Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

Yasmin Fahr|Dec. 16, 2011 1:59 pm EST

5 (1 ratings)

I have to admit that baking is not my forte. I used to love baking in high school and would always be popping this or that in the oven, but I fell of that bandwagon once college hit and have stayed off ever since. So, when I decided to tackle these cookies, I knew that I had to study up on what I was getting myself into because I was a little rusty. It might surprise many people to know that I was actually pre-med in college and worked in a hospital lab for a year (I know — big career switch). But that's to say that I am no stranger to exacting measurements and understanding the necessity for precision. You see, baking is much like science, much more than cooking is, and it's all about creating a balance when it comes to cookies. What is that exactly? Well, I followed Michael Ruhlman's advice of having a 1:2:3 ratio for sugar to fat to flour, and, as he advises, then you can play around with whatever else you want from there. It's also a good idea to have a leavener like whipped egg whites, baking soda, or baking powder. So that's what I did for these chocolate peanut butter cookies. Plus follow these tips for making the perfect cookie. Enjoy! Click here to see more easy cookie recipes.

Servings

12

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/3 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cup peanut butter chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a mixing bowl, combine the butter and sugar, but don't overmix (it doesn't hurt to have a few, small butter chunks in there). In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and vanilla together. Then add to the butter mixture and combine. Mix in the peanut chips.
Using a large spoon or 1 tablespoon, scoop up the dough, 1 spoonful at a time and lay about 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake in the oven for about 15-17 minutes, depending on your oven and how crispy you like them.