Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

This week I made something that I can not honestly remember ever making!  It seems odd since it seems like such a staple cookie in most kitchen, but I have not ever made Peanut Butter Cookies.

Now, because of my love of chocolate I added chocolate chips to the recipe.  Nothing is better, in my world, than chocolate and peanut better!  These cookies were wonderful – soft and not dry.  The family gave them a thumbs up!

You could also use the base of this recipe, minus the chips, to make two other varieties.  First, chill the dough for about an hour.  Then when you ball the dough you could wrap it around a peanut better cup than bake.  Another idea is to bake the cookies in a mini muffin tin.  When you remove them from the oven place a peanut butter cup in the middle of each hot cookie {just be careful not to burn yourself!}.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

• 1 cup peanut butter
• 3/4 cup butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375.  Beat together peanut butter, butter, sugars and vanilla with an electric mixer.  Beat in eggs.  Gradually beat in flour and baking soda.  Stir in chocolate chips by hand.

Drop by rounded teaspoons, 2 inches apart, on ungreased cookie sheets.  Bake 8-10 minutes or until lighty browned.  Cool on cookie sheets for one minute before removing.  Cool completely on wire racks.

Variations:

1. Mix as above, minus the chocolate chips.  Chill dough for about half an hour.  Wrap a ball of cookie dough around a mini peanut butter cup.  Chill balls for about an hour.  Bake 2 inches apart at 350 for 12-14 minutes or until edges are golden.
2. Mix as above, minus the chocolate chips.  Chill dough for about half an hour.  Roll into a small walnut sized ball and place in a mini muffin tin.  Bake at 375 for 8-9 minutes.  Remove from oven and gently press 1 mini peanut butter cup into each cookie.  Cool in pan for 10 minutes.  Remove from pan and finish cooling on a rack.