DARK CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

This is the view looking from the library towards the front yard.  Yes, we have had (and still have) mountains of snow, and there's more on the way.  I love snow, and cold days inspire me to bake.  So here's the promised second recipe from the Levain Bakery knockoffs.  She believes that the bakery uses Guittard chocolate chips, so I got some from Amazon.  The Reese's peanut butter chips are easy to come by these days.  These cookies are so gooey and good that they completely satisfy my embarrassing craving for Reese's peanut butter eggs.

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

2 sticks (8 oz) cold and cubed unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups superfine sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup good quality dark chocolate cocoa powder (either ScharffenBerger or King Arthur's Double Dutch Cocoa)
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups AP or Perfect Pastry flour, spoon and sweep or by weight
1/4 tsp Kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 10 oz package Reese's peanut butter chips

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle, cream together butter and sugar until well blended and fluffy.

Add eggs and beat until well-incorporated,

then beat in cocoa powder.

add vanilla.

Mix in flour, salt and baking powder until just combined.

Gently fold in chocolate and peanut butter chips.

This next step reminds me of making mud pies.  Transfer dough to clean work surface and gently mix dough by hand to ensure even distribution of ingredients.  The dough will be very sticky, so you may want to flour your hands.

 

Divide the dough into 12 equal portions, about 4 oz each.  I always do well with the first two cuts, in half and then in half again.  The challenge is dividing the remaining dough into thirds.  On the other hand, you can just keep pinching off bits of dough to redistribute until they all look pretty even.

Roll them into balls and place on two parchment lined pans.

Place the pans in the freezer for 45 minutes to an hour.  About this time, you can begin preheating your oven to 350 degrees.

Bake for 16 minutes, turning them half way.  Take care not to overbake.


See how beautiful it looks.  I like to serve them as they come out of the oven, which is easy to do since they can wait in the freezer while you make dinner. If they have cooled off, about 5-10 seconds in the microwave will soften the chips again.  If they last more than one day, you can freeze them and microwave for about 26 seconds.