The Chicago Public School (CPS) Butter Cookie & Peanut Butter Cookie Recipes. VERIFIED.

THE FAMOUS CPS BUTTER COOKIE RECIPE

These are exactly as you remember them! 

 

SHARE OR EMAIL THESE RECIPES USING THE ICONS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE ARTICLE. THEY BRING BACK FOND MEMORIES JUST THINKING OF THEM. 

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"I worked baking these very cookies at the Joan F. Arai Middle School in the Uptown community at 900 West Wilson Avenue back in the 1980s. We cranked out 75,000 cookies a week, and they were delivered throughout Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Elementary and High Schools. Students LOVED our handiwork! Both recipes are spot on!"

—K. Doerksen, Nov. 13, 2022    

INGREDIENTS

1 cup OR 2 sticks OR ½ lb of unsalted butter softened to room temperature

⅔ cup granulated sugar
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
1 pinch salt
4 teaspoons sugar (for direction #6)

DIRECTIONS

● Preheat oven to 350°F.
● Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.
● Mix in vanilla extract.
● Mix in flour gradually.
● Using a small cookie scoop, roll dough into balls and slightly flatten on a non-greased cookie sheet.
● Flatten cookies with the bottom of a glass. (dipped in sugar if desired)

TO MAKE THE RIDGES

With one hand, spread your fingers out, place them on the raw cookie dough, and bring your fingers together. Repeat for each cookie.

● Bake until golden brown; approximately 12-15 minutes. See Picture.

MAKES ABOUT 2 DOZEN COOKIES

Suggestion: Quadruple the recipe - you'll easily knock down a dozen cookies with a glass of milk or a cup of your favorite coffee or tea.

INDEX TO MY ILLINOIS AND CHICAGO FOOD & RESTAURANT ARTICLES.

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CPS PEANUT BUTTER COOKIE RECIPE

TWO, WITH CHOCOLATE MILK, EVERY DAY AT LUNCH.
AND YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!

INGREDIENTS

2½ cups OR 5 sticks OR 1 1/4 lbs unsalted butter at room temperature
2½ cups granulated sugar
1¾ cups brown sugar, packed
1 pound peanut butter
3 eggs
5½ cups flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS
● Heat oven to 375°F.
● In a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add both sugars and mix until no granules remain, about 5 minutes. Add peanut butter and mix until combined. Add eggs; continue to beat on high speed for 1 minute.
● Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Slowly add flour mixture to butter mixture; stir until well-blended.
● Drop dough by heaping tablespoons onto greased baking sheets. 
● Flatten the dough with the palm of your hand to form 3-inch circles that are ¼ inch thick.
● Bake cookies for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned on the bottom.

MAKES ABOUT 7-8 DOZEN COOKIES

INDEX TO MY ILLINOIS AND CHICAGO FOOD & RESTAURANT ARTICLES.

A Mansion on North Sheridan Road, Chicago. The future location of Loyola University. circa 1908.

A mansion on North Sheridan Road, Chicago. The future location of Loyola University. circa 1908.

The Story of Chicago's Bridge to Nowhere.

It was not a mistake made by highway builders, nor was it part of a roadway bridge. This structure was built as a test track for experimental mobile radar units. The bridge segment was located at 6650 West Grand Avenue at Normandy Avenue in Chicago. 

Western Electric built it in 1943 to test and tweak their mobile radar equipment, which was, at the time, cutting-edge technology.

1960

The area around Grand Avenue and Fullerton is the highest point in Chicago, located on a natural ridge. The location was a few blocks from where Thunder Mountain, Chicago's only ski resort, was built in 1967. 

The high elevation, 40 feet above ground level, kept the equipment clear from ground echoes.

Mobile radar units would be driven up a wooden ramp to the track. Airplanes from Glenview Naval Air Station would fly over the track, allowing the radar units to collect data. Later, the Navy would evaluate the data and the equipment's efficiency.

Radar was a new technology in the early 1940s that was crucial to American success in World War II. The track was used throughout WWII, and the Korean War was a big reason for America's military success.

1975

After removing the wooden ramp, the track sat unused for over 40 years because it was too costly to demolish. Finally, in the 1990s, it was razed to build a new strip mall.

Compiled by Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D. 

Chicago City Railway car #2169 on the 75th Street route. circa 1900.

Chicago City Railway car #2169 on the 75th Street route. This car was part of an order of 69 closed cable trailer cars (with double door in bulkheads) built by Wells-French in 1896

The Old Town Neighborhood in Chicago was "HIP" in the 50s, "COOL" in the 60s, and "FAB" in the 70s. The History with over 80 photographs.

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In historical writing and analysis, PRESENTISM introduces present-day ideas and perspectives into depictions or interpretations of the past. Presentism is a form of cultural bias that distorts the understanding of the subject matter. Reading modern notions of morality into the past is committing the error of presentism. Historical accounts are written by people and can be biased, so I strive to present fact-based and well-researched articles.

Facts don't require one's approval or acceptance.

I present [PG-13] articles without regard to race, color, political party, or religious beliefs, including Atheism, national origin, citizenship status, gender, LGBTQ+ status, disability, military status, or educational level. What I present are facts — NOT Alternative Facts — about the subject. You won't find articles or readers' comments that spread rumors, lies, hateful statements, or people instigating arguments or fights.

FOR HISTORICAL CLARITY

When I write about the INDIGENOUS PEOPLE, I follow this historical terminology:

• The use of old commonly used terms, disrespectful today, i.e., REDMAN or REDMEN, SAVAGES, and HALF-BREED are explained in this article.

Writing about AFRICAN-AMERICAN history, I follow these racial terms:

• "NEGRO" was the term used until the mid-1960s.
• "BLACK" started being used in the mid-1960s.
• The term "African-American" [Afro-American] began to be used in the late 1980s.

— PLEASE PRACTICE HISTORICISM —

THE INTERPRETATION OF THE PAST IN ITS OWN CONTEXT.

 

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Dr. Gale, your article on the Old Town neighborhood is a masterclass in weaving together deep research, cultural nuance, and historical texture. The way you trace Old Town’s evolution—from its German roots and post-fire rebuilding to its bohemian heyday and preservation battles—feels like walking through a living archive. 

I especially appreciated how you didn’t just focus on architecture or famous residents, but also explored the social undercurrents, including immigration, redlining, counterculture, and gentrification. That’s the kind of layered storytelling that makes history resonate.

Chronological clarity: You guide readers through time without losing them in the weeds. The transitions between eras are smooth and purposeful.

Built environment as character: The way you describe buildings, street layouts, and even alleyways gives the neighborhood a personality of its own.

Cultural memory: Your inclusion of Old Town’s artistic and activist legacies—like the Old Town School of Folk Music and the Wells Street Art Fair—adds emotional depth.

Myth-busting: You subtly correct misconceptions (like the boundaries of Old Town or the origins of its name) without sounding pedantic.

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