PB & Chocolate Chip Cookies

I made these PB & Chocolate cookies a few weeks back and brought them to a party.  Not surprisingly, cookies containing peanut butter and chocolate were a big hit.  The recipe calls for peanut butter chips, which were impossible to find at the time I made these.  Since then, they started carrying the chips at Safeway (for Christmas I guess) and I have since picked them up every time I've been there.  I'm not kidding.  I have 5 bags in my pantry right now.  I think these cookies would have been even better if they had more of a peanut butter flavor, and if I'd used the peanut butter chips called for, they would have been even more perfect. 

You start with 1 cup of peanut butter, which in my opinion is a great beginning.  A huge cup of peanut butter makes me hungry just looking at it.

 

First you combine your 1 cup of peanut butter with 1/2 cup softened butter.  I used my stand mixer, but it's not required.

 

Peanut butter butter.  Don't mind if I do.

Now beat in 1/2 cup brown sugar and 3/4 cup granulated sugar until smooth.

Now add 1 egg and combine thoroughly.  Then add 1 tablespoon milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla and mix. 

In a separate bowl, combine 1 1/4 cups flour, 3/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Add the flour mixture to your peanut butter mixture and mix until fully combined.

It's chip time!  If you have peanut butter chips, you will add 1/2 cup peanut butter chips and 1/2 cup chocolate chips (I added 1 cup chocolate chips).

 

When your dough is combined, it's a bit crumbly.  It makes adding the chips more difficult than in chocolate chip cookie dough, but it's also a bit easier to roll into balls. 

 

I admit, I thought one cup of chips wasn't enough, so I added a bit extra.  However, it was pretty much impossible to get the dough to accept the extra chips.  I can't really explain why you couldn't get the extra chips in, but they lay on the bottom of the bowl all sad and asking me to eat them (so I did).

 

Get out a small bowl or plate of sugar.  Form your dough into one-inch balls and rolls them thoroughly in the sugar. 

Place on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet and flatten with a spatula.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes. (Smitten Kitchen warns not to over bake the cookies)

 

Look at all these beauties cooking and waiting for me to eat every last one.  (Note that I don't have cookie racks and have to use a grill rack on top of plates - pathetic!)

If you like peanut butter cookies, and I know you do, you might as well take them to the next level by adding some chocolate.  Right?  I promise it doesn't overwhelm the peanut butter flavor either.  I am planning on making these again in about ten seconds - with the peanut butter chips of course.  Unbeatable.

Update: I have made these cookies twice since this posting and the texture of the batter was much smoother for some reason (which means you could add more chips - hooray!).  Also, the combination of chocolate chips and peanut butter chips really is to die for.  Your life will never be the same again.  Nor will your saddlebags. 

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

From Smitten Kitchen

1 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar (plus more for sprinkling)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 large egg

1 tablespoon milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/4 cups flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup peanut butter chips

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Beat 1/2 cup softened butter and 1 cup peanut butter together thoroughly. Add 3/4 cup sugar and 1/2 cup brown sugar and beat until smooth. Add one egg and mix until combined. Mix in 1 tablespoon milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla . In a separate bowl, combine 1 1/4 cups flour, 3/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.  Add flour mixture to peanut butter mixture and beat thoroughly. With a spatula, stir in the peanut butter chips and chocolate chips. In a small bowl or plate, place about 1 tablespoon sugar.  Roll dough into 1-inch balls and then roll in sugar.  Place on parchment paper-lined cookie sheets and lightly flatten with a spatula. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. Be sure to not over bake.