Chunky Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
I'm not feeling rebellious anymore--now I'm just confused. You see, early in the week there was frost on the windshield when I went out to the car in the morning and yesterday it was about 70º here, so now my tastebuds don't quite know what to expect--fresh summer berries or crisp fall apples. My daughter and I decided that only by going far away in the flavor department and whipping up these terrific Chunky Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies could we return to any sense of normalcy, or at least that's what we convinced ourselves of! Even if you live somewhere that's not experiencing extreme weather shifts, feel free to piggyback onto our reasoning and make these cookies. They're so good!!
It's been a long time since I made anything with peanuts--I tend to get into cooking patterns using the same kind of ingredients over and over until something comes along, slaps me on the head and jolts me out of it. Thanks goodness the weather did the trick or we'd never be enjoying these amazing cookies today. The house smells so good and different with that wonderful sugary/peanut-y aroma wafting through the air!
I've made a lot of peanut butter cookies in my day, but what I especially love about these is that there's not only peanut butter in the dough but there are also roasted, salted chopped peanuts on top, so that what you get is an explosion of peanut flavor! These are the kind of cookies you wish you'd get in a bakery but never seem to--they're large, sort of chewy and crunchy all at once, crumbly delicious and with every nibble, there's a kick of chocolate.
These are also perfect to make when you want something NOW! The whole process takes about 30 minutes from start to finish, so there are no long waiting periods to endure!
So if you're feeling seasonally challenged too, or if you're just drooling over these right now, whip up a batch of these timeless, season-less classics and all will be right with the world again!
Chunky Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
Makes 18 large cookies
Prep Time: 15 minutes; Bake Time: 12-15 minutes
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (don't use natural--you need something like Skippy or Jif)
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chunks or chips
- 2 tablespoons sugar for topping the cookies
The Recipe
1. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat together the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until thoroughly combined. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well.
3. Into a small bowl, sift the flour, baking soda and salt and stir gently to mix.
4. Gradually add the flour mixture to the batter on low speed and mix only until no traces of flour can be see anymore. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the chocolate chunks or chips.
5. Scoop the dough by rounded tablespoons onto the prepared sheets, placing 9 per sheet and making sure they're about 3 inches apart or so. Place the two tablespoons of sugar into a small bowl and dip the tines of the fork into it. Then use the back of the fork to press down on a cookie to flatten it to about 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Repeat with the rest of the cookies.
6. When all of the cookies have been flattened, sprinkle them with the chopped peanuts and the remaining sugar.
7. Bake the sheets one at a time for 12-15 minutes, reversing the sheet halfway through the baking process to ensure even cooking. Cookies are done when golden brown and flattened, although they will continue to flatten as they cool. Transfer the tray to a baking rack to cool completely.
8. Cookies keep at room temperature in an airtight container for about 5 days. You can also prepare the dough and keep it an airtight container for up to one week and bake only a few at a time if you like.
Enjoy!
Note: Recipe adapted from The Foster's Market Cookbook by Sara Foster.
