Description
These Peanut Butter Christmas Cookies are a festive and delicious treat featuring a soft and chewy peanut butter base dipped in smooth semi-sweet chocolate and adorned with colorful holiday sprinkles. Perfect for holiday gatherings, these cookies combine classic flavors with a fun seasonal twist.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour, sifted
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Toppings and Finish
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2 teaspoons coconut or vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoons holiday sprinkles
Instructions
- Prepare baking sheet and preheat oven: Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and heat your oven to 375°F (190°C) to ensure it’s ready for baking.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the sifted all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt until evenly combined, creating the dry base for the cookie dough.
- Cream butters and sugars: Using a large bowl or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat together the unsalted butter, creamy peanut butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar until the mixture becomes smooth and creamy.
- Add egg and vanilla: Incorporate the large egg and vanilla extract into the creamed mixture and continue mixing until the mixture is light and fluffy, which adds aeration for a tender texture.
- Combine dry and wet ingredients: Gradually add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure even mixing without overworking the dough.
- Portion dough: Using a medium cookie scoop, drop dough balls onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them at least 2 inches apart to allow for spreading during baking.
- Shape cookies: Gently press the top of each dough ball with the tines of a fork in a crisscross pattern, making two presses per cookie while maintaining the round shape.
- Bake: Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes until lightly golden around the edges. Remove them and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Melt chocolate: In a small mixing bowl, microwave the semi-sweet chocolate chips for 1 minute, then stir. Continue heating at 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until fully melted and smooth.
- Prepare chocolate dip: Stir the coconut or vegetable oil into the melted chocolate until the mixture is glossy and smooth, which makes dipping easier.
- Dip and decorate: Dip each cooled cookie halfway into the melted chocolate, then place on parchment paper. Immediately sprinkle with holiday sprinkles and allow the chocolate to set for approximately 1 hour until firm.
Notes
- Ensure the butter and egg are at room temperature to make creaming easier and improve cookie texture.
- Use parchment paper for easy cleanup and to prevent cookies from sticking.
- Do not overbake; cookies should be soft when taken out as they will firm up while cooling.
- For perfectly smooth melted chocolate, stir often and avoid overheating.
- Holiday sprinkles add a festive touch but can be substituted with chopped nuts or shredded coconut.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 140
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 90mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 15g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
