The Ultimate Peanut Butter Cookie Bake Off!

Sending out the request for everyone's favorite peanut butter cookie reciepes, I came up with 4 distinct variations and whipped them up to find my favourite.

From left to right: Batch 3, 2, 1, and at the bottom--Batch 4.

1st Batch: Easy and Classic

• 1 egg
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup white sugar

Mix ingredients together, put spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet, use fork to flatten, bake at 350 F for 8 minutes, let cool, and enjoy.

Result: A soft and nutty cookie with a sugary crunchiness to it.

2nd Batch: Katie's Secret PB Cookies

• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 3 tbsp flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp brown sugar or coconut sugar
• 2 tbsp applesauce
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• tiny pinch salt

Mix dry ingredients, mix wet ingredients, then combine. Form balls onto sheet, bake at 350 F for 8 minutes.

Result: A great flavour, but even after baking an extra 2 minutes, these stayed dough-like. Someone suggested these would make good balls, and I did end up rolling the baking cookies into bite sized pieces (yes, they were that soft). I am curious as to what the sugar free ones would be like! Any suggestions as to what would improve the substance of these (their flavour was fantastic!)?

3rd Batch: Chocolate Oatmeal 

• 1-1/4 cup all purpose flour 
• 1 cup rolled oats 
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt 
• 2/4 cup packed brown sugar 
• 1/3 cup butter 
• 1/3 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup buttermilk (I used milk with a splash of vinegar)
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips 

Mix dry ingredients, mix wet ingredients, then combine. Stir in chocolate chips last. Roll dough into spoonful sized balls and put on cookie sheet. Use a fork to flatten cookies. Bake for 10 minutes.

Result: I liked the oatmeal and chocolate. The dough felt very dry while making it, so perhaps my buttermilk substitute was not as great as I thought. The cookies were fairly crumbly, though tasty.

4th Batch: Ooey Gooey Chocolate Peanut Butter

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup peanut butter
• Tbs vanilla
• 1 cup chocolate chips (or chunks for a better melted swirl)

Mix, spoon onto cookie sheet, bake at 350 for 8-10 mins depending on softness desirability. Let cool and savour!

Result:  The brown sugar compliments the peanut butter wonderfully! Simple ingredients, easy preparation, and chocolate. The cookies came out soft, the peanut butter was strong but not overwhelming . . . I present to you THE WINNER OF THE BAKE OFF! ^_^