equipment -
ungreased cookie sheets, 1 1/4-inch cookie scoop or a measuring teaspoon.
Place 2 oven racks in the upper and lower thirds
of the oven.
Preheat oven to 375°F at least 15 minutes before baking time.
food processor method
Into a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt; then whisk to
mix evenly. In a food processor with the metal blade, process the sugars for
several minutes until very fine. Cut the butter into a few pieces and add it
with the motor running. Add the peanut butter and process until smooth and
creamy. Add the egg and vanilla extract and process until incorporated, scraping
the sides of the bowl. Add the flour mixture and pulse in just until
incorporated.
electric mixer method or by hand
Soften the butter. Into a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and
salt. Whisk to combine well. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat the sugars until
well mixed. Add the butter and peanut butter and beat for several minutes, until
very smooth and creamy. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until
incorporated, scraping the sides of the bowl. At low speed, gradually beat in
the flour mixture just until incorporated.
for both methods
Scrape the dough into a bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
(This keeps the dough from cracking when shaped.) Measure the dough into a 1
1/4-inch cookie scoop or 2 level teaspoons and roll it between the palms of your
hands to shape 1-inch balls. Place the balls 1 1/2-inches apart on the cookie
sheets. As soon as you roll each ball, use your index finger or the handle of a
wooden spoon to make a depression going down almost tot he cookie sheet in the
center of each ball.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly
browned and set. For even baking, rotate the cookie sheets from top to bottom
and front to back halfway through the baking period. Cool the cookies on the
sheets for a few minutes or until firm enough to lift. Use a small angled metal
spatula or pancake turner to transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool
completely. If necessary, while the cookies are still hot, use the greased
handle of a wooden spoon to deepen the depressions. Fill the centers with the
cherry preserves or milk chocolate toppings. While the cookies are baking,
prepare the chocolate or cherry topping:
milk chocolate topping
In the upper container of a double boiler set over hot, not simmering, water on
low heat, or a microwave on high power (stirring every 10 seconds) melt the
chocolate. Remove the upper container from the heat before the chocolate is
fully melted and stir until blended. Whisk in the softened butter. The mixture
will thicken immediately. Do not over whisk. Use a reclosable quart-size freezer
bag with one corner cut off to pipe the chocolate into the centers the cookies
or use a small metal spatula to spread on a dollop. Allow the chocolate to set
until firm before storing the cookies in airtight containers.
cherry preserves topping
In a microwave oven or a saucepan, heat the preserves until boiling. Strain the
jelly into a small heavy saucepan. Place the cherries remaining in the strainer
in the centers of the cookies. If some are crushed, piece them together. On
medium heat, boil the jelly for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly until, when
it is dropped from the stirring spoon, the last drops gather to form one large
sticky drop that hangs from the spoon. The jelly will be reduced to about 3/4
cup. Allow the jelly to cool about 1 minute or until the bubbling stops. Spoon
heaping 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoons over each cherry.
store: Cookies
filled with chocolate can be stacked in an airtight container at room
temperature. Cookies with cherry centers need to be placed in single layers in a
airtight containers at room temperature. Do not cover the surface of the cookie
with plastic wrap as the cherry center remains slightly sticky.
keeps: 1 month
filled, several months unfilled
Rose's Christmas Cookies, by Rose Levy Beranbaum,
William Morrow and Company Inc., New York, 1990 Photo by Louis
Wallach
Moist, chewy and very peanutty!
Use commercial peanut
butter for the best texture and flavor. Homemade and health food varieties
will not be as smooth. Superfine sugar will result in fewer cracks in the
cookie. To make your own, simply process fine granulated sugar in the food
processor for a few minutes or until as fine as sand. 
