This peanut butter shortbread has a delicate peanut butter flavour and melts in your mouth. A big batch cookie recipe that has to be one of the best shortbreads I have ever baked!
This recipe makes quite a few cookies, over 50. It's the perfect mass production cookie recipe, great for parties, school fetes or cake stalls. Not feeding the masses? You could freeze some of the dough for future use or halve the recipe if you wish.
The cookie backstory
These were whipped up as part of Josh's dessert offerings for his 21st. They turned out to be amazing cookies, but they just didn't turn out the way that I wanted. Originally they were to be perfect round discs stamped with the words 'bite me'.
Best laid plans didn't come to fruition, and I ended up with a more simpler looking cookie. But these peanut butter shortbread cookies were still a massive hit.
The dough
The peanut butter shortbread dough is a sticky dough. Even after placing in the fridge to rest and firm, it is sticky.
Rolling the dough up into balls and simply flattening with a thumb is my suggested and preferred way of shaping cookies.
It will stick to cookie cutters, cookies stamps etc. If wanting to use a cookie stamp or cutters I suggest you flower everything very well. Also be prepared for a little stress when things start sticking and not holding shape on baking.
Recipe variaitons
I have left these peanut butter shortbread cookies very plain Jane in appearance and ingredients. I personally feel they are scrumptious just the way they are. But if you feel like jazzing them up a little here are some suggestions.
- Drizzle the cooled baked cookies with dark chocolate
- Add some chocolate chips to the cookie dough before shaping and baking
- Place some strawberry jam in the thumbprint indent to make peanut butter and jelly shortbreads
- Roll cookie dough balls in crushed peanuts before flattening for an extra peanut kick.
- Press a dark chocolate button or square on top of each cookie before baking.
- Try the recipe with alternative nut butters like cashew or almond.
Sara xxx
Printable Recipe
Peanut Butter Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 340 grams unsalted butter softened
- 360 grams smooth peanut butter
- 200 grams raw or golden caster sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 560 grams self-raising flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Line baking trays with baking paper or baking sheets.
- Using an electric mixer beat butter until creamy and pale. Then add peanut butter and keep beating until combined.
- Add sugar and continue to beat until combined and smooth.
- Then add one egg, continue beating until incorporated, add the second egg and incorporate.
- Slowly add flour and keep beating until all added and a soft dough has formed.
- Roll dough into walnut size balls. Place on baking trays 2cm apart. Press down in the centre of each dough ball with your thumb.
- Place trays in the oven and bake 10-12 minutes until cooked and a pale golden colour.
- Once cooked, remove from oven and rest on trays for a couple of minutes before moving them to cooling racks.
- Once cooled store in an air-tight container. They will keep for a week, if not eaten beforehand.
Measurement Notes
All measurements are Australian metric standard. All measures are level, and cups are lightly packed unless specified. 1 teaspoon = 5ml / 1 tablespoon = 20mls / 1 cup = 250ml /4 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon.
Recipe Notes
- Drizzle the cooled baked cookies with dark chocolate
- Add some chocolate chips to the cookie dough before shaping and baking
- Place some strawberry jam in the thumbprint indent to make peanut butter and jelly shortbreads
- Roll cookie dough balls in crushed peanuts before flattening for an extra peanut kick.
- Press a dark chocolate button or square on top of each cookie before baking.
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
The recipe's nutritional information is an approximation based on an online calculator. It is meant solely for reference purposes. If you're looking for precise details, be sure to double-check with your own research.
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White chocolate and macadamia cookies - a classic and delicious combo
Renata
Sara, if you hadn't told us about all the fuss involving these cookies we could never tell. They look simply perfect! I can almost smell them half world away 🙂
Christine @ Cooking Crusade
I love shortbread and I love peanut butter so it's pretty much guaranteed that I would love these cookies! Great idea adding chocolate or jam 🙂 Btw where did you get these amazing sounding 'bite me' cookie prints! May I ask where you got them??
milkteaxx
it is alaways when u want something for an occasion that something has to go wrong! but these still look amazing, ill still gladly bite them!
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef
I don't do well under a lot of stress but ordinary stress I tend to do okay. If I have way more than I can do and I get pressured, then I'm not normal. 🙂
I'd be better with one of these cookies. 🙂
Helen (Grab Your Fork)
You show that shortbread who's the boss! I tend to rage inside my head but a few deep breaths will usually see me through. You just gotta keep it together, keep it together, keep it together (Bowfinger reference. lol)
Amanda@ChewTown
I've been waiting for you to post these because they were fabulous! Now I can make them for myself... without all the "bite me" drama!