Peanut Butter Cookie Taste Off

I love to bake, I really do...but no matter how much I bake I can never seem to make the most simple dessert in the world: cookies. I don't know what it is about cookies that seems to elude me; I bake cakes all the time, as well as shortbread cookies and biscuits, but I cannot make something as basic as a chocolate chip cookie. Up until this point, I had pretty much accepted the fact that drop cookies did not like me, and therefore I avoided them.

For the most part, I was okay with this flaw of mine, making up for it by baking more elaborate cakes. However, every once in a while I would come across a recipe for a cookie and wonder whether it could be the one to break my cookie curse. And then one day....magic! I finally managed to bake a batch of delicious peanut butter chocolate chip cookies and my unsuccessful cookie streak was broken.

In the past my problems with the cookies usually involved over baking them. I know that you're supposed to take them out of the oven before they look done, but somehow I still ended up keeping them in there for too long. As a result they would taste good for the first five minutes, fresh from the oven, but once they cooled they would harden and lose that crumbly softness that everyone loves.

At last I was able to conquer my over baking tendencies and managed to make cookies that tasted good not only fresh from the oven, but even days later. All of a sudden, I became delighted and decided to see how far I could take my new found cookie confidence. I decided to try baking a different type of chocolate chip cookie and compare the two. The second recipe was for a healthier version of the cookie, with no butter and no flour. In the end, I learned that there is a reason why people still make unhealthier recipes even though there are alternatives: they simply taste better. Although the second batch of cookies looked more attractive, their taste did not stand up to the buttery richness of the first batch. Still, it was fun to make both cookies and learn that I can make cookies after all.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chips Cookies

• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup crunchy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (8 tbsp)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 cup chocolate chips

 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Stir in the chocolate chips.
3. In a large bowl, beat the brown sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, egg, and honey.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the large bowl and mix together until a uniform dough forms.
5. Shape the dough into 1 1/4" balls and place on an a slightly greased cookie sheet, about 2" apart.
6. Bake for 12 minutes and remove from the oven. Cool for 5 minutes before transferring cookies to a plate.

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

• 1 cup crunchy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 large egg
• 1 bag chocolate disks

1. Preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit.
2. Combine the peanut butter, sugar, and baking soda in a large bowl. 
3. Add the egg and mix until well incorporated.
4. Roll the dough into 1" balls. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and space about 2" apart.
5. Flatten each dough ball and place a chocolate disk in the center.
6. Bake for 10 minutes and remove from the oven. Cool for 5 minutes before transferring cookies to a plate.

Note: Each recipe has been slightly altered. The original recipe for the first cookie can be found here; the second recipe can be found here.