Back to School Cookie

back to school snack
Summer is winding down here in upstate New York. Already these last couple of days, I’ve had to wear a sweatshirt while I’m sipping my morning cup of tea. The cooler morning reminds me that Fall is just around the corner and that also means the first day of school too! Sharpen those pencils, collect the notebooks, and clean out that lunchbox. To make the start of the school year a little sweet, I was inspired to bake a homemade dessert that could be easily added to child’s lunch.

lunchbox recipe
I created Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies. Yum! These cookies are quick to pull together and using dark chocolate chips adds a great twist and reduces the overall sugar consumption too. I also purposely make my cookies on the smaller size. My philosophy is you get to enjoy the indulgence without the regret. One other tip for these cookies: avoid all those nasty hydrogenated oils by using Organic Crunchy peanut butter (I used the Wegmans kind). Grab your bowls and mixer let’s bake some cookies!

Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies

INGREDIENTS
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup crunchy-style peanut butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2-1 cup dark chocolate chips
(60% dark chocolate Ghirardelli chips recommended)

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and the salt. Set aside.
3. In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and peanut butter together until fluffy. This can take several minutes, about 3-5minutes. Add the sugars and beat smooth. Add the egg and mix well. Add the milk and vanilla and mix. Add the flour mixture and beat thoroughly.
4. Stir in the dark chocolate chips.
5. Drop by half-full rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheets, leaving several inches between each one for expansion.
6. If chips allow for it: use a fork, lightly indent with a crisscross pattern, but don’t overly flatten cookies.
7. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Do not over bake! The cookies may appear underdone, but they are not. (My time was 10 on the mark.)
8. Cool cookies on sheet for 1 minute, then remove to cool completely.

These cookies are not too sweet. The crunchy peanut butter add a touch of crunch and roasted peanut flavor. Always the big kid at heart, D’s preferred method of eating a peanut butter chocolate chip cookie is to dunk it in milk first, then take a bite. Enjoy the tasty treat and happy back to school!