Tasty Tools II – Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

This month’s Tasty Tools event (hosted by Joelen) asked that we make something using a scoop. I love my scoops. I use an ice cream scoop to make cupcakes. Since I make so many cupcakes, my cookie scoop often gets neglected. I love using a scoop when I make cookies because it gives them all a uniform size and shape.

I saw this recipe come up in my Google Reader and it sounded perfect for our Beirut league. I figured a cookie was perfect because you can hold a beer in one hand and a cookie in the other. And the saltiness of the Peanut Butter would go with the beer.

As usual, the cookies disappeared and everyone seemed to love them. I’m glad I ate one before we left the house or I wouldn’t have been able to try them.

The recipe is from Jessica, who has an orange kitchen. I love when people are not afraid to use color in their house. Our house in Cincinnati had red, yellow, orange, green, and brown paint on various walls in the house. I loved it.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies – from Jessica – original recipe from the Magnolia bakery cookbook – makes about 36
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup peanut butter at room temperature
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon (for sprinkling) sugar – I omitted this1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup peanut butter chips (I used milk chocolate peanut butter swirl chips)
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, the baking soda, the baking powder, and the salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and the peanut butter together until fluffy. Add the sugars and beat until smooth. Add the egg and mix well. Add the milk and the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat thoroughly. Stir in the peanut butter chips. Place sprinkling sugar on a plate. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls into the sugar, then onto ungreased cookie sheets, leaving several inches between for expansion. Using a fork, lightly indent with a crissscross pattern (I used the back of a palette knife to keep it smooth on top), but do not overly flatten cookies. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Do not overbake. Cookies may appear to be underdone, but they are not.

Cool the cookies on the sheets for 1 minute, then remove to a rack to cool completely.