Why is it traditional to make fork marks on Peanut Butter Cookies?
Most recipes for peanut butter cookies call the the dough to be mixed with a fork, and made into balls that are then flattened with the fork. My guess is that the practice just evolved from the nature of the dough, and that the easiest way to make the cookies was to roll the dough into balls and flatten the balls with the fork, leaving fork marks. The criss-cross would follow because it is a little creative and artistic. Also, consider that peanut allergies are fairly common, and the distinctive markings make peanut butter cookies easily identifiable, giving further reason for the tradition to be continued. Email received 8/25/09 Yes using a fork when making Peanut Butter cookies is necessary, it’s the nature of the dough, but Peanut Butter dough does not drop while in the oven, as traditional cookies do. Peanut Butter solidifies faster than most doughs while baking, so to make the cookie appear like a traditional cookie, it is pressed down with a fork.
