Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Cookies

Big, chewy peanut butter cookies just like you remember from school lunches! These come with the added bonus of Reese’s pieces mixed in.

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Before I baked these, Brent saw the bag of Reeses Pieces and said, “what is this?” in an accusatory tone. He is on a diet right now, preparing for Medical Officer basic training in July and keeping unhealthy things away has been key.

Actually, the key has been to hide the goodies so that I don’t have to be completely on his diet as well. I need fat and sugar!!

That’s where these cookies come in to play. They are sooo soft. They may be undercooked but I wouldn’t have them any other way. That peanut butter-honey mixture is essential and then the Reeses Pieces seal the deal.

Elle’s New England Kitchen made a huge batch (75!) of medium sized (3 inch) cookies from the original recipe. But I can only hide so many cookies around here, so I took a chance and halved the recipe (with a little extra flour). Making large cookies this version came out to 2 dozen ridiculously good cookies.

BTW, I think I have a serious addiction to baked goods – I continue to turn on my oven despite the ongoing heat vs A/C battle. (Totally worth it.)

Post updated 5/28/20, photo above is the original.

LUNCH LADY PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

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Yield: 2 dozen Cooking Time: 13 Minutes 13 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

PEANUT BUTTER MIXTURE

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup honey

COOKIES

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup (1-1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup shortening, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups Reeses Pieces

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats, set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, blend together all of the peanut butter mixture ingredients until smooth. Set aside.
3. In another medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, cream the butter, shortening, and both sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, beating well after each one, then add vanilla and peanut butter mixture. Add the flour mixture by the cupful and beat at low speed until fully mixed. Stir in the candy by hand.
5. Using a 1/4 cup scoop, place balls of dough about 2 inches apart on your baking sheet.
6. Bake for 11-13 minutes (they will still be pale, with a touch of golden brown on the bottom edges). Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then move to a cooling rack using a spatula. Let cool completely and then store in an airtight container.

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