These festive cookies are excellent for a holiday meal or party. They have the texture of moist brownies, and they have a rich peanut/chocolate flavor.
Makes about 3 dozen cookies.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 c margarine or butter, softened
- 1 c creamy peanut butter
- 1 1/2 c packed brown sugar
- 4 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 Tbsp molasses
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 c all purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 c unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 Tbsp dry instant espresso coffee or very finely ground coffee beans
- granulated sugar, powdered sugar, and chopped peanuts for toppings
Directions:
- In a large bowl, cream the margarine, peanut butter, and brown sugar until smooth.
- Add the eggs, molasses, and vanilla and stir until well-incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, blend the flour, salt, baking powder, cocoa powder, and dry coffee granules.
- Add these dry ingredients to the peanut butter mixture and mix well.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Form cookies by breaking off twelve rounded tablespoons of dough, rolling each between your palms and placing the balls 1 1/2 inch apart on the trays.
- Use a fork to lightly press down in one direction; then press the opposite direction to form a slight crosshatch pattern. (Cookies will remain thick and rounded.)
- Sprinkle the cookies lightly with granulated sugar.
- Bake 5 minutes in the center of the oven, turn the tray, and continue to bake another 4 minutes.
- Remove cookies to a cooling rack.
- Do the second batch the same way, except that instead of granulated sugar for the topping, press chopped peanuts lightly into the tops of the cookies before baking.
- Do the third batch plain without any topping.
- When completely cool, sprinkle the plain batch with powdered sugar. When all cookies are cool, arrange on a platter.