Lone Star Peanut Cookies - Country Living

These star-shaped peanut butter cookies are pure Texas pride, the kind of project bake that turns up at school parties, rodeo bake sales, and Fourth of July picnics south of the Red River. The Country Living original calls for a star cutter and a melted chocolate pen for writing “Lone Star” or names across the tops.

The dough is a roll-out peanut butter cookie, which is a smarter choice than a soft drop dough for cutout shapes. Shortening keeps the dough firm and clean-edged at room temperature, while a touch of cinnamon adds warmth that complements the peanut flavor without competing with it.

Pressing a peanut half into each point of the star is the small detail that makes these recognizable. The nut crisps and toasts during baking, giving each star five candied peanut accents that double as both decoration and the first bite.

Pro Tips

• Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment to prevent sticking and skip flour, which can toughen the cookies.
• Chill the cut stars on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before baking so they hold their points sharp.
• Use a small offset spatula to transfer cut stars to the sheet without distorting the shape.
• Let the chocolate writing fully set before stacking, about 20 minutes at room temperature or 5 minutes in the fridge.

Variations

• Swap chocolate chips for white chocolate to write red, white, and blue messages with food coloring.
• Use a different cutter for a different theme: heart, pumpkin, or letter shapes for monogrammed cookies.
• Drizzle chocolate across the whole cookie instead of writing for a faster decorative finish.