Peanut Butter Cookies from the 1943 Joy of Cooking

by Hilary Gauntt on August 6, 2012

This post is in honor of my wonderful mother-in-law Barbara Case Gauntt who passed away on June 11th. She was clear about not wanting a memorial service, so instead family and friends gathered to celebrate what would have been her 91st birthday last Sunday at a borrowed beach house.  I count myself lucky to have had a mother-in-law for 39 years who was also such a good friend.  She was always lavish with her praise and sometimes I could see her practically biting her tongue to keep from telling me what I was doing wrong . Mother-in-law jokes fell flat in this house.

Barb enjoyed bridge and poker and bingo much more than spending time in the kitchen, but she did have a recipe that she made over and over – peanut butter cookies from the original Joy of Cooking cookbook she got as a wedding present in 1946.  I told her years ago that someday I’d love to have her copy, and now it’s mine.  We served these for dessert at her birthday party and they were gone in a flash. Here’s the recipe in its original format:

Sift:  1/2 cup brown sugar with 1/2 cup granulated sugar.

Beat until soft:  1/2 cup butter

Add the sugar to the butter gradually and blend these ingredients until they are creamy.  Beat in:   1 egg, 1 cup peanut butter, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. soda.

Sift before measuring:  1 1/2 cups bread flour

Add the flour to the batter and:   1/2 tsp. vanilla

Roll the dough into small balls.  Place them on a greased tin.  Press them flat with a fork.  Bake them in a moderate 375 degree oven for about 15-18 minutes.

Note: I didn’t sift the sugars or the flour, and used a small scoop to make the balls.  This recipe will make about 30          3-inch cookies. Doubled easily.  No need to grease your cookie sheet with all that butter!

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{ 41 comments… read them below or add one }

Ludie August 26, 2012 at 6:54 pm

Ah!!! These were the same cookies that were always waiting for us every summer when we came to visit my grandparents in Klamath Falls , Oregon!!! My grandmother always put them in the same tin to keep them fresh…..probably an old cake tin of some kind. I can see that tin in that sweet little kitchen of hers, and the promise of a wonderful stay ahead of us ! Heaven on earth !

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Hilary Gauntt August 27, 2012 at 5:52 pm

Oh my, Ludie, yet another thing in common! I Loved this sweet memory…..

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Deb September 6, 2012 at 12:36 pm

Lucky you. I only met your mother in law twice but never forgot her. She was a larger-than-life person who struck me as one of a species of her generation (like my own very wonderful mother in law) I refer to as “gals.” These ladies were excellent bridge players, enjoyed a highball and liked laughing.

A technicality: When you say ” . . . a greased TIN . . .” do you mean a cookie sheet or muffin tin? I’m a Joy devotee but I don’t have that edition.
Thanks

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Hilary Gauntt September 6, 2012 at 1:13 pm

Thank you for the kind words..you are right, I was lucky. The tin in this case is a cookie sheet, and no need to grease it in my opinion!

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Rhoda August 2, 2013 at 5:23 pm

I have used this recipe since I was married 51 years ago. It’s my son’s favorite. Today I am passing it on to my granddaughter . Hope she enjoys it for the next 51 years.
Q

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Hilary Gauntt August 3, 2013 at 5:42 pm

Oh my mother-in-law would love to read this! It’s hard to improve upon perfection….you made my day with this comment Rhoda!

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Susie September 6, 2014 at 6:44 am

Thanks for posting this! These are a nostalgic item for me as well.
I’m surprised that the original recipe would have called for bread flour. I didn’t think that product hit the shelves til much later. It seems to me that bread flour is enjoying a prominent place in many modern re-makes of cookie recipes.

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Hilary Gauntt September 6, 2014 at 8:37 am

Yes, it does call for bread flour, which I agree seems odd. Probably almost everyone past a certain age has eaten a few of these cookies!

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Cressida Browne September 23, 2020 at 3:04 pm

I think what was called “bread flour” in 1943 was what we call today “all-purpose flour”. There was such a thing back then as “cake flour”, which together with bread flour and whole wheat flour, was, I suspect, pretty much the entire repertory of wheat flours at that time. I have several recipe books from the 1930s and 1940s and have come across “bread flour” as an ingredient fairly often. I have been baking from them using all-purpose flour with excellent results for 70 years, so I wouldn’t lay in a supply of bread flour just for these cookies (wonderful as they are) unless you also bake bread.

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Hilary Gauntt September 24, 2020 at 7:50 am

Well 70 years of baking certainly makes you an expert! Thanks for sharing your expertise. I was trying to decide what to bring to a family memorial service on Sunday, and now it’s going to be these!

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Cressida Browne November 5, 2021 at 12:33 pm

In the interests of accuracy, the IS a difference between all-purpose flour and bread flour, at least in their current iterations. Bread flour has a somewhat higher protein content, which in turn makes for a higher gluten content. Anyone who makes bread using both kinds of flour will know that more all-purpose flour is needed to keep the dough from being too sticky. For these cookies, I don’t think high gluten content is necessarily desirable, but if you find the cookie dough is a bit on the wet side, simply add an additional teaspoon or two of all-purpose flour. Cheers!

laraine October 19, 2016 at 6:45 am

Hi Hilary, so thrilled to find your recipe. I had a jar of peanut butter in my cupboard and fancied making some peanut butter cookies, I lived in Iran in the seventies and while there I met some really lovely american ladies one of whom gave me a copy of The Joy of Cooking. I used to regularly make the delicious peanut butter cookies and everybody loved them. After 7 years I came back to Britain for a holiday and as I was expecting to return left my cookery books there. As it turned out I did not return to Iran because of the revolution. I have since tried in vain to find the same recipe. Today I thought I would Google The Joy of Cooking peanut butter cookies, imagine how thrilled I was when up it popped. Made a batch for the ladies in my book club, they are just as delicious as I remember and all my friends enjoyed them too. A big thank you x

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Hilary Gauntt October 19, 2016 at 7:51 am

I love stories of lost recipes that resurface! I think Google is such a gift in this way. I am also in a book club so it sounds like we have a lot in common. Thanks so much for writing, you made my day! Hilary

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Susie October 7, 2017 at 12:23 pm

I’m so excited to make these! I had the copy of The Joy of Cooking that my grandparents gave my mother when I was born; sadly, I lost it in moving and this is the exact recipe I always loved making!

So, thank you so much for posting it.

Cheers, Susie

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Hilary Gauntt October 7, 2017 at 1:21 pm

I have that copy that my mother-in-law got for a wedding present, and this is the recipe that seems to be the one that’s living on! If there are any others you remember that you’d like find, let me know. Enjoy these buttery cookies Susie!

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Judy August 15, 2020 at 11:42 am

I am so glad to find this recipe. I learned to Cook using Joy of Cooking. 1964 (I think) version. Anyway, my Dad was the cook in our family and it was his. I read it from cover to cover many times. This is one of my favorite recipes. I, like another person, lost my cookbook in my last move. I received my own copy when I got married, and used it for decades. Made jut about everything in the book except the game recipes. Learned to can, make bread, decorate a cake and how ingredients work together from that book. Won many blue ribbons at our State Fair in Minnesota from adaptations and understanding ingredients learned from Joy. I made these and did them in bar form instead of cookies. Still came out great. I have always added a 1/2 C chopped peanuts to the recipe as I like them crunchy. Occasionally I have added chocolate chips as well. Both came out fine. But there is nothing like a recipe from the Original Joy of cooking…Thank you again.

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Hilary Gauntt August 16, 2020 at 2:50 pm

Thank you Judy for this lovely note! I wish Irma Rombauer was alive to read how much Joy her cook book brought you! I know there is another revised addition out, but its just not the same.

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Paula October 19, 2017 at 8:38 am

It must be a mother-in-law thing! My mother-in-law loved to cook and spent her life in her kitchen. I have her 1943 edition and have yet to find a recipe in it that I didn’t like! My copy is so beat up that I am now taking out the pages of my favorites (this is my VERY favorite) and putting them in plastic sleeves in a binder. I went to my binder….no recipe. Went to my cookbook…page torn out! So I’m very thankful to have found this recipe!
Thanks!
Paula

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Hilary Gauntt October 21, 2017 at 8:30 am

So happy you found this recipe here! It seems to be part of so many peoples memories. Thanks for writing Paula!

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Deborah November 12, 2017 at 12:06 pm

I am in my mid fourties so my own mother’s Joy of Cooking is likely a later edition but the recipient is the same, save for the bread flour. The best peanut butter cookies ever and I make them all the time. I’m glad you posted this recipie as I want to make some and do not have access to her cookbook today.

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Hilary Gauntt November 13, 2017 at 8:27 am

This cookie seems to be a classic! Thanks for writing – love when people locate lost recipes!

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PEGGY BRYANT June 22, 2019 at 7:32 pm

I am so happy to find this recipe. My husband’s aunt gave me a Joy of Cooking cookbook when we married in 1962. His favorite cookies are peanut butter, and I used the recipe from my Joy of Cooking for 54 years. Our home was flooded in Harvey, and I lost my Joy of Cooking and every other recipe I had. I tried another recipe, but it was not the the same. My book was a later version, but I think this is the same recipe. Thank you so much for sharing.

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Hilary Gauntt June 23, 2019 at 9:19 am

What a joy to read your message! This recipe seems to be a special one for many people over many years. I’m so sorry for your loss of a life’s collection of recipes! That is it’s own tragedy on top of all else you must have lost in the flood. Here’s to blue skies from now on! Hilary

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Martha September 10, 2021 at 3:50 am

Joy has been my family’s kitchen Bible my whole 63 years. I received my own copy from my grandmother for my wedding shower. Of course both she and mom had their own. I have given copies to both of my sons. Need I say we’re all great cooks!

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Hilary Gauntt September 10, 2021 at 8:33 am

Kitchen Bible is the best description!

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SHERYL January 23, 2022 at 9:46 am

My original copy is literally falling apart and bound together with a plaid purple ribbon. I decided to try to find the recipe online before untying my heirloom! Thank you for posting it.

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Hilary Gauntt January 23, 2022 at 10:06 am

I love the description of your treasured book! Mine also similarly fragile.

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Rosie January 28, 2022 at 9:14 am

If anyone winders, these make excellent peanut blossoms as well and works with GF flour, though they are a bit more crumbly (common with GF flour cookies) and I suggest letting the dough rest about 20 min as it takes GF flour longer to fully absorb moisture. I love that this recipe is like a pound cake recipe. Basically everything is 1 equal part to 3 parts flour. Very easy to memorize that way! I don’t actually own this cookbook (wish I did!) but my kids are the 5th generation to make them. It’s excellent.

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Hilary Gauntt January 28, 2022 at 10:28 am

Fifth generation cookie! Now that is quite a testament to a good recipe!

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Dennis February 26, 2022 at 2:50 pm

My parents got married in 1936 and my mother was given a copy (1st edition!) of Joy of Cooking. I grew up with these as my favorite cookies and sometime in the late 60s suggested to my mother that we throw in some chocolate chips. That proved to be an inspired addition: I started making the cookies (with chips) myself, and these became my “signature” dessert at college in the 1970s. For some reason I eventually stopped making them (I am more cook than a baker) but I picked up a jar of peanut butter yesterday and dreamed about these cookies last night. So of course I made them today. They were great, even though I made them with the bittersweet chocolate chips I had on hand. Next time, normal Nestle’s morsels! These tasted much too grown up!

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Hilary Gauntt February 27, 2022 at 8:57 am

Never thought of chocolate chips! Sounds delicious. Your first edition cook book is a treasure. I imagine every bride received a copy for decades to come.

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Angela February 26, 2023 at 1:37 pm

Hello! I’m wondering if you can tell me what kind of peanut butter is best for these cookies. We usually use the all natural peanut butter for sandwiches, but I know that some folks say Jiffy is better for cookies. I love this post. My mom had an earlier edition of the Joy of Cooking, so I am always looking for the older recipes, as I have a much newer edition, and some of the recipes are not the same as the ones I grew up with! My sister has my mom’s old Joy of Cooking, but it’s in storage who knows where :(.

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Hilary Gauntt February 27, 2023 at 11:17 am

I also use a popular grocery store brand like Jiff or Skippy; thinking back when this recipe was written that’s what was available. Don’t know if that’s best or not; if you make it with both natural and Skippy please let me know if there is a favorite!

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Angela March 15, 2023 at 1:00 pm

Hi Hilary,

Thanks for your response! I decided to stick with Skippy, and the cookies came out fabulous! I know that using natural peanut butter can make the cookies a little greasy, and I wasn’t willing to take that risk. But if I do try it, I will let you know! In the meantime, I am blogging about this recipe (I made a few tweaks). Is it ok if I include a link to your blog post?

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Hilary Gauntt March 19, 2023 at 11:57 am

Of course!

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Angela March 23, 2023 at 4:54 pm

Thanks Hilary! I did end up making a batch with natural peanut butter, and the results were less than satisfying. The cookies were dense, and flavor-wise, they were definitely missing something, so it’s Skippy all the way! Thanks for your post; I did include a link to it on my latest post. I might just have to order myself a used copy of that sweet 1943 edition of Joy :).

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Hilary Gauntt March 24, 2023 at 9:51 am

Good to know!!!

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Michelle Aguilar-Wells May 5, 2023 at 7:50 pm

Thank you so much for posting this. I have my mom’s Joy of Cooking cookbook from my mother’s wedding in the same time frame. It is packed away someplace and I wanted these cookies that I grew up with for Mother’s Day. She passed at 93 in 2016. What a great surprise to have this pop up in my search. Can’t wait to start to work.

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Hilary Gauntt May 14, 2023 at 9:43 am

I love stories of finding lost treasured recipes -perfect for Mother’s Day!

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Elaine December 20, 2023 at 4:43 pm

My 1975 edition of Joy is in a box somewhere in my garage or shed. I’m in a smaller house and I have no where to put my cookbooks (Galley size kitchen) I was happy to find this recipe, but I make my cookies a bit smaller, and 10 minutes in a 350 oven is just about right. Otherwise the cookies come out overbaked. I remember the recipe for peanut butter cookies in my Joy was similar, but I remember them coming out a bit more softer & crumbly. I might have to play with your recipe to see. I did sift the flour. I don’t ever remember sifting the sugars. That’s weird to me. My son said I needed more peanut butter in them. Hmm.

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Hilary Gauntt November 6, 2021 at 8:07 am

Thanks for this Cressida! Very helpful.

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