I understand that what I'm about to share might not sit well with some people, but in our household, peanut butter isn't a staple. We didn't grow up with the peanut butter and jelly tradition, and it never really became a part of our adult lives. However, there's one exception that keeps me coming back to buy jars of peanut butter time and time again—peanut butter cookies.

Strangely enough, either my husband doesn't realize that these cookies are made with peanut butter, or he's chosen to conveniently overlook that fact because no matter how many of these cookies I bake, they seem to disappear in no time. But I'm thrilled to whip up this delightful treat because the recipe is incredibly simple and quick to make.

SALTED PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

Yields 12 cookies

Ingredients:

335g (1 3/4 packed cup) light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
450g (1 3/4 cups) smooth peanut butter
Flaked sea salt, for garnish

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 180°C and line a baking tray with parchment paper.

In a bowl, vigorously whisk together the sugar and eggs until fully combined. Add the vanilla extract and whisk until well incorporated.

Switch to a wooden spoon and stir in the peanut butter until there are no visible streaks.

Refrigerate the dough for an hour. (You can keep the dough in the fridge for a couple of days, and it works perfectly if you want to prepare ahead and bake fresh cookies when needed.)

Shape the dough into roughly 2-inch balls (I prefer using an ice cream scoop), or you can use spoons if that's your preference, and place these formed dough balls onto the prepared baking tray, spacing them about an inch apart. These cookies do spread a bit, but they can be positioned closer together compared to regular cookies. Don't forget to sprinkle each cookie with a pinch of flaked sea salt.

Bake these delightful treats in your preheated oven for approximately 20-22 minutes. Look for that perfect moment when the cookies turn golden brown around the edges while maintaining a slightly paler center. Once they've achieved this golden goodness, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.