Classic Peanut Butter Cookies

I love peanut butter. I'm one of those people who can eat a spoonful right from the jar, preferably the natural, crunchy kind.

Trader Joe's Valencia crunchy peanut butter is my favourite peanut butter of all time, so it's a damn shame that Trader Joe's does not exists in Canada. The Valencia peanuts lend a sweetness to the nut butter and heighten the peanut flavour. Whenever I'm in the States, I make a Trader Joe's stop to stock up on jars of peanut butter.

I've been on the hunt for the peanut butter cookie of my dreams but it's been a disappointing find; I want the cookie to taste like a spoonful of peanut butter. Is that even possible, aside from eating it straight out of the jar?

A colleague brought these old fashioned peanut butter cookies into work and I liked them enough that I asked for the recipe. Turns out it's similar to the Kraft recipe, and there's a reason why these cookies are a classic.

They don't quite hit the mark of my ideal peanut butter cookies (which may actually be a pipe dream), but they will suffice while I continue with my search.

Classic Peanut Butter Cookies
Slightly adapted from a colleague (who probably got it from Kraft)

1 cup smooth or crunchy peanut butter
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cream peanut butter, butter and sugars together in a bowl. Beat in eggs and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add into butter mixture and mix thoroughly.

Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place on baking sheets. Flatten each ball with a fork, making a crisscross pattern. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until cookies begin to brown.