The crunch from these peanut brittle cookies can’t be beat and they’re a great way to use up leftover brittle from the holidays!
If you’ve been hanging around this blog for any length of time you’ll know that a little over a year and a half ago I packed whatever would fit into my little Hyundai and took off from Virginia to live in Michigan. It was a crazy but necessary step in my process and I’m pretty pleased to be where I am today because of that decision. But that doesn’t mean that I haven’t missed Virginia a lot since leaving.
I grew up there. Lived there since I was 3 and it’s where my entire family still lives, save for one uncle and his wife in South Carolina. And with the newest arrival of my cousins baby {my sweet, sweet third nephew!} I’m feeling the distance even more. And if you know anything about me it’s that food is the way to my soul. Don’t believe me? Just ask my grandma’s peanut butter fudge.
So when Bob’s Red Mill asked me to team up for their United States of Cookies event I knew I had to give a big old shout out to Virginia! In case you don’t know much about Virginia pull up a seat. ‘Cause here’s a rundown. We’re pretty proud of Jamestown. We put it back on our license plates in 2007, 400 years as the oldest English settlement in the 13 colonies and still kicking. You didn’t grow up in Virginia without going to Jamestown at least 3 times.
We’ve supplied the good old USofA with more presidents than any other state {8, but who’s counting}, Dirty Dancing was filmed here and we’re home to the 2nd oldest college in the nation. Over half the battles in the Civil War were fought in the state of Virginia, the Confederacy surrendered here, and it’s also where Patrick Henry gave his famous “give me liberty or give me death” speech almost 100 years prior.
And we’ve brought to you the delicious taste of Virginia ham and peanuts. The closest I’ve ever come to putting ham into a baked good were these bacon chocolate chip cookies so this time I opted to leave the ham to Christmas and go for peanuts instead. More to the point, peanut brittle. Because it’s the perfect way to use up leftover brittle. If that ever actually happens in your house.
This isn’t the first time I’ve teamed up with Bob’s Red Mill to bring you an amazing cookie creation. First it was the brownie bark and then it was the gluten free sugar cookie bars and that’s because Bob’s Red Mill is a kitchen staple that I always have on hand because it steps up to the plate and delivers every single time. But before you go off to pay homage to your state via your favorite cookie be sure to snag this coupon first! No matter what state you call home every state has something that truly makes it special, so let’s celebrate that diversity in cookie form!
Peanut Brittle Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup salted butter,, room temperature
- 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1 1/4 cup flour
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup peanut brittle,, smashed into bits
- 1/2 cup caramel sauce
- crushed peanuts for garnish,, optional
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer cream together butter and peanut butter until smooth. Add in vanilla and mix well.
- Add in flour and powdered sugar and mix on low to medium speed until dough forms a ball. Fold in peanut brittle bits.
- Using a 2 oz cookie scoop scoop dough onto a lined baking tray and flatten slightly with the palm of your hand. Make an indentation in the center of the cookie with your thumb, creating a 1" circle.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 13-15 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a flat surface to cool completely.
- Once cook, spoon about 1 Tbs of caramel sauce into the center well of each cookie. Top with crushed peanuts if desired.
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
billie
Monday 8th of May 2017
these turned out tasty but really, really crumbly. Did I do something wrong? They disintegrated and fell apart in my hands.
Meaghan
Monday 15th of May 2017
Shortbread can be a tricky dough to work with. The key is to knead the dough (in the mixer or you can do this by hand as well) until the dough forms a ball. Otherwise, it can be quite crumbly. I'm glad you loved the flavors!
~Meaghan