Nut'n Honey: Honey Peanut Butter Refrigerator Cookies

You probably don't think of peanut butter cookies as a slice-and-bake refrigerator cookie, but you should.

I was immediately intrigued when I discovered this recipe in my beloved Betty Crocker's Cooky Book. And, upon testing out the recipe, ultimately rewarded. These cookies have all of the sweet-and-salty flavor that make peanut butter cookies so deliciously addictive, but with a subtle, mellow dimension from the honey, and a more delicate texture than their classic counterpart. The verdict? These fat, chewy, and lightly crumbly cookies are beyond welcome to co-exist peacefully with the flattened-by-fork tines variety in my cookie jar.

And based on how quickly they disappeared when I put them out at my shop, I'd say that the public agrees. Well, either that, or people will eat anything when it's free.

Note: The original recipe calls for 2/3 cup peanut butter and 1/2 cup chopped peanuts. I split the difference and used a cup-and-a-bit extra of chunky peanut butter--this kind, if you're curious. Also, I used more baking powder than specified in the original recipe.

Honey Peanut Butter Refrigerator Cookies

Adapted from Betty Crocker's Cooky Book

- Makes about 30 cookies -

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup honey or corn syrup (I used honey)
• 1 cup (and maybe a spoonful extra) chunky peanut butter
• 1 egg
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Procedure

1. Mix butter, sugar, honey, peanut butter, and egg thoroughly.
2. Mix your remaining dry ingredients together, and then stir in bit by bit to your wet ingredient mix. If it is too dry, add a few drops of milk or cream until it is cohesive.
3. Roll into a couple of logs, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter; wrap in waxed paper or plastic wrap and chill for several hours or overnight.
4. Heat oven to 400 F. Cut dough in fat slices (I did about 1/2 inch) and place about 1 inch apart on a greased baking sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes, or until lightly brown on the edges. Let cool for about 5 minutes on the sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

Comments

[Wei-Wei]

I love honey and I love peanut butter. Oh, and cookies, too. These look so simple and wonderful! I really like the simplicity of icebox cookies; they're so customisable. Thanks for the great idea! (And the reminder that I have to buy peanut butter!)

Wei-Wei

[Nancy]

OMG! My fav peanut butter cookie is from an ancient Betty Crocker cookbook! These are a little different and I am defintely going to give them a try!

[Annie]

i love the cookies. my first time. it's like love at first sight. love it!

[Courtney]

I love honey and pb sandwiches (almost more than pb & j - sacrilege I know) so this cookie would be absolute heaven for me! Thank you for sharing!

[Nicole]

So, I may just skip step #4 and indulge in the heaven that is raw pb&honey cookie dough, hehe.... =X

[Anne]

My mom has a beat up and vanilla extract stained copy of the "cooky book" that we adapted our awesome chocolate chip cookie recipe from. For my birthday this year she got me my own vintage copy from amazon and I am working my way through it - we always just made the chocolate chip cookies! I can't wait to try these PB refrigerator cookies and for my own "like new" copy of this classic book to be as beat up and loved as hers!