I've been working on this cookie recipe for a few weeks. I think by now everyone around me is sick of peanut butter cookies, so is it acceptable to give them away tonight to trick-or-treaters? or is that just weird? To be fair, Sebastian is not sick of these cookies and would probably eat them for every meal, but what kind of parent would I be if I let him do that? You're probably thinking, why don't you freeze them? But our freezer is already full to the brim with Trader Joe's cauliflower pizza crusts and peanut butter cookies. So what I am really saying is, does anyone want to come over and eat cookies?

I'm not sure why I was so finicky with this recipe. Maybe I was projecting life stressors into the baking process, or maybe I just really wanted to perfect this dang cookie. The first batch I made, I used a homemade peanut butter. I had stored it in the fridge for a few weeks, making the consistency more solid than runny, which in the end, yielded a more dense cookie. I also like to make my peanut butter with a bit of maple syrup, and that extra sugar really made the cookies taste sweet. So next, I opted for an all natural smooth sugar-free salt-free peanut butter. Just plain peanuts. I like the brand Crazy Richard's, if you can find them in your local store, or you can buy them online. This gave the cookies a more peanutty flavor and less sweet, which is what I was looking for. But unfortunately, I had pressed the cookies down with a fork, making them think and crispy.

So, for the next batch, I scooped using a 2 tbsp the cookies and placed them on the baking tray and left them as is. I pressed a few chocolate chips into the tops and a sprinkle of Maldon salt, and they came out perfect. Soft and tender, and really peanutty. The chocolate and saltiness pairs really well with the flavors from the peanuts. And I am extremely relieved that I have finally come up with a recipe that is pretty perfect in my eyes. I hope you like it as much as I do.

PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

makes 16 cookies 

prep time: 10 minutes

cooking time: 16 minutes

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar-free natural smooth peanut butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 1 /4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/4 cups chocolate chips

Maldon salt

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, peanut butter, and sugars.

Add the egg and vanilla and combine.

Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Combine.

Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and stir in 1 cup of the chocolate chips.

Using a 2 tbsp cookie scoop, scoop the dough onto a cookie sheet. Press a few chocolate chips onto the tops of the cookies followed by a pinch of Maldon salt. Do not press the cookies. You want them to stay full and pillowy.

Place in the oven on the middle rack and bake for 16 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool.

Can be stored in a tight fitting container for 5 days.