We are big chocolate and peanut butter fans around here, so I’m always on the lookout for new and different recipes that incorporate two of our favorite ingredients. These cookies are part brownie and part cookie. The tops are crackly, the centers are slightly gooey like a brownie and the edges are firm and chewy like a cookie. They are filled with chocolate chips, peanut butter chips and salted peanuts. For me, the peanuts take these cookies over the top. They add a salty crunch that provides the perfect balance of texture in an otherwise soft cookie. These are easy to whip up and will definitely satisfy your sweet tooth. If you don’t think you’ll need the full 20 cookies that the recipe makes, you can cut the recipe in half or make the whole batch and freeze some. They freeze great. Enjoy!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownie Cookies

Part cookie, part brownie - these cookies are soft in the middle, chewy around the edges and loaded with chocolate, peanut butter and salted peanuts.

Course Dessert

Servings 20

Author Allison - Celebrating Sweets

Ingredients

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon all purpose flour divided
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips divided
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 eggs
1/2 tablespoon instant espresso powder optional
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup peanut butter chips
3/4 cup roasted salted peanuts

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325. Line two baking sheets with silicone liners or parchment paper.
In a small bowl, combine 1/3 cup flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In a heatproof bowl set over simmering water, melt the butter, unsweetened chocolate, 1/2 cup chocolate chips and peanut butter, stirring until melted. Turn off the heat, remove the bowl from the simmering water and set aside to cool for 15 minutes.
In a large bowl, beat eggs, espresso powder, vanilla extract and sugar on medium high for 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low and slowly add the cooled chocolate mixture. Once the chocolate is evenly incorporated, add the flour mixture, stirring by hand until just combined.
In a small bowl, combine the remaining half cup of chocolate chips along with the peanut butter chips, peanuts and 1 tablespoon of flour. Toss several times to evenly incorporate the flour. Fold into the cookie batter.
Using a 1 1/2 tablespoon scoop, or two spoons, drop rounded mounds of batter onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake the cookies for 13-15 minutes, until the tops are crackly and the centers of the cookies appear dry. Be careful not to over bake these. Just like brownies, you want the middle to be just barely done. Cool on baking sheets.