Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Hi there! First, I’d like to introduce myself a little bit. My name is Jessica, and my cooking philosophy is mainly to use whole foods, and to make things as fast and simple as possible. I have a family of boys, and whatever I make doesn’t sit around too long. I like to cook, and would do so much more of it, if I didn’t have a million and one other things to do every day. I am also a huge fan of budget recipes. Don’t get me wrong, I like to use expensive specialty ingredients, but they’re just not in the budget for a family of 5, 4 of whom are boys! On to the recipe…
These cookies are one thing I was known for while I was working. In fact, they are “the only peanut butter cookie I’ve ever liked,” according to my manager at the time. (For the record, she hates everything peanut.) But these cookies are great raw (what’s salmonella again?), right out of the oven (watch your fingers!), or the next morning for breakfast (they have proteins, grains, and less chemicals than a pop-tart, right?). I don’t honestly know how long they store, as they’ve never lasted more than a day or two on my counter. Though, I have a feeling they would keep for a week or so, and like most cookies, probably freeze well.
Ingredients:
1 C Butter
1 C Peanut Butter
1 C White Sugar
1 C Brown Sugar
1 Egg
1 tbs Vanilla
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
2.5 C Flour
1/3 -1/2 Bag Mini Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
In your mixer bowl (Yes, I use my kitchen-aid, a.k.a “Pinky” exclusively), beat the butter and peanut butter together until thoroughly combined. It will start to get lighter. A lot lighter. Beat in the sugars, and when the dough is “fluffy” and a light khaki color, beat in the egg and vanilla. The measurement for the vanilla is an approximation. I can’t tell you how much, because I just pour some in myself. A little trick I learned growing up in my mother’s kitchen… Add the baking powder, baking soda, and flour. (Having mentioned above that I like whole grains…I have to clarify – not for desserts, cookies and cakes need white flour). When your dry ingredients are all mixed in, mix in the chocolate chips. Scoop with your Pampered Chef cookie scooper (the small one, teaspoon size), onto an Air bake pan, and bake until they are the right color in a 350 degree oven. You can fit a lot of cookies fairly close together on your cookie sheet. They don’t grow together. Even when they do, they come apart easily (don’t forget about the rule of “having to eat the ‘uglies’!”). Time depends on your oven, of course, but my oven bakes them in about 10 minutes. If you want to pre-heat your oven, you can, but I usually turn it on only as I am scooping the first tray of cookies. Why waste the energy?
 
Hope you enjoy these!