Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

One of the reasons I (relatively) rarely make cookies at home is just that it’s really hard for me to resist a jar full of homemade cookies. Cookies are a kind of a guilty pleasure to me – one cookie can easily become 3 or even 10 cookies I eat, it’s simply so hard to resist and tempting.

I made the following cookies for several times recently, each time with slight changes, until I reached this version. These are chocolate cookies, with lots of chocolate chips and some peanut butter that adds a delicate peanut flavor and a gorgeous aroma. They are crunchy on the outside but melt in the mouth on the inside and super chocolate-y.

Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

30-40 cookies

Ingredients:
100 grams butter at room temperature
125 grams (1/2 cup) smooth peanut butter
100 grams (1/2 cup) sugar
100 grams (1/2 cup) light brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. salt
1 large egg
140 grams (1 cup) all-purpose flour
35 grams (1/4 cup) cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
250 grams dark chocolate chips

For decoration:
100 grams dark chocolate chips
A little coarse salt

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 170c degrees.
2. In a mixer bowl with a paddle attachment, put butter, peanut butter, sugar, light brown sugar, vanilla and salt and mix at medium to high speed until a uniform, soft and creamy mixture is obtained.
3. Scrape down the sides of the bowl using a spatula and add in an egg. Mix at medium speed until incorporated.
4. Add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and chocolate chips and mix only until large chunks of dough are formed.
5. Using a small ice cream scoop or 2 teaspoons, create mounds of dough and place them in increments on baking pans lined with baking paper.
6. Arrange a few pieces of chocolate chips on top of each cookie and some coarse salt.
7. Gently press down the cookies with your hands.
8. Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes or until they rise and set at the edges but are still slightly soft in the center.
9. Cool completely at room temperature and serve.

Notes:

• Store the cookies in a sealed jar for up to a week.
• You can use smooth or chunky peanut butter. I used unsweetened natural peanut butter.
• You can use dark, milk or white chocolate chips, to your personal taste.
• It is recommended not to skip the salt over the cookies because it emphasizes the flavors of the chocolate and balances the sweetness.