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–+ servings
A full of tray of freshly baked and decorated ultimate peanut butter cookies on baking paper.
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5 from 1 vote

Peanut Butter Cookies - Pihikete Pata Pīnati

A no-chill peanut butter cookie that can be eaten by itself, with a smear of dark chocolate or spread with a light peanut butter buttercream!
Keyword homemade crumble cookies recipe, peanut butter and chocolate biscuits nz, peanut butter and chocolate cookie recipe, peanut butter cookie recipe nz, Peanut butter cookies, pics peanut butter, te reo Māori, whittakers chocolate nz
Cook Time 12 minutes
Servings 20 Pihikete Pata Pīnati (Peanut Butter Cookies)

Equipment

  • 1 x Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer for the Buttercream It can be done with a whisk and some muscle power too.

Ingredients

Peanut Butter Cookies - Pihikete Pata Pīnati

  • 120 g pata (butter)
  • ⅔ C (110 g) huka hāura (brown sugar, lightly packed)
  • ½ C (110 g) huka one (caster sugar)
  • ½ teaspoon tote (salt)
  • 1 hēki (egg, size 6)
  • 2 teaspoon wanira (vanilla)
  • ½ C (130 g) pata pīnati māeneene (smooth peanut butter, I prefer Pic's for this recipe but use your favourite, good quality pb)
  • 1 ½ C (225 g) puehu parāoa noa (plain flour)
  • ½ teaspoon pēkana houra (baking soda)

Chocolate Icing - Pani Reka Tiakarete

  • 50 g tiakarete (chocolate, I like 50 % here but use what you want)
  • A sprinkle of flaky sea salt (optional)

Peanut Butter Icing - Pani Reka Pata Pīnati

  • 110 g pata kūteretere (softened butter)
  • ½ C (85 g) puehu huka (icing sugar)
  • 2 teaspoon (10 ml) wanira
  • ¼ C (65 g) pata pīnati māeneene (smooth peanut butter)

Decorations - Ngā Whakarākei (All Optional)

  • ¼ C (65 g) pata pīnati māeneene (smooth peanut butter, this is for the centre of the buttercream)
  • 50 g tiakarete kua rewaina (melted chocolate) for drizzling on top of the buttercream.
  • ½ C nati kua tapahia (chopped nuts)

Instructions

Preheat the Oven:

  • Pre-heat the oven to 170 °C.
    Prepare one large or two small, flat baking trays with baking paper.

Melt the Butter:

  • Add the pata (butter) to a small pot and melt it over low heat on the stove or in a heatproof bowl in the microwave. Remove from the heat.
  • Pour the melted pata (butter) in to a large bowl.

Make the Cookie Dough:

  • Add the huka hāura (brown sugar), huka one (caster sugar) and tote (salt) in to the butter.
    Using a whisk, whip for 30 seconds or so until smooth.
  • Add the hēki (egg) and wanira (vanilla), whisk again for a minute until smooth and creamy.
    Add the pata pīnati (peanut butter) and stir until incorporated.
  • Add the puehu parāoa (flour) and pēkana houra (baking soda).
    Stir until a dough forms.

Mould in to Balls:

  • Divide the mixture in to 20 balls.
    Place them on the prepared trays, with a gap of 2 cm in between each one. Press each one down with a paoka (fork) or with the palm of your hand.

Bake the Cookies:

  • Bake for 12 - 13 minutes until lightly golden.
  • Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool on the tray.
  • You can eat them just as they are, straight from the oven or select one or all of these options below.

Add the Dark Chocolate:

  • Chop the the tiakarete (chocolate) and add it to a small pot or heat proof bowl. Melt it over low heat on the stove or in the microwave.
  • Remove from the heat and add a small teaspoon to each of the warm cookies. Smooth it out with a teaspoon. Reserve a little bit of the tiakarete (chocolate) for drizzling over the buttercream if you want. 
    Sprinkle with a touch of flaky tote (salt). 
  • You can eat them like this or refrigerate so they cool down while you make the buttercream.

Make Peanut Butter Buttercream:

  • Add the pata kūteretere (softened butter), puehu huka (icing sugar) and wanira (vanilla) in to a medium bowl.
    Whip on high for 4 -5 minutes until light in texture and colour.
  • Whip through the pata pīnati (peanut butter) for around 20 seconds.

Add the Peanut Butter Buttercream:

  • Remove the set pihikete (biscuits) from the pouaka mātao (refrigerator).
  • Dollop the pani reka (frosting) on to each one and smooth it out with the back of a kokoiti (teaspoon) or pipe it on like I did.

The Decorations - Ngā Whakarākei (All optional)

  • If you are using the extra pata pīnati (peanut butter), add it in the centre of the frosting. Add around ½ teaspoon in to each pihikete (biscuit).
  • Melt the remaining tiakarete (chocolate) and drizzle it over the pihikete (cookies). Sprinkle with the nati (nuts).
    Chill them for around 20 minutes to firm up the buttercream.

Storage Instructions:

  • Store the unfrosted pihikete (biscuits) in a sealed container in the cupboard for up to week. Store the frosted ones in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a week.
  • Note: In the hotter months when I want to take these to someone's house, I put them in the freezer for around half an hour before going and this helps them stay set for a bit longer.