George Washington Carver is often credited with the creation of peanut butter cookies. Born into slavery, Carver was an agricultural scientist and inventor. He is most known for promoting alternative crops to cotton, one of which was the peanut.
In 1925, he published a bulletin called How to Grow the Peanut and 105 Ways of Preparing It for Human Consumption. I don’t think I realized there were so many ways to prepare a peanut. In any case, his research bulletin included three recipes for peanut cookies. These called for crushed or chopped peanuts. It was not until the early 1930s that peanut butter appeared as an ingredient in cookies. So while George may have suggested the use of peanuts it baking, he did not invent the Peanut Butter Cookie. But he did get the ball rolling in that direction. So thank you, Mr. Carver.
The early peanut butter cookies were rolled thin and cut into shapes. When dropped, they were simply flattened without the famous criss-cross marks we know today. It wasn’t until July 1932 that bakers were told “shape the dough into balls, and after placing them on the cookie sheet, press each one down with a fork, first one way, and then the other, so they look like spares on waffles. Pillsbury, one of the largest flour producers, when on to popularize the use of the for in their Peanut Butter Ball recipe of 1933.
Growing up, every Christmas one of the cookies Dad baked were Peanut Butter Cookies. His recipe came from the Woman’s Home Companion Cook Book. My copy of the Companion Cook Book, was published in 1946. The book contains more than just recipes. It’s the how-to book of its time, with diagrams for setting a proper table that inclue ash trays placements from formal to casual. Back then, seems everyone smoked. While much of the advice contained between the hard covers no longer applies today (and much is even laughable), the recipes are priceless. There are no shortcuts or boxed ingredients here.
Today’s recipe, part of the Betty Crocker’s collection, is said to be based on a Tollhouse recipe. Interesting – my father’s recipe and Betty’s are almost identical. His calls for a half cup of shortening, while Betty’s uses equal parts of shortening and butter. I guess when you have a good recipe, why mess with it too much.
In any case, warm melt in your mouth Peanut Butter Cookies are what childhood is all about. So bake some up for your children, your grandchildren, your great grandchildren. Or just for that child lurking within.
Betty’s Peanut Butter Cookies
1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Brown Sugar, packed
1/2 cup Creamy Peanut Butter
1/4 cup Shortening
1/4 cup Butter, softened
1 large Egg
1-1/4 cups Flour
3/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon Salt
Cream sugars, peanut butter, shortening and butter together. Lightly beat egg, add to the creamed mixture.
Whisk Flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together. Stir into the peanut butter mixture. Form into a ball, cover and refrigerate for about 2 hours, until firm.
Heat oven to 375-degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper, set aside.
Shape dough into balls just slightly larger than an inch. Place the balls 3 inches apart on the cookie sheet. Dip a fork into sugar. Flatten the balls in a crisscross pattern.
Bake in the heated oven for about 9 minutes, or until golden grown. Let cookies cool for 5 minutes, then gently lift with a thin spatula to a wire cooling rack. Repeat until all the dough has been baked into cookies. Great warm from the oven or at room temperature.
Taste and see the goodness of the Lord
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