This week, peanut butter cookies

With most of the family coming over for dinner tonight I thought I would bake another batch of cookies from my new book "1 Dough, 100 cookies" by Linda Doesser.  Here in Australia cookies have always been known as biscuits, our British heritage is responsible for this,  that is until recently.     This latest generation call these sweet treats cookies, probably because of the American influence in our country now.    Whatever name we call them,  they are just the same, a wonderful little mouthful of sweet, either crunchy or gooey delights.   Looking through the book I decided on peanut butter cookies, I know the kids will love these, I have never baked a peanut butter cookie before, in fact I have never tasted a peanut butter cookie before.   These are another one of the influences America has had in this country recently,  don't get me wrong,  we have always had peanut butter but we haven't used it to the extent that Americans have.    I'm am delighted to say they are wonderful and I will be baking these again.

Sultana and peanut cookies

Peanut Butter Cookies:
Makes about 25
225g/80z butter, softened
140g/50z caster sugar
1 egg yolk lightly beaten
2tsp vanilla extract
100g / 3 1/2oz crunchy peanut butter
180/10oz plain flour
pinch salt

Preheat oven to 190c /375f.  Line two baking trays with baking parchment.
Put the butter and sugar into a bowl and mix well with a wooden spoon, (or electric beaters), then add beaten egg yolk, vanilla extract and peanut butter, mix till combined. Sift together the flour and pinch of salt into the mix and stir till combined.
Scoop out tablespoons of the mixture and shape into balls with your hands, then put them onto the prepared trays, flattern each one a little.
Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown. Leave to cool on the trays for 5-10 minutes, then using a palette knife carefully transfer to wire racks to finish cooling. These are easy to make and yummy to eat, the only problem I have is when to stop eating them.   If you want to bake the sultana cookies, use the same recipe omitting the peanut butter and replacing it with  50g sultanas.