Did you know that peanuts are not really nuts, but are members of the legume (bean) family? I had no idea until I took a botany classification class in grad school. It is also known as a groundnut because the flower of the peanut plant bends to the ground and pushes the ovary underground where it matures. Peanuts were domesticated around 2000 BCE in South America.
*I do NOT receive any compensation from Jif. This is just the particular brand I use and I like the results that I get. You can use whatever brand you like.
Ingredients:
1¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
½ cup Fleischmann’s unsalted margarine sticks
⅔ cup creamy peanut butter (you can use chunky if you prefer)
¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
¼ all-purpose flour for making cross marks (optional)
· Preheat oven to 375°F.
· Cover cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners. (I use both)
· Combine the flour, baking soda, and baking powder in a medium bowl and whisk.
· Beat the margarine and butter on high in your mixing bowl.
· Add the brown and granulated sugars. Beat until combined.
· Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until combined.
· Pour the flour mixture in to the mixing bowl and beat until completely combined.
· Roll 1 tbsp of dough into a ball and place on a lined cookie sheet.
· Place balls about 2 inches apart.
· If you are going to make the cross marks, lightly rub the tines of a fork in the flour.
· Press the tines across the center of the cookie twice, once going horizontally and then vertically.
· Bake for 7-9 minutes. The bottoms should be lightly browned.
· Cool on a wire rack, if you can wait that long.