Soft & Chewy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Last weekend we celebrated Chris' birthday.  One request that he had was that I make cookies.  Ok, ok.. I wanted to make cookies so I said to him:  "Chris, would you like me to make cookies for you?"  Of course, Chris looks at me and says, "well yea, that would be nice, but you don't have to".  But see, what he didn't understand was that I really HAD to.  You know how it is... the urge to cook or bake hits you and you must go into the kitchen and create or you will never be able to sit still?  Ok, that's what I was feeling, so I did what I had to do to make sure I didn't freak out or anything! That would be so unfair to Chris :)

Once I got him to agree to my cookie plan, I had to figure out what kind he wanted....er, I mean I had to figure out what ingredients I had so I could decide what kind of cookie to make.  I had chocolate chips...ok, chocolate chip cookies.  Ok, do you want them to be peanuty and crisp or soft and chewy?  And, in his wonderful Chris way he said "Can't you make something peanuty AND soft and chewy?"

(Did he just ask me to do it both ways?  Good gravy, what does he think I am, some kind of baking goddess or something?  Geez...)

Of course my answer to the birthday boy was "well of course I can... you just wait here"  and off I went to the kitchen to try and figure out how I was going to make that work!!  And what do you know... it came to me just as I was grabbing the ingredients for the basic chocolate chip cookie - Why not add peanut butter to them and then he can have his peanuty soft and chewy cookies!!!  GOOD GRAVY I AM A BAKING GODDESS!!!  Oh, wait..... maybe that's going just a tad bit too far, but still... I had an idea...it came together, what more can I ask for?  These cookies have just a subtle peanut butter flavor to them, so if you are looking for something more, please feel free to add more peanut butter to the batter.

Soft & Chewy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter (I probably actually used about 5 tablespoons)
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt (I used coarse kosher salt)
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups (about 12oz) milk chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda.  In the bowl of a standing mixer (fitted with paddle attachment) add the peanut butter, butter and both sugars.  Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy; about 2 minutes.  Reduce speed to low and add salt, vanilla, and eggs; mix until well blended (remember to scrape down the sides as you go), about 1 minute.  Slowly add the flour mixture a little at a time until well combined.  Turn mixer off and remove bowl.  Stir in the chocolate chips by hand.

Shape dough into balls about the size of walnuts and place on baking sheets lined with parchment or a Silpat, spacing 2 inches apart.  Bake cookies, rotating the sheets halfway through, until edges turn golden but centers are still soft; about 10-12 minutes.  Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes.  Move to a wire rack; let cool completely.  Cookies can be stored between layers of parchment in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.  Enjoy!

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