Peanut Butter Cookies

So CLG decided she wanted to do some baking this morning. CLB was busy playing with his cousins who were up to visit for a few days, so it was just the two ladies in the kitchen this morning. We decided to make some peanut butter cookies! This recipe is super simple and perfect for an almost 3 year old to whip up (with assistance, of course!). So we donned our tutus and tiaras (well, CLG did at least!), tied on our aprons, and hit the kitchen!

While I measured out two cups of creamy peanut butter, CLG unwrapped chocolate kisses.

CLG decided to line up the chocolate kisses and count them, too.

We put the peanut butter in a bowl, along with 2 cups of white sugar, 2 eggs, and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract.

Don't forget to smell the vanilla!

There's lots of peanut butter hiding under all that sugar!

Then CLG got to work mixing, while I finished unwrapping chocolate kisses.

Stir, stir, stir!

Final stir...I had to give CLG a hand at the end to pull it all together

Then CLG got a chance to show off her mad Playdoh skills! She rolled the cookie dough into little balls and put them on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

Make that peanut butter ball, Girlie!

This is what CLG thinks I mean when I say spread the balls out.

So I have to help out a little bit with that. And yes, all the balls are very different in size. What do you expect!?! This is a 3 year old baker, after all!

We put the cookies in a 350 degree oven for 12 minutes. Then we took the cookies out, put a chocolate kiss on each one, and then put the pans of cookies back in the oven, just for a minute or so to melt the chocolate.

Mmmm, almost done!

We let the cookies cool on a cookie rack and they're ready to enjoy! I love these cookies! So fast and easy, and the lack of flour really gives them a nice chewy texture and a strong peanut butter flavor. CLG loves them, too, because not only does she get to eat them once she's done, but she can do most of the baking with only very little help from me. Yum!

Recipe:

Peanut Butter Cookies

adapted from a recipe on Punch Spoon

Makes 36 cookies

Ingredients

2 eggs

2 cups sugar

2 cups creamy peanut butter

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

36 chocolate kisses candies

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, peanut butter and vanilla extract. Mix it all up, and then form into approximately 36 balls, placing the balls on the lined baking sheets. Bake the cookies for 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove from oven, and then place one chocolate kiss candy in the center of each cookie. Return cookies to the oven only for a minute or two, just to slightly melt the chocolate. Cool cookies on a wire rack.