Peanut butter cookies
My love affair with peanut butter has been going on for many years. As a child I ate primarily two things: peanut butter and apple sauce. If I was forced, I would eat yogurt or white rice. Vegetables were a big no-no.
As I have matured (read “gotten old”), I have discovered that veggies can be quite lovely. I will eat pretty much anything. (I used to eat dog food when I worked at an animal hospital if the clients thought the food had gone stale. That’s a story for another post, to be sure.) As my tastes developed and matured, my love for peanut butter has remained.
In my quest for peanut butter cookies perfection I came upon these gems. They are from a book called “The Cookie Bible”. Essentially it is a peanut butter cookie with Reese peanut butter cups chopped up into the batter and drizzled with chocolate. They were pretty good in their essential format, but I have improved upon them.
While vacationing in San Francisco with some friends, I discovered an awesome little cookie bakery. The cookies were peanut butter with Reese cups inside, BUT these cookies had honey roasted peanuts in them and AMAZING chocolate. I was inspired.
When I got back home I went to work unraveling the mystery of the cookies. I tried adding honey to the batter, but it made it too cloyingly sweet. That’s no good, even in a cookie. I also tried adding honey roasted peanuts. That was a good start, but it was still missing something.
Recently several of the major peanut butter manufacturers have started producing a honey roasted crunchy peanut butter. Eureka!
Here was the solution: honey and peanuts in the peanut butter. Brilliant! Why didn’t I think of that?!?! Must be the same reason my chili didn’t win……(see previous posts)
The cookies bake (and burn) quickly. Once they have cooled completely, I drizzle them with melted chocolate. Not only does the chocolate taste good, but it adds an awesome finish. I’m a big fan of edible decorations.
I have made these cookies more times than I can remember. They are always met with approval. Sometimes they don’t even make it to the event.
mostlyabout Food 
ok, I MUST have this recipe!!! I have a LOVE relationship with peanut butter and especially peanut butter and chocolate!!! If I didn’t mind being 300 lbs overweight, I would eat peanut butter by the spoonfuls, oh wait, I do! I just don’t eat the whole jar, I leave a little.
Yummy!!! And Hahaha
Peanut butter is my muse. It is almost on par with chocolate *throat purr*. And….peanut butter cookies have been my thing for aeons…….OMW I hate that I’m in a different state. I need these in my life! 🙂
They look more like scones than cookies. If you’re such a peanut butter expert, then I MUST try these cookies out!
Challenge accepted!
Here’s the recipe:
1C Chunky, honey roasted peanut butter
1 stick butter, softened
1C packed brown sugar
1/2t baking soda
1/2t baking powder
1 egg
1 1/2t vanilla
1 1/4C BREAD flower
2C quartered mini Reese cups, frozen
1 bar melted chocolate
Cream together peanut butter and butter. Add brown sugar, baking soda, and baking powder. Mix to combine. Beat in egg and vanilla. Beat in flour until just combined at low speed. Mix in Reese cups by hand. Place dough in fridge for 1-2hrs until dough is firm. I advise using a small ice cream scoop to make the dough balls uniform.
Bake on parchment paper @ 375 for 7-10 minutes depending on your oven. Keep an eye on the cookies. When the edges are brown, remove them from the oven.
Let cool on pan for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
Drizzle cookies with melted chocolate. Cookies can be eaten immediately or, if you’re patient, you can allow the chocolate to cool and set.
Makes about 36 cookies.
(From “The Cookie Bible” by Publications International, Ltd 2004)
THANK YOU for the recipe!!!