Julianna Bananna: Peanut Butter Shortbread Cookies

These cookies are the peanut-butteriest cookies I have ever eaten and they're some of my favorites to bake! I came up with this recipe after visiting a bakery last summer that sold peanut butter shortbread that was fantastic. Although they most certainly aren't the healthiest, I can guarantee you that these cookies are 100% worth it! They melt in your mouth and definitely satisfy my peanut butter cravings (and that's saying something!). If you aren't a big fan of a strong peanut butter taste you could cut the pb to 3/4 cup.

Peanut Butter Shortbread Cookies
makes 3-4 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup butter (2 sticks)
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup cornstarch

First gather your ingredients and preheat the oven to 350.

oops~ missing a stick of butter!

Drool over your peanut butter....

Just kidding! :) Add your butter, pb, and sugar to the mixer and beat together until the mixture is an even consistency.

Beat in vanilla. Then, with the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour and cornstarch and mix until the dough holds together. ~~Eat copious amounts of dough.~~ Your whole kitchen will smell like peanut butter right about now. If you think you can wait until the cookies are baked to devour the peanut buttery goodness, roll the dough into balls and flatten with a fork on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the bottoms are golden brown.

Leave the cookies on the pan for about five minutes (in my case, I could only wait one!) to let them firm up a bit. Then remove them and place them on a cooling rack. ~~Devour like a caveman.~~ Enjoy!

Seriously though, go make these cookies. Now. You won't regret it!

First one hot out of the oven:

Pure heaven. Would it be illegal to live off of these???

A few hours after many spoonfuls of dough and a fresh cookie, I decided to make a nutritious lunch so I wouldn't spend the rest of the afternoon eating cookies - they are so addicting!

The star of this lunch was one of these all natural burgers:

Another great Costco purchase - The peppers and gouda cheese in the burgers make them smell and taste delicioso!

I sauteed some mushrooms and onions and cooked the burger in a little evoo. Then I warmed a whole wheat tortilla, sliced the burger, and piled that and the veggies inside. I topped it off with some sliced avocado, which added a nice cool creaminess to the wrap.