Chewy Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

This is a slightly modified version of Chewy Chocolate Chip & Walnut Cookies. I substituted some peanut butter for butter, which added a new depth of flavor. What could be better than peanut butter with chocolate???

The recipe is definitely a keeper - they are slightly crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside and full of choco-peanutty goodness.

NOTE: I used a mixed variety of nuts because I ran out of walnuts. I think the hazelnuts worked incredibly well. With regard to the flours, you can’t taste the whole-wheat flour in these cookies, I may even substitute the recipe with 100 % whole wheat flour next time!


CHEWY CHOCOLATE CHIP, PEANUT BUTTER & NUT COOKIES
Makes 22 (using a small ice-cream/cookie scoop)

Ingredients
150 g (1 c) plain flour
100 g (⅔ c) whole-wheat flour
½ t bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
½ t salt
100 g (⅓ c and 2 T) unsalted butter, at room temperature
70 g (¼ c) smooth unsalted peanut butter
220 g (1 c) dark muscuvado (brown) sugar
100 g (½ c) turbinado sugar
1 T vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
165 g (1 c) dark (semi-sweet) chocolate chips
150 g (1 ⅓ c) mixed nuts (I used almonds, walnuts and hazelnuts), roughly chopped

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 165°C/325°F. Line a baking tray (pan) with parchment paper.

2. Sift together the flours, bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) and salt and set aside.

3. In a stand mixer, cream the peanut butter, butter and sugars. Then beat in the vanilla, egg, egg yolk until light and creamy.

4. Mix in the flours until just blended.

5. Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts and divide into 18 portions, leaving enough room for the cookies to spread (about 7.5 cm/3 inches in between). You can freeze the cookie portions here, by placing the tray (pan) into the freezer. Once they are frozen, take the cookie dough and place into a bag/container until needed.

6. Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on a baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. If baking from frozen, allow up to 20 minutes cooking time.