CHallenge 1, Day 11: Chocolate Chunk Peanut Butter Cookies

Are you ready for this?  You might think that you are, but you can't be.


If you are on a diet, or have moderation issues, like me, then this recipe is NOT FOR YOU! DO NOT GO ANY FURTHER


I AM WARNING YOU!


These are amazing and they will destroy your life.... but you will be smiling as the ship goes down.

I know, most of my stuff has been much more healthy then this, but I couldn't resist.  Look at it!  Its an ooey gooey mess of chocolate and peanut butter.

To make this, You Need:

1 cup creamy peanut butter

2 sticks softened butter

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups good quality chocolate chunks

1 cup cocoa powder

 Before you go too far, you need to prep a few things.  First, the peanut butter.  Place the peanut butter in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.  We'll come back to this later, but go ahead and do this before you start.


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat liner. I use a Silpat. Its lovely. It keeps your items from sticking. It makes removal from the sheet so much easier. It also helps keep your cookies from charring on the bottom.

You don't have to do this but this time, instead of buying the chocolate chunks, I cut my own from semi-sweet cooking chocolate.  Using a big knife you can create your own chunks.  Its time consuming and messy but oh so yummy. When you bite into a cookie with an extra large chunk, your heart will melt and your eyes will roll back into your head as you experience the ecstasy that is this cookie.

In a stand or electric mixer, beat butter and sugars until well combined. Add eggs and vanilla, beating until well combined.

Separately, mix flour, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl.

Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients.

Next, add the cocoa powder.

And then add the chocolate chunks.

Slowly mixing until just combined.

Drop dollops of frozen peanut butter into dough and turn mixer on for just a few turns of the mixer to get swirls of peanut butter through the dough. Don't over mix.  You want the swirls in there and not a full mix.

Drop the batter, using a medium spoon, onto your cookie sheet, leaving 1 inch between each cookie.

The original recipe says to cook for 14-16 minutes.  I set the timer for 10 minutes and they were already a little too cooked for my taste.  They were yummy but more cake like then fudgey. I like my cookie moist and gooey.   I would recommend 7-10 minutes.  It really depends on how you like it.

First set

 

Second set.

YOU JUDGE!

I hope you enjoy.  These were amazing.  They can't stay in our house and they will likely not make a second appearance but its really only for my own protection. I cannot be controlled when these are around!

A little side note on the other damages this recipes and many others have done to my home.... I live in NYC and I live in a modest little apartment in Washington Heights.  I, like a million of my closest friends, do not have the privilege of a dish washer.... We joke that we have a dish fairy, but she has failed to show up for work for weeks now, so i am left with the chore.  Today, I made not only these but another recipe, plus the dishes from the day before turned into what had become a dish nightmare. I almost begged my roommate to flee from our beautiful apartment just to avoid them.  

This is just a small look at the damage I inflicted on our poor little kitchen.