Baking is therapy. You have to measure. Be precise. Focus. Distractions can lead to not the sweetest results. Which is why in this uncertain time we are living in, I have spent so much time in the kitchen! Cooking and baking make me happy. Feeding others is a joyful solution to all the scary news reports. And Chewy Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies are the magic result from today’s baking adventures.
Chewy Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies
This recipe is made with all the ingredients you already have in your pantry. A good thing given our #stayathome mandate. If you have kids in the house, this recipe would be an activity for them as they get to not only help measure and mix the ingredients but roll the dough into a ball for each cookie. Then of course, add the peanut butter cookie identifier: the criss-cross pattern.
For these cookies, I upped the flavor profile a bit by adding a chocolate layer. Because, really, peanut butter and chocolate just naturally go together! Choose the type of chocolate you want from semi-sweet to dark chocolate. I would suggest staying away from milk chocolate, as these are already sweet cookies.
I am a fan of silicone baking sheets as they make clean up so easy. Plus, the cookies won’t stick to the pan. I also like heavy duty jelly roll or cookie sheet pans as they bake evenly. One of the most useful baking related tools is an offset spatula. It makes frosting cakes and cookies effortless. That slight bend in the design of the spatula lets you evenly distribute the topping without hitting the side of the cake pan, for example. My final tip is to make sure you leave the peanut butter cookie dough in the refrigerator for at least an hour. It really helps the cookies to not spread out too much so they get flat and crispy rather than chewy.
Whatever chocolate you decide on, have fun in the kitchen getting creative. Enjoy your time at home as much as you can without forgetting the sacrifices those in essential job roles are making for the rest of us. Be safe and well.
Chewy Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, unsalted room temperature
- 1 1/4 cup crunchy peanut butter
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 12 ounces chocolate chips semi-sweet or dark chocolate
Instructions
- Cream peanut butter, sugars and butter together. Add eggs. Mix together till blended.
- In separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Combine dry ingredients with peanut butter mixture.
- Put bowl in refrigerator for an hour minimum. Don't skip this step.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Using silicone liner on pan, roll dough into balls (approximately a heaping teaspoon) spacing three across the sheet pan. Leave space for cookies to spread out. Take fork and gently mark the top of each cookie to slightly flatten with the criss cross pattern. Do not press firmly down on dough.
- Bake for 8 - 10 minutes until golden color. Remove from cookie sheet and let cool on rack.
- Melt chocolate chips* in a double boiler or in microwave stirring till melted. If using microwave, check chips every 15 seconds so they don't burn. Mix chips so evenly melting. *Suggestion to melt a portion of the bag of chocolate chips at a time unless using a double boiler so chocolate doesn't harden while the cookies are cooling.
- When cookies have cooled on rack, gently place cookie into melted chocolate so just the bottom of the cookie is covered in chocolate. Twist cookie lightly in chocolate to cover bottom. Remove from chocolate bowl and smooth out chocolate so it looks nice. Cool with chocolate facing up on the rack.
- Enjoy!
