This post is really about love. I'm getting married in less than 3 weeks (!!) and am thus deeply exploring all things LOVE. Including tablecloths, napkins, seating charts, sound systems, and flower arrangements. We spent some time working on our vows this weekend, and let me tell you: what a great way to define and express the way you love your partner! We had a great (and emotional) time doing that.
In writing my own vows I found an endless stream of "I promise to ____" popping into mind. I promise to rub your head every morning just how you like it. I promise to feed you enough vegetables. I promise to play chess with you every once in a while. I promise to tell you what a cute butt you have. I promise to keep a steady stream of blueberry muffins coming from the oven. I promise to OCCASIONALLY make cookies with raisins (gross).
As you can see, some of these aren't going to make the cut for the actual wedding, but I do mean all of them.
These cookies, really, are a perfect example of my love for Derek. Bear with me. WHY would I ever bake something I don't actually enjoy (read: peanut butter baked goods)? Well, it must be love. I would never in a million years choose to buy/make a peanut butter cookie on my own accord; however, I know he loves them so I find myself, occasionally, baking with peanut butter. I'm so nice (ha!).
This recipe was a straight-up experiment which, luckily, turned out well! I'll admit to actually having eaten a few of these. Gasp! I've never understood why peanut butter cookies often have butter AND peanut butter (ok, I do get it, but I think it's unnecessary), so I went for a full on peanut butter cookie. No butter to dilute the flavor, and the texture turned out fabulously. These are a bit like the brown butter soft batch cookies I made a while back, as far as texture and temperament goes. Don't over-bake these, and don't be weirded out by their dryness pre-baking.
Soft Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 cup peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1-3 tablespoon milk (only if needed)
- 6 oz chocolate chips or chunks
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Combine the peanut butter and sugars in a stand mixer with a paddle attachement. Beat until fully mixed. Depending on the type of peanut butter you use, the mixture will either be light and fluffy or in tiny crumbles. Either is fine!
- Add the egg, then vanilla, mixing to combine each.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Mix well, then add to the peanut butter mixture. Mix to combine.
- If the mixture is extremely dry (and does not hold together at all when you try to form a ball, add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until it does. The dough should NOT be sticky or wet at all, and will barely hold together in a ball.
- Mix in the chocolate, then form into small balls. Do not flatten. Bake for 8-10 minutes.
Pamela @ Brooklyn Farm Girl says
I would eat 12 of these.. at once!
Laura says
So glad you went out of your comfort zone 🙂 Your cookie recipes always come out amazing for me, and I LOVELOVE PEANUT BUTTER. So thank you!
Whitney M says
I was looking for a quick cookie to send to work for Chef's birthday, and these came out perfectly!! I ran out of peanut butter, so I also substituted a little biscoff in there. This will be a keeper, thanks!
Rachel says
Great cookies! I ran out of butter (and chocolate chips) and needed to find a recipe to make! These turned out great!
Mary says
Glad to hear it!!
Becca says
These were so good! The dough was super dry and crumbly and I was a little worried but they turned out great. I used 1/2 chocolate chips, 1/2 m&m's and I will definitely make these again. I pressed them down with a spoon half way through baking (around the 5 minute mark). Love that there is no extra butter on top of the peanut butter.
Mary says
Glad you liked them, Becca! I was worried about the dry/crumbly dough, too... but it does work out in the end!
Michelle says
My dough was extremely greasy! Anyone else encounter this?
Mary says
What was it like after baking?
Stephinie says
Yummy my doctor told me i need to watch my butter intake this pregnancy but i love cookies and peanut butter. This recipe is s win win for me
Maddie says
I wasn't sure about these, not just because of the recipe, but because the peanut butter I used was kind of weird. Anyways these cookies are absolutely delicious, when I first took them out they looked strange, but they're so good!
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