Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe

I think the best combination in the world is chocolate and peanut butter. I put my two favorites together to come up with this fabulous Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe, which makes dark, rich, crunchy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside cookies with creamy peanut butter that melts in your mouth. They remind me of the amazing, oversized, dark chocolate peanut butter cookies my friend Jen brought me back from Levain's in New York City. I've never forgotten them, and since I don't get to the upper west side too often, I decided to make my own!




Levain uses peanut butter chips in their cookies, but they've never done much for me so I avoid them in my baking. They just don't have that smooth, creamy texture and taste of real peanut butter, so I prefer to use peanut butter cups in this chocolate peanut butter cookie recipe. Plus, the milk chocolate in the cups helps to make this cookie even smoother. If possible, time your baking so they can be eaten soon after they come out of the oven and are still warm. They are outrageously good! When I served them to my family tonight there was a two second pause, and then a unanimous "OH MY GOD"!

You can keep the dough balls in a plastic container lined with parchment in the freezer, and just bake them as desired. I use mini chocolate peanut butter cups from Trader Joes, but you can also use the smaller Reese's peanut butter cups that come in a bag and chop them coarsely into 1/2 " pieces.  If you can't find either, go with 18 oz. of the chips. If available, Muscovado brown sugar adds a hint of caramel. I also use Plugra in all of my baking which is a European butter with a higher fat content for more moisture and better flavor. Use the best cocoa you can find, like Valrhona which gives these cookies a deeper, richer flavor.

How to avoid a flat cookie? Here's a professional baking secret...the key to baking a puffy cookie that keeps its shape is to freeze your cookie dough (at least four hours, and preferably overnight) and the cookie trays before popping them into fully a hot oven (preheat for at least 30 minutes). Also, make sure your baking soda is fresh to avoid a flat cookie. Give yourself at least five hours before serving to allow for freezing time. 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe

Makes about 24

2  cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup 100% cocoa powder, unsweetened
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), cold and cut into cubes
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
18 oz. mini peanut butter cups, or larger cups coarsely chopped into 1/2" pieces

Place 3-4 cookie trays, lined with parchment paper in the freezer.

In a medium sized bowl, mix flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda. Set aside.

In the bowl of a mixer, mix sugars together. Then add the cold butter. Mix for two minutes or so on medium speed until smooth.  Reduce speed to low and add one egg at a time, using a spatula in between to scrape sides. Mix egg in thoroughly and add vanilla.  Add flour and cocoa mixture and mix until combined.  Add peanut butter cups and mix.

Form dough into balls 1 1/2" and freeze dough for at least four hours, preferably overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees for at least 30 minutes. Place 6-8 cookie dough balls on a frozen parchment tray and bake for 18 minutes, but no more or they will lose moisture. Let cool on wire racks.

Attack while warm.