PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES, USA

20TH CENTURY

 

OTHER NAMES: peanut butter ball

 

Peanut butter cookie is a hand rolled dough and then flattened with the tins of a fork to make “waffle” pattern on the surface. It is made with peanut butter, which was invented by the Aztecs around the 14th century, but it was not until the late 19th century that peanut butter was suggested as an ingredient for cookies. [1]

 

The first to patent peanut butter was Marcellus Gilmore Edson in 1884. John Harvey Kellogg later patented a "Process of Preparing Nut Meal" in 1895 and served peanut butter to the patients at his Battle Creek Sanitarium. [2]

 

In 1897, an article in Popular Science News under “Recent Inventions” said peanut butter could be used as a shortening, and could replace butter and lard in recipes. [3] Peanut butter furthermore promoted in the early 20th century by George Washington Carver with his extensive research during the early 20th century. [4]

 

The first peanut butter cookies recipe, by Mrs. Rorer’s New Cook Book (1902, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), suggested rolled peanut butter ball. Later a recipe for patterned Peanut Butter ball, which instructs the cook to roll the dough into balls and press them down with the tines of a fork, was published in 1933 edition of Pillsbury's Balanced Recipes. [5] This practice is still common in America today, which is a good way to bake cookie evenly and becomes an indicator for peanut butter cookie. (especially to warn those who are allergic to peanuts) [6]

 

In the US, we have National Peanut Butter Cookie Day on June 12, and National Peanut Butter Day on January 24. [7]

 

BASIC INGREDIENTS:

Butter, peanut butter, sugar, egg, milk, flour, salt