Melt-in-the-mouth peanut butter cookies

For the past 1-2 weeks, I have been seeing posts in the facebook where people have already started to do massive baking for the Lunar Chinese New Year. I thought it's a tad too early for that. And now, I'm beginning to panick since it's already the 1st week of February 2015 and nothing is being done except for trying to clear up the house to start on a clean slate. Haha!! of course, cleaning the house is something done but for me, nothing baked for Chinese New Year would be deemed as nothing is done :P

I happen to stumble upon some posts of peanut butter cookies and then Mr G said, I like peanut butter cookies. Immediately, I showed him the YUCK face. As you can see, I'm not a fan of peanut butter or peanut for that fact. But for Mr G, I'll attempt these cookies just to see if it's as good as it seems. I was pretty much intrigued because this recipe uses peanut butter instead of using peanut powder. See my modifications in blue.

Ingredients:

180g peanut butter (creamy without any peanut crunch)

50g peanut oil (I used extra 20g peanut oil**)

85g icing sugar

250g plain flour (I used cake flour and don't seem to see a difference in this)

1 egg yolk + 1 tsp water (beaten together)

Method:

1. Whisk peanut butter, 50g peanut oil and icing sugar together till it all combines together.
2. Sift flour into mixture 1 and knead to the consistency of soft dough. At this point of kneading, if you still see bits of loose flour that cannot gel with the dough, add about 10g to 20g peanut oil. I would suggest to add this slowly as you knead so that you can gauge and not overpour the oil and make a greasy dough.
3. In order to get equally shaped cookies, use small ice-cream scoop or even measuring spoon sized of 1 tbsp (levelled). Lightly roll the rough into a ball and place on the baking sheet. Use your fingers to flatten the top of the cookie and place a half peanut on top of the cookie for decorative purposes. Brush the cookies with beaten egg wash.
4. Bake in preheated oven at 150 deg C for about 14 to 15 minutes (depending on your oven temperature).

As a non-peanut lover, I had to try the cookie I made for taste and to ensure that I don't poison my tester(s) give my testers sub-standard cookies that I won't eat. After a bite of the cookie, I must say that I really like this melt-in-the-mouth cookie. It's unlike the usual peanut butter cookie I've tasted before. I would definitely make this over and over again for sure.

I'm submitting this post to Cook and Celebrate: CNY 2015 organised by Yen from Eat your heart out, Diana from Domestic Goddess Wannabe and Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids. 

I'm also submitting this post to Best Recipes For Everyone Jan & Feb 2015 hosted by Fion of Xuanhom's Mom and co-host Victoria Bakes.

I'm also submitting this post to My Treasured Recipes #5 - Chinese New Year Goodies (Jan/Feb 2015) hosted by Miss B of Everybody eats well in Flanders and co-hosted by Charmaine of Mimi Bakery House.