Easiest Peanut Butter Cookies (with Variations)

Total Time: 20 mins Preparation Time: 5 mins Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

• 1 cup smooth peanut butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons maple extract (or use vanilla)
• semi-sweet chocolate chips
• chocolate-covered toffee bits
• chopped peanuts
• 4 (1 ounce) semi-sweet chocolate baking squares, melted

Recipe

• 1 in a large bowl stir together peanut butter with sugar, egg and vanilla until well combined.
• 2 shape into 1-inch balls and place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets, then gently flatten with the tines of the fork.
• 3 bake 325 for 15 minutes or until golden brown; remove to wire racks to cool.
• 4 for variations; press 1 cup of either chocolate chips, toffee bits or chopped peanuts on top of the prepared cookie dough, then bake as directed.
• 5 or another variation for chocolate peanut butter cookies is; divide the peanut butter cookie dough in half; stir in half of the the melted baking squares into each half of the peanut butter cookie dough, then mix until combined, bake as directed.