Irresistibly Crispy Reese’s Thins Sea Salt Peanut Butter Cookies: Your New Favorite Thin & Buttery Treat
There’s something truly magical about a perfectly baked peanut butter cookie – especially one that marries an incredibly crisp texture with a rich, buttery flavor profile. This recipe for Reese’s Thins Sea Salt Peanut Butter Cookies isn’t just another cookie recipe; it’s a testament to the delightful possibilities when classic comfort meets thoughtful innovation. Born from a desire to utilize leftover Bouchon Bakery Nutter Butter dough, these cookies quickly evolved into a unique and beloved treat in their own right. They are distinctively thin, achieving an exquisite crispiness around the edges that gives way to a tender, melt-in-your-mouth center. The buttery notes are pronounced, making each bite a luxurious experience. Even my partner, Todd, who typically reserves his enthusiasm for chocolate over peanut butter, found himself reaching for a second, and then a third. That’s how you know you’ve got a winner!
What truly sets these cookies apart isn’t just their incredible flavor, but also their delightful texture. We’re talking about a cookie that’s thin enough to snap, yet substantial enough to deliver that satisfying peanut butter goodness. The secret lies in a careful balance of ingredients and a specific baking technique designed to maximize crispness. Each cookie is crowned with a Reese’s Thin, which melts into a creamy pool of chocolate and peanut butter, perfectly contrasting the crunchy cookie base. A delicate sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top elevates the entire experience, bringing out the complex flavors and adding a touch of gourmet sophistication. This isn’t your average thick, chewy peanut butter cookie; it’s an elevated, refined version that’s surprisingly easy to make and utterly addictive. The combination of sweet, salty, and ultra-crispy makes them an instant classic for any cookie lover, perfect for sharing with friends and family or enjoying as a personal treat with a cup of coffee or milk.
The Science Behind the Perfect Thin & Crispy Cookie: Key Ingredients Explained
Achieving the ideal thin and crispy texture for these peanut butter cookies requires a precise understanding of how each ingredient contributes to the final result. While baking might seem like an art, it’s truly a science, and small adjustments can make a world of difference. Let’s delve into the crucial components that make these Reese’s Thins cookies so exceptionally delightful and why paying attention to the details truly matters for a professional-grade homemade treat.
First, consider the flour. It’s paramount to use the correct amount, which is precisely 70 grams or a scooped ½ cup of all-purpose flour. Why the emphasis on precise measurement, especially a scooped cup? Flour is the structural backbone of your cookie. Too much flour can lead to a dry, crumbly cookie that doesn’t spread adequately, resulting in a thicker, cakier texture. Too little, and your cookies might spread excessively, becoming greasy and overly delicate. Scooping the flour directly from the bag into your measuring cup, then leveling it off, helps achieve consistent density compared to spooning and leveling, which can result in less flour. This precision ensures your cookies achieve that desirable thinness and exquisite crisp edge, critical for the signature texture of these Reese’s Thins cookies.
Next, let’s talk about the oats. For this particular recipe, I’ve exclusively tested with quick-cooking oats. These oats are pre-steamed, rolled, and cut into smaller pieces than old-fashioned rolled oats, allowing them to absorb liquid more quickly and contribute to a finer, more integrated texture within the cookie dough. This fine texture is key to maintaining the cookie’s thin profile and contributing to its overall crispness without adding an overly chewy element. If you were to use old-fashioned oats, you might find the cookies have a chewier, more substantial bite, and potentially don’t spread quite as thinly. Instant oats, on the other hand, are even more processed and might disappear into the dough, losing some of the pleasant oat texture. Unless you’re eager for a kitchen experiment, sticking to quick oats is highly recommended to replicate the intended crispy and delicate result that makes these cookies so special.
The egg measurement is another critical factor where precision truly pays off. I understand that “2 tablespoons” of a lightly beaten egg (which equates to approximately 27 grams) might seem a bit unconventional, as most recipes call for a whole egg, but trust me, it’s the sweet spot for these thin, crispy cookies. Eggs act as a binder and provide moisture, but in the case of these cookies, too much egg would introduce excessive moisture and protein, leading to a chewier cookie rather than the desired crisp one. The precise amount ensures just enough binding and structure without compromising the delicate snap we’re aiming for. It’s a small detail that makes a significant impact on the final texture, ensuring your cookies achieve that satisfying crunch with every bite.
Beyond these specific measurements, the quality and type of other ingredients also play a vital role. Using softened unsalted butter (1 stick, 114 grams) provides the rich, buttery base that contributes immensely to the flavor and texture. The combination of granulated sugar and packed light brown sugar (¼ cup/50 grams each) is deliberate: granulated sugar promotes crispness and spread, while brown sugar adds moisture, a subtle caramel note, and a slight chewiness, balancing the overall texture beautifully. The baking powder and baking soda work as leavening agents, helping the cookies spread and achieve their thin profile while ensuring a tender interior. And, of course, the star inclusions: Reese’s Thins. These delightful peanut butter chocolate cups come in both Milk and Dark chocolate varieties, allowing you to customize your cookie experience. I personally lean towards the milk chocolate for its classic sweetness that complements the salty peanut butter cookie, but feel free to choose your favorite. Don’t forget the sprinkle of flaky sea salt at the end – it’s a simple touch that enhances all the flavors, creating that addictive sweet-and-salty dynamic that makes these cookies truly irresistible.
Cooling Cookies on a Paper Bag: A Timeless Trick for Maximum Crispness
When developing these Reese’s Thins cookies, I decided it was the perfect opportunity to put a long-heard cookie hack to the test: cooling cookies on a brown paper sack. This old-fashioned method is rumored to work wonders, promising to absorb excess grease and accelerate the crisping process, leading to a superior cookie texture that’s noticeably lighter and more delicate. I was intrigued and eager to see if this seemingly simple trick, often whispered among seasoned bakers, truly made a significant difference in the final product of these already thin and buttery treats.
For my experiment, I opted to use standard lunch sacks, though a clean brown grocery bag, cut open to lie flat, would work just as well. After the cookies had baked to perfection and were removed from the oven, I carefully transferred them to the paper sacks to begin their cooling journey. What I observed was quite telling: as the cookies cooled, the paper sacks visibly began to absorb a surprising amount of grease from the bottom of each cookie. This visual confirmation alone was satisfying, but the real test was in the taste and texture after they had fully cooled. And indeed, I found that the cookies cooled on the paper sacks were noticeably crisper, or at the very least, they achieved their optimal crispness much more quickly than those cooled traditionally on a wire rack. It’s a subtle yet effective technique that significantly enhances the texture of these already thin and crispy treats, making them even more enjoyable.
Since sharing this little baking revelation on social media, particularly Facebook, I’ve heard from several people who confirmed its efficacy and shared their own experiences. Many have fondly recalled their mothers or grandmothers employing a similar technique, often using old newspapers (though for modern baking, it’s best to stick to clean, unprinted paper bags to avoid any potential ink transfer). It seems this isn’t just a fleeting trend but a time-honored tradition passed down through generations of home bakers, a testament to its effectiveness in achieving that coveted crisp texture. If you’re looking to achieve that extra level of crispness and minimize any residual greasiness in your thin cookies, this paper bag cooling method is a simple, effective, and highly recommended step to add to your baking routine. It truly elevates the experience of enjoying a perfectly crisp cookie, proving that sometimes, the simplest methods yield the best results.
Recipe
Reese’s Thins Sea Salt Peanut Butter Cookies
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup all-purpose flour (70 grams)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ⅜ teaspoon salt
- 1 stick unsalted butter, softened (114 grams)
- 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons peanut butter (40 grams)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (50 grams)
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar (50 grams)
- 2 tablespoons lightly beaten egg (27 grams)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 2 tablespoons chopped peanuts, optional
- ¾ cup quick cooking oats
- 12 Reese’s Thins
Instructions
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Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
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In a mixing bowl beat the softened butter, peanut butter and both sugars until light and creamy. Add egg and stir until smooth, then beat in the vanilla extract.
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Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir until smooth, then stir in the peanuts and oats.
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Divide dough into 12 rounds. Put them on a dinner plate and chill until firm enough to roll into balls. Roll into balls and press into disks.
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Keep chilled until ready to bake.
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To bake, preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
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Arrange disks on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for about 12-15 minutes or until cookies start to brown around the edges.
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Remove from oven and put a Reese’s Thin in the center of each cookie. Sprinkle the sea salt. You can do this right away, or you can wait and let the chocolate set a bit before adding the salt. The crystals stand out more if you let the chocolate set.
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Let the cookies cool on the sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
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Alternatively, let the cookies cool on brown paper sacks for about 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.