When our kids are all at home I like to have some homemade treats on hand.  Truthfully, I just like an excuse to bake cookies! I enjoy eating them too.  With a little thought about recipes I want to include on this blog, I quickly came up with this simple recipe forpeanut butter cookies.  I have a recipe card typed by my mother when I got married 31 years ago.  It originated with her mother, my grandma Kern.  She always used the recipe to make the chocolate kiss peanut butter cookie – but you can use the same recipe for just plain old (but really good) peanut butter cookies. The original recipe uses only 1 cup of flour and would make just about a dozen, so I typically triple or quadruple the recipe.  The dough can easily be divided and frozen for quick cookies on another occasion.  Like most cookie recipes, I like to make the dough and chill it for at least a few hours so that the butter has a chance to firm up.  The cookies will not spread as much if you chill the dough. first step is creaming the butter and sugar Add eggs and mix well. dough ready to chill I also like to use some whole wheat flour (like 1/4 to 1/3 of the total flour) and often sneak in a tablespoon or so of flax seed.  You can also substitute some almond butter – or use natural peanut butter.  Be sure to add salt if the natural peanut butter you use is not salted. dough balls rolled in sugar before placing on baking sheet unwrap the chocolate kisses so they are ready when the cookies come out of the oven. I believe rolling the dough balls in white crystalized sugar rather than powdered sugar makes them just the right amount of crispy on the outside, but the cookie stays soft and chewy on the inside.  Last night I did use some of the chocolate kisses as I had some on hand.  It is important to place the cookies with the chocolate kiss back into the oven for 2-4 minutes.  It will help seal the chocolate into the cookie so that it doesn’t fall off when you take a bite! These cookies are just light golden brown and ready to have kisses added.  If you do not add kisses, the cookies can stay in the oven for 2-4 minutes longer. These just out of the oven need to cool on the sheet for a few minutes and need more time on a cooling rack so the chocolate will set. Be sure to allow the cookies to cool a little while on the baking sheet, then more on a cooling rack.  I often place the cooling rack in a cold place to speed up the chocolate setting time drastically.  In the winter, our back porch is the perfect spot.  Last night I just had to be patient for a few hours before storing them while the chocolate set. Peanut Butter Cookies (with kisses) Ingredients 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup white sugar 1/2 cup butter (room temp best) 1/4 tsp salt 1 egg 1/2 cup peanut butter 1 cup flour (mixture of white and whole wheat fine) *you can also add a tablespoon or two of flax seed to your cup measure for added healthy benefits 3/4 tsp baking soda Instructions Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add salt, and egg until incorporated.   Add peanut butter, flour and baking soda and combine well.  Chill dough for about 2 hours. Preheat oven to 375′.  Roll dough into approximately 1″ balls.  Roll balls into granulated sugar and place on baking sheet 2″ apart. Peel foil from kisses and have them ready. Bake for 8 minutes until cookies are just light brown.  If adding kisses, press into the center of each cookie and place back in the oven for 2-4 minutes.  For plain cookies, bake for 10-12 minutes total. Let the cookies cool on a baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing with a spatula to a cooling rack.  It takes the chocolate quite a while to set firm. yeild is about 1 dozen for the above recipe.  Recipe can easily be doubled, tripled or quadrupled! preparation time 2 1/2 hours with chilling time for dough Originally published  June 3, 2015