the butter might lose some moisture as it browns.
stephanie says
Do you prefer these or your One Bowl Criss-Cross PB cookies? (Oh, have you ever tried melted butter or browned butter in that recipe?)
Wendy says
I am excited to try these. I have never used just bread flour in a cookie recipe (though my favorite choc. chip recipe uses cake and bread flour). I am learning a lot reading your posts and recipes. Thank you!
Sue says
My son.... sitting across the room from me as I type would LOVE these! I however am "cookied out". For me just what the doctor ordered is clementines and almonds. Actually I've been craving something salty too.
I'll keep these in mind the next time I'm 'needing' a PB cookie fix.