BLONDE PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES
This is the perfect peanut butter cookie. The small amount of wholemeal flour adds a chewiness to the texture and the lemon juice gives a little acidity to balance the richness. I only recently discovered blonde chocolate – caramelised white chocolate – and it’s perfect in peanut butter cookies where I find dark chocolate too bitter.
MAKES 12 COOKIES 115g unsalted butter
★
★ 250g soft light brown sugar
★ 155g crunchy peanut butter
★ 1 egg
★ 1 tsp lemon juice
★ 1½ tsp vanilla extract
★ 100g plain flour
★ 75g wholemeal flour
★ ½ tsp baking powder
★ ½ tsp fine sea salt
★ 150g blonde chocolate or white chocolate, chopped
★ flaky sea salt, for sprinkling
★ In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar and peanut butter together. Add the egg, lemon juice and vanilla and beat well.
★ In a separate bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder and sea salt then add these dry ingredients to the butter and egg mixture along with the chocolate and mix until combined.
★ Scoop individual portions of cookie dough on to a tray. If using spoons, pat each one into
a little ball then flatten to about 2.5cm thick. Use a fork dipped in water and press the tines down into the tops of the cookies in a hashtag pattern. Cover and chill or freeze for at least 1 hour. (You can bake them straightaway, but the cookies will be slightly flatter; or freeze them for up to a month, baking off as and when you want them.)
★ When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5 and line a large baking sheet with baking paper. If you are baking from frozen, allow the cookies 5-10 minutes out of the freezer before placing in the oven. Arrange the cookies evenly on the sheet, leaving enough space between each one so they have room to expand during baking.
★ Sprinkle with a small amount of flaky sea salt and bake for
8-10 minutes until the centre of each cookie is slightly soft and underbaked but the edges are turning crisp and golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the tray for
5-10 minutes before enjoying.