These peanut butter and chocolate cookies are, naturally, a dream come true for me. They combine peanut butter and chocolate in the most delightful way. They are an easy spin on my peanut butter cookies. With their slightly crisp exterior and buttery insides, you will swoon for them. The great news for us is that cocoa powder is acidic and can be used in conjunction with baking soda to make these cookies rise. However, it is important to note that Dutch processed cocoa powder is not acidic, and therefore will not work in this recipe. You can get all the ins and outs on this in this great article from Sally at Sally’s Baking Addiction. The bottom line: You are looking for 100% cocoa, natural unsweetened, such as Hershey’s. One way to avoid over-mixing is what I describe in this chocolate peanut butter cookie recipe. Add all of the flour mixture at once. Then start beating on low. You want to do this only long enough that the flour begins to incorporate, so that when you move on to the next step, the flour doesn’t fly out of the bowl. The next step is to turn the mixture on its higher speed, and beat only for a few seconds until the flour is fully incorporated. Older recipes suggest that you add the flour a little at a time while beating on low, but the method above actually results in less beating. Less beating means that the gluten in your recipe won’t be overworked, and you will have cookies that are chewy in the best way possible.
Measure the flour correctly. Read my full instructions on that above in the section labeled: Measuring Flour for Cookie Recipes.Use room-temperature butter. Room-temperature butter will still feel cold to the touch, but you should be able to easily dent it with your finger. A great trick is to cut it into one inch pieces and leave it on your counter for just 20 to 30 minutes.Use baking soda and baking powder as called for. These two ingredients are very different, behave differently in recipes, and cannot be interchanged. Note that this recipe calls for baking soda.Ensure that your baking soda or baking powder is still reactive. Baking soda can be tested by dropping a little in vinegar. Baking powder can be tested by dropping a little in water. Both should bubble immediately if they are still good. In general, both should be replaced every six months for maximum effectiveness.Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients correctly. Read more on that in my section above labeled: Adding Dry Ingredients to Wet Ingredients in Baking.Check the temperature of your oven. Not all ovens are calibrated correctly, and they can be off by as much as 25 degrees or more. This, obviously, can have a huge impact on a recipe. Check your oven temperature with an inexpensive thermometer.Use quality baking sheets. This is true of other recipes too. What you bake on (or in) can make or break a recipe. These are the cookie sheets that I love and stand by.Use a cookie scoop. A cookie scoop is a great investment. I use them for all of my cookie recipes, and my grandma’s Italian meatballs! The benefit of using one is that it ensures that all your cookies are uniform in size, and then they will bake evenly. This is my favorite cookie scoop.
Baking Dough from Frozen
This recipe bakes from frozen very well. To do this, make the recipe up to the point of baking. Then freeze the unbaked cookies on a wax lined plate or baking sheet for two to four hours. Transfer to an airtight container. Bake the cookies from frozen in a 350 degree oven for 9 to 11 minutes.
