Recently, we needed to bring a dessert to a potluck party, and Buzz was in a cookie-baking mood. He was originally thinking about making his grandmother’s ginger snap recipe, but when I came across this peanut butter option instead, he was sold.
Crackle Top Peanut Butter Cookies
3/4 cup Parkay Margarine
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg, slightly beaten
3/4 cup Kraft Smooth or Crunchy Peanut Butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Granulated sugarCream margarine and sugars. Blend in egg, peanut butter and vanilla. Add flour, sifted with soda and salt; mix well. Chill 20-30 minutes. Form rounded teaspoons of dough into balls, roll in sugar and place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375°, 10-12 minutes. Yield five dozen cookies.
We weren’t going to be “saving the day” with these cookies, but we hoped we would at least have an edible dessert option to take along.
At least this looks like it should turn into cookies. No weird “extras” like steak sauce, or creamed corn, or french dressing…
Creaming butter, sugars, and peanut butter is nice and normal.
The dough was the right consistency.
I thought that rolling the balls of dough in sugar was a pretty nice touch. (Ironically, the ginger snap cookie recipe has the exact same step.)
And, ready for the oven!
These are very, very good peanut butter cookies. I’m used to slightly greasy ones, but these weren’t greasy at all, and they had a perfect balance of crunchy and soft. Fresh out of the oven they were delightfully soft and gooey, and firmed up very quickly after cooling. They were a big hit and I definitely recommend them for any cookie-related emergencies. Like when the “gang” troops in…
Slightly creepy den mother Alice saved the day, but Shelf Life Taste Test put her on the internet.
Retro Recipe Attempts 
(Stepford Den Mother, Alice… )
Yum, these look like something to try with cinnamon sugar.
By: tadmack on October 22, 2012
at 3:06 pm
Hahahahahahaha, yes, it’s very Stepford! (But the cookies are still tasty…)
By: Erica on October 22, 2012
at 3:13 pm
Cookie recipes don’t really change much over the years. Margarine is pretty retro, as is shortening.
By: Lassie on October 22, 2012
at 3:22 pm
[…] have made peanut butter cookies and peanut butter chiffon pie, with varying levels of success. I never expected to put it in […]
By: “Easy-Mix” Peanut Butter Muffins | Retro Recipe Attempts on March 31, 2014
at 8:00 am
Yup, these are retro, all right – Kraft Kitchens original – been making them since I was a kid… But, with good vanilla, butter and natural (as in, peanuts only) crunchy peanut butter, they are aMAZing!: )
By: Deb Weyrich-Cody on July 27, 2015
at 7:39 am
This recipe was in the 1970’s version of the Kraft cookbook.
These cookies are delish and I make them every year for the holidays.
By: Carolyn on November 29, 2021
at 7:34 pm