Many months ago, a work colleague told me that he had found the best cookie he’d ever eaten; a thin, slightly chewy, crisply sugar-crusted peanut butter chocolate chip treat. They came from a coffee shop near his house, and one day he brought me one; admittedly, it was very delicious, though I do like a bit more ooomph to my cookie. I liked the chew but wasn’t crazy about the thinness. But let’s be clear: the peanut butter chocolate combo was a dream (we all knew that already, didn’t we?!), and I love love loved the slight crunch of the sugar coating.
Then, about two months ago, and looking utterly destroyed, this co-worker told me that the cafe was no longer selling the cookie – the bakery that supplied the cookies was moving. On the bright side, my colleague was pretty sure the barista had a crush on him, and had promised to supply the recipe. And in turn, I let him know that if he gave me the recipe, I’d bake the cookies.
We finally just got the recipe, and while the cookies don’t bake up like they do in the cafe, I’m thrilled to say that I like this version better (and especially after I tweaked the recipe to up the peanut butter and remove the fancy flours, so it’s more accessible to bake for us home cooks). These cookies are rich in nutty peanut butter, dotted with chocolate chips, thick, soft, chewy, with a sweet crunch from the sugar coating. A glass of milk is definitely required!
1/2 cup granulated sugar + extra for rolling dough
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt + more for sprinkling
3/4 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper, and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter, peanut butter, and both sugars until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
Add the egg and vanilla, and beat until well incorporated
Add the flour and baking soda, and mix until just barely combined
Add the chocolate chips and mix again until combined
Roll a heaping tablespoon of the dough in to a ball, then roll in granulated sugar to coat (I used my cookie scoop, which is about 1 1/2 tablespoon).
Place on baking sheet, and sprinkle with a bit of kosher salt.
Bake cookies for 13-15 minutes, until the tops are slightly cracked but the cookies are still soft. After removing from oven, let the cookies rest on the pan for a few minutes before using a spatula to place the cookies on a cooling rack.
Notes
If the dough is super soft, place in the fridge for about 30 minutes to firm up before rolling
Strudel and Streusel are two friends living in different cities, sharing a love of baking (and butter) through this blog. With Streusel in Denver, and Strudel in Seattle, we've found our little site to be a great way to stay in touch, share recipes we love, and talk about experiences in our respective cities.
One Response to Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies