Food of the Gods

I love Stumble upon. It's probably one of the few add-ons I use obsessively, with the exception of adblock. A couple of days ago I stumble across Man Happy Cookies. And I knew I had to try them. So today in the midst of tidying up the kitchen I decided to make a mess again and bake some cookies. The recipe is below for those interested. I doubled my recipe, which on later inspection was completely unnessessary. I made fifty cookies with about half of my batch. The rest of it is in the fridge setting again for tomorrow when I finish the dough off.  Trust me when I say this recipe needs to be well chilled, the peanut butter/butter combination makes the dough very soft and it begins to melt the minute it comes out of the fridge. 

Also I don't have an electric mixer, it broke last Christmas, so this recipe is more than possible without one. Just heat the butter in the microwave until soft (about thirty seconds).



Peanut Butter Cookies with Milk Chocolate Chunks

(Makes 24 cookies)

1 3/4  cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 cup granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling

1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup creamy peanut butter

6 ounces good milk chocolate, coarsely chopped

Sift flour, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugars together until fluffy. Scrape down the bowl and add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated. The mixture will look light and fluffy. Add vanilla and peanut butter and beat until just incorporated.

Add half of the flour mixture and mix for 15 seconds. Add remaining flour mixture and mix until incorporated.

Using a spatula or wooden spoon, fold in chocolate. Cover bowl tightly and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoons onto prepared baking sheets, at least 2 inches apart. With palm of your hand, very gently press each cookie down so it forms a very tall disk shape. Do not press too hard and do not press it flat.

Sprinkle tops of cookies with granulated sugar and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking time, until tops of cookies just begin to brown.

Remove pan from oven and cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Use a spatula to transfer individual cookies to the rack to cook completely.

The cookies can be stored, in an airtight container, for up to 3 days.