Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
I eat chocolate every day, usually twice a day. I try to time my chocolate consumption to coincide with Carver's nap and bed times. But, for home-baked treats, she's usually helping me in the kitchen, and I just can't deny the cook a taste of her creation fresh from the oven. ;)
This past summer, my love of peanut butter was rekindled by a Glacial Peanut Butter Mocha from the Coffee Emporium in Cincinnati. In fact, I got to visit Cincy twice, which definitely warranted two mochas... though, any more than one a week would have been too much, even for me -- those things are seriously sweet. There's just no denying that peanut butter and chocolate are meant to be together - frequently. Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
1 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup applesauce
2 T brown sugar
1 t baking soda
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chipsMethod
Preheat oven to 350°.Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.In a mixer, blend everything but the chocolate chips.Stir in chocolate chips. Drop rounded tablespoon size cookie dough balls onto parchment lined cookie sheet. Makes about 20 cookies.Bake for 12 minutes. Allow to cool completely on cookie sheet.
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chipsMethod
Preheat oven to 350°.Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.In a mixer, blend everything but the chocolate chips.Stir in chocolate chips. Drop rounded tablespoon size cookie dough balls onto parchment lined cookie sheet. Makes about 20 cookies.Bake for 12 minutes. Allow to cool completely on cookie sheet.
Notes
These cookies are definitely a bit dry and crumbly, but I happen to really like them that way. I've seen several similar recipes that call for up to one whole cup of sugar. That sounds like a crazy amount of sugar to me. Then again, most of those recipes only call for 1/2 cup of chocolate chips, and that sounds weak. ;) In general, I'd rather have less straight-up sugar and more chocolate, but that's just me.
My brand-awareness for foods these days is an attempt to really know what I'm eating. For instance, most brown sugar isn't vegetarian. I choose Florida Crystals organic brown sugar because it isn't processed through bone char. I choose Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips because they are vegan (and while I'm not vegan, I try to choose that option whenever it makes sense for me and for my family). I choose Woodstock Farms Organic Smooth/Unsalted Peanut Butter because it has all of the gritty peanut butter goodness without any extra oil, salt, or sugar.
A special bonus for reading this far... I made these Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups yesterday and ... yum! Certainly doesn't hurt to have a second way to easily combine peanut butter and chocolate into a delicious homemade treat!
