Peanut Butter Cookies with Bittersweet Chocolate Chunks

Hi. I’m sorry, I feel like it’s been way too long again. The thing is, I’ve been cooking a ton lately, I just haven’t had the time to take any pictures for the blog. I know I shouldn’t care this much but I really don’t want you or anybody else to think I haven’t been doing anything lately.

I may be in a slightly defensive space. My poor husband came home tonight and the girls and I shared with him the chore chart I made today. It’s long overdue and I’m hoping it will cut down on the ridiculous drama that surrounds any cleaning my girls are asked to do. I have listed their daily responsibilities that if left undone will result in losing privileges as well as a list of bonus chores for which they can earn money. His witty response was to suggest a lower value for the bonus chores because “money’s tight around here”, then he proceeded to tell the girls there was money available that we use to pay the cleaning lady every other week. Right. Hilarious.

What I should have done (what I usually do) was roll my eyes and explain to the girls that Daddy was just kidding. Because I knew he was, he’s way too smart to make those comments and mean them and trust me, after 23 years we are true partners in this marriage. Instead, I threw my hands in the air (really, I did), made a sound of utter frustration and huffed off, declaring I needed to go fold laundry because what I had heard from him was that I was frivolously spending our hard earned (by him) money, spoiling our girls and I should not need to pay someone to clean the house every other week! There’s a possibility I overreacted. Like I said, I may be slightly defensive because when you’re a stay at home mom it’s really hard to quantify or explain what the hell you do all day. You just know you’re tired at the end of it. And, apparently insane after reading through what I just wrote.

I should mention that mere seconds later he followed me upstairs with his plate of food still in his hand and a dumbfounded expression on his face. I told him what I had “heard” and that I knew that’s not really what he meant. Then I put the crazy lady away and enjoyed the evening. It’s only thanks to years of therapy that I’m able to wrap it up that quickly, I used to be able to drag that sort of thing out for days. I mention it mainly for those of you who don’t yet know you don’t have to drag it out. Trust me, you’re only making yourself miserable while he’s likely to have moved on with his evening.

Onward!

While I wanted to get a more artful photo of these cookies, they simply didn’t last long enough, I had to take a quick shot while I could. Peanut butter and chocolate is a family favorite combination and these cookies pair them perfectly. Don’t skip the turbinado sugar, it adds a delightful crunch, and use the best quality chocolate chips you can so the cookies taste as if they came out of a fancy bakery. You could even wrap them up and give them as a hostess gift if your husband doesn’t eat them all.

 

(makes about 30 cookies, approximately 3″ diameter)

1/2 cup butter, softened

2/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup white sugar

1 egg

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour (divided)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (reduce the amount slightly if using regular salt)

1 cup bittersweet chocolate buttons or chips

turbinado sugar for sprinkling (raw cane sugar)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer, cream the butter with the sugars until the mixture becomes light and fluffy.

Add egg and mix well.

Combine 1 cup flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl, just mix lightly with a fork.

Add peanut butter (spray measuring cup with non-stick spray so it comes out easily).

Add flour mixture and mix until fully combined. Then add remaining 1/2 cup of flour, a little at a time, until the dough is thick enough to shape with your fingers. Depending on the type of peanut butter you use, the size of the egg, etc., you may not need the full amount of flour or you might need a little more. The point is, only add what you need and don’t overdo it with the flour.

Add chocolate buttons, mix just until combined. After you add the flour, you want to be careful not to over-mix the batter or it can produce a tougher cookie – this applies to any type you’re making.

Roll the dough into balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or sprayed with non-stick spray.

Using a fork, make the classic crisscross pattern and flatten out the dough a bit.

Sprinkle a little turbinado sugar over the top of the dough, be careful to keep most of it on the cookies so it doesn’t burn on the pan.

Bake in preheated 350-degree oven for 8 – 10 minutes. Cool on rack.

 I am truly thankful to all the brave men and women who serve our country and take a stand for what they believe in. There are not enough of us that do that these days, myself included. Veteran’s Day is a good day to take a good look at what you stand for… And pray for peace, always.