Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Cookies – easy and delicious cookie recipe from your childhood school cafeteria. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. All you need is a glass of milk and you are set! Butter, peanut butter, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, instant dry milk, flour, salt, and baking soda. Can freeze the cookie dough for a quick treat later! Makes a lot of cookies – great for parties and bake sales.
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In the bowl on an electric stand mixer, beat together butter and peanut butter until smooth. Add sugar and brown sugar. Mix until light and fluffy.
Add eggs and vanilla, mixing well.
Slowly add dry milk, flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix just until blended.
Scoop dough with a medium cookie scoop and place on the prepared cookie sheets.
Flatten the cookies with a fork in a criss-cross pattern.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
Notes:
One cup of flour weighs 4.25-ounces. To properly measure flour, give the flour a stir to loosen it up in the container. Use a spoon and lightly spoon the flour into your measuring cup. Use a flat straight edge (like the straight back of a knife) to level off the top of the flour in the measuring cup. Do NOT compact the flour in the measuring cup.
I used smooth Jif peanut butter. Feel free to use your favorite brand. You can use smooth or crunchy peanut butter.
This recipe uses instant nonfat dry milk. I buy it at Walmart. You are going to need 1 cup or 2.25-ounces.
This recipe does not roll the cookie dough balls in additional sugar. Feel free to roll the dough in sugar before flattening if you prefer.
Can cookie dough be frozen? YES! I suggest scooping the cookie dough into balls and freezing the cookie dough unbaked. You can store the cookie dough balls in the freezer in a freezer bag for about 3 months. PERFECT for a quick treat!
You can also freeze any leftover baked cookies in a freezer bag. The cookies will keep at least 3 months in the freezer.