On Monday, I had a serious craving for chocolate and peanut butter. I’m talking life-altering, here – if I didn’t fulfill the craving before the end of the day, my son would surely kick his way out of my abdomen and go find some on his own. As ever, I turned to the Internet, and it didn’t fail me. A one-bowl recipe with less than 10 ingredients, less than 10 minutes hands-on time, and less than 15 minutes to cookie heaven? Yes, please. Even better, the recipe has no flour included, though it does have quite a bit of sugar. (You can, in fact, substitute natural sweeteners if you so desire; one commenter used honey with no ill effects other than a shiny cookie.) Depending on your peanut butter’s sugar content, you may want to decrease the sugar just a touch, though it may affect your final product if you go too low. And be sure to mix the “dough” thoroughly – you won’t overmix it, but mixing until “just combined” may not incorporate all of the egg and vanilla.
If you’re like me, the dough may fool you to start with. It’s not like any cookie dough you may have used before. It’s wet and mushy and looks a little difficult to work with. Your hands will get messy, but the dough works beautifully, thanks to the oil in the peanut butter and the sugar. Even better, these cookies will stay soft for days, instead of hardening in a day or so. A drizzle of chocolate on top sends these… well, over the top. Just what the doctor ordered (or close enough).
Peanut Butter Cookies
adapted from The Kitchnyields 18 cookies
ingredients:
1 cup peanut butter (crunchy or creamy – I used creamy)
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon vanilladirections:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees°F. Cream peanut butter and sugar in bowl; add egg, vanilla and baking soda, and mix well. Roll tablespoon-sized pieces into balls and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Flatten slightly with a fork in a crisscross pattern. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove and let cool 1-2 minutes before removing from baking sheet and cooling on rack.If a little chocolate is desired, melt 1 cup of chocolate chips in a Ziploc bag until smooth. Snip a tiny corner off the bag and pipe onto cooled cookies. Enjoy.
boonie foodie 
They are beautiful! Can a longer bake-time create a brown, crispier texture since no butter involved?
I wouldn’t leave them in the oven more than a minute or two over the prescribed baking time, since the difference in fats may cause quick burning instead of browning. I’d say add a tablespoon or two of flour to “firm them up” a little and see what that does. :)
Kate