Salted Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cookies with Pretzels

Last weekend was a rough one - I had two full days (and then some) of meetings at work.  It was very stressful, so to keep the morale up of my team I did what I do best - I baked!  A batch of muffins and two batches of cookies, and they were enjoyed by all.  One of the batches of cookies was a chocolate-red wine cookie (I'll post it soon, promise), and my boss was eating them with pretzels.  She commented that they were fantastic together.  Who doesn't like a salty-sweet combo?  And that gave me an idea to try that flavor profile in one cookie...

I was surprised to find that such a recipe doesn't exist (that I could find, anyway).  A bar or brownie, perhaps, but not exactly what I was looking for.  So I did some modifying and came up with this little gem.

I thought chunks of pretzel would be good for flavor and crunch.  I bought small, sturdy pretzel twists and used an oh-so-high-tech-smashing-device to crush them up a bit, just into bite-sized pieces.  (Who doesn't like to smash things with a rolling pin?)  To avoid the pretzels absorbing moisture and getting sort of stale, I put them only on the top and not mixed into the dough. 

I also knew I wanted to top them off with coarse sea salt.  You have to sprinkle it on after baking (otherwise it just gets absorbed), but of course it doesn't stick too well to a baked cookie.  When I made the Nutella-Stuffed, Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies with Sea Salt, I noticed the salt stuck to the melted chocolate chips quite well.  So, why not drizzle some melted chocolate on top of these cookies?  No one says no to more chocolate!  (If they do, I'm sure something is wrong with them.)

These cookies are husband, friend, and coworker approved.  Won't you welcome them into your home?

Salted Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cookies with Pretzels
(heavily adapted from Brown Eyed Baker)
Makes ~ 3 dozen cookies

1¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup creamy peanut butter
2/3 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
~ 1 cup pretzels, slightly crushed
~ 1 cup dark/semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
Coarse sea salt for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line three baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.

Beat together the butter, peanut butter and both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract. Scrape the bowl. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low until just combined. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the chocolate chips.  If dough feels too soft to work with, feel free to pop it in the fridge for a bit.

Take heaping tablespoonful of dough, roll into a ball and place on cookie sheet, spacing the cookies about 2 inches apart.  Press pieces of pretzel on top of unbaked cookie.  Bake for about 12 minutes, or until the outside of the cookies are set but the middles are still a little soft. Cool cookies on the baking sheets for a few minutes and then place them on a cooling rack.

Melt chocolate chips, and drizzle on top of cooled cookies (I used a Ziploc bag with the corner cut, of course).  Sprinkle a small pinch of coarse salt on top of each cookie.  Place cookies in fridge to set the chocolate (for roughly 15-30 minutes), and store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Cup Smoothie

It's after dinner.  You're craving something chocolaty.  With peanut butter.  But you want to avoid a calorie bomb - what to do????  Have no fear, I've got a solution!  A health(ier) peanut butter cup smoothie.

It's simple, easy, and has some nutritional value (versus that Ben and Jerry's that you were contemplating, or is that just me?)  Fruit, bit of protein from the peanut butter, and some antioxidants from the cocoa.  Okay, so it's not kale and pomegranates, but it's certainly better than a sugar and fat laden Chocolaty Cake of Death.

I've also used this when I'm trying to cut back on my added sugar intake (or cut back on desserts), and this is an excellent substitute.  It's also a great post-workout smoothie.  Give it a try!

Peanut Butter Cup Smoothie
(adapted from Happy Herbivore)
Makes 2 servings

2 bananas
3 Tbsp good quality cocoa
3 Tbsp peanut butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup - 1 cup of non-dairy milk (I like almond milk), to your preferred texture
Couple ice cubes, optional

Blend together bananas, cocoa, peanut butter, vanilla and 1/2 cup non-dairy milk.  Add milk and ice cubes to desired texture.  Find a friend, and share.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

Okay, it's November, and with the holidays rapidly approaching (according to the stores), holiday baking is on my mind.  I have some solid cookies in my arsenal, but there is always room for tasty additions!

I've been wanting to find a solid chocolate peanut butter cookie recipe, and something beyond a peanut butter dough with chocolate chips.  Good, sure, but predictable.

This recipe is meant to be a cookie equivalent of a buckeye.  A favorite holiday treat of mine!  This is a popular recipe on food blogs, and I did add a little twist of my own by adding in chocolate chips in the peanut butter filling for an extra punch of chocolate.  (Is that ever a bad thing?  I thought not.)

I brought these cookies into work, and to say they were well-received would be the understatement of the decade.  I love them as well and this is now my go-to chocolate peanut butter cookie recipe!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
(adapted from Brown-Eyed Baker)
Makes 24-30 cookies

Cookie
1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup granulated sugar (plus more for rolling)
½ cup light brown sugar
¼ cup creamy peanut butter
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Filling
¾ cup creamy peanut butter
¾ cup powdered sugar
Semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.

3. With an electric mixer on medium speed, cream together the butter, sugars and peanut butter until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat to combine. Reduce the speed to low, add the flour mixture and mix until combined.

4. In a separate medium bowl, mix together the peanut butter and powdered sugar for the filling until smooth.  Place bowl in fridge to chill so it's easier to work with.

5. Set aside roughly 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips to put inside with filling.

6. In a small bowl, put some extra granulated sugar for rolling the cookies.

7. Prepare cookie sheets with parchment papers. Use a medium cookie scoop (or heaping tablespoon) of cookie dough and roll it into a ball, place on cookie sheet. Do this with all of the cookie dough and place cookie sheet into fridge to chill a bit.

8. Take about 1 teaspoon of the peanut butter filling (or a small cookie scoop) and roll into a ball Do this with all of the filling and place cookie sheet into the fridge anytime it gets too soft and difficult to work with.

9. Take cookie dough ball and flatten it with your hands, and place ball of peanut butter filling in the center of the chocolate dough. Add a few chocolate chips in the filling. Wrap the chocolate dough around the peanut butter center, pressing to seal. Roll the cookie into a ball and roll in the sugar. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Flatten each cookie slightly with the palm of your hand or a glass.

10. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.


Enjoy!

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

I love when friends have birthdays because it gives me a reason to whip up some tasty cupcakes.  Of course, not many folks would complain if they were just random cupcakes, but at least a birthday gives them some legitimacy.

 I've made these cupcakes twice, and both times they have been a smashing success.  The first time was for a coworker's birthday and I knew they were a hit when I could hear the executive director swooning in his office over the frosting.

The second time was for my friend's birthday party at a bowling alley (SO much fun!)  Once the word got out about them, they went fast.  And it was pretty funny to see people sneaking back for a second or even third cupcake.

Peanut butter and chocolate is such a classic combo, and this recipe really makes them shine.  The dark chocolate cake has cocoa powder and melted chocolate, so the flavor is rich, but not too sweet.  And the frosting is, well, peanut butter at its finest.  If you want an easy recipe that will win over the crowd, this is the recipe for you.  It makes just a dozen, but it doubles easily.

And, if you have leftover frosting (like we did), it's quite tasty on graham crackers.  Just saying.

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes
(Recipe adapted from Cook’s Illustrated)
Makes 12 cupcakes

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
½ cup (1.5 ounces) cocoa powder
¾ cup (3.75 ounces) all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
¾ cup (5.25 ounces) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon table salt
½ cup (4 ounces) sour cream

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat to 350 degrees F. (If you are using a non-stick muffin pan, heat the oven to 325 degrees F.) Line standard-size muffin pan with baking cup liners.

2. Combine butter, chocolate, and cocoa in medium heatproof bowl. Set bowl over saucepan containing barely simmering water; heat mixture until butter and chocolate are melted and whisk until smooth and combined. (Alternately, you can microwave the mixture at 50% power, stirring every 30 seconds until completely melted.) Set aside to cool until just warm to the touch.

3. Whisk flour, baking soda, and baking powder in small bowl to combine.

4. Whisk eggs in second medium bowl to combine; add sugar, vanilla, and salt until fully incorporated. Add cooled chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Sift about one-third of flour mixture over chocolate mixture and whisk until combined; whisk in sour cream until combined, then sift remaining flour mixture over and whisk until batter is homogeneous and thick.

5. Divide the batter evenly among muffin pan cups. Bake until skewer inserted into center of cupcakes comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes.  Do not overbake, or they will be dry.

6. Cool cupcakes in muffin pan on wire rack until cool enough to handle, about 10-15 minutes. Carefully lift each cupcake from muffin pan and set on wire rack. Cool to room temperature before icing, about 30 minutes.

Peanut Butter Frosting
(Recipe from Barefoot Contessa at Home by Ina Garten)
Makes enough to generously frost 12 cupcakes 

1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup heavy cream

Place the confectioners’ sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth. Put in a pastry bag (or Ziploc bag with corner cut off) to pipe onto cupcakes.

Enjoy!