Survey a crowd about favorite cookies, and chocolate and peanut butter will top the list.
For chocolate-cookie fans, the essential ingredient can be semisweet or bittersweet chips, chunks, bits or shards; sprinkles; unsweetened cocoa; or melted baking or milk chocolate.
Lovers of peanut butter need only choose between creamy or chunky, though the freshest-tasting butter is always ground to order. Otherwise, peanut butter should contain nothing but peanuts and, if desired, a little salt.
For an even more intensely flavored cookie, peanut butter chips or, best of all, toasted whole peanuts can be added to the dough.
For those who simply can't decide between chocolate and peanut butter, these three recipes have it all.
Success tip: If you like your cookies crisp, bake those in recipe below at the temperature specified in the recipe. For a chewy texture, bake in a preheated 325-degree oven until they are a light golden brown, about 10 to 13 minutes.
Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Makes about 30 (2 3/4-inch) cookies
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 ounces (1 stick) butter, softened, plus some to grease the baking sheets
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter (smooth or chunky)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (3- to 4-ounce) bar semi-
sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped, or 1 (6-ounce) package chocolate chips
1. Stir the flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl until thoroughly combined; set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Beat the stick of butter and the sugars with an electric mixer until well-blended and fluffy. Add the peanut butter, egg and vanilla; beat just until blended.
3. Slowly stir in the reserved flour mixture until just blended. Stir in the chocolate.
4. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls, about 1 inch apart, onto lightly greased baking sheets. Bake until cookies are well-browned, about 12 to 14 minutes.
5. Remove cookies to wire racks to cool.
Per cookie: 123 calories, 2 grams protein, 14 grams carbohydrates, 9 grams sugar, 2 grams fat, 15 milligrams cholesterol, 76 milligrams sodium, 1 gram fiber.
Peanut Butter Cocoa Cookies
Makes about 42 (2 1/2-inch) cookies
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
4 ounces (1 stick) butter, softened
1/3 cup peanut butter (smooth or chunky)
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup chocolate sprinkles
