Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

Oh, these cookies.  Melt in your mouth, soft as a brownie and peanut buttery to boot. I am a huge chocolate fan! I can't get enough of it. My husband is a huge peanut butter fan!  He'd eat peanut butter with every meal if I let him.  These cookies are the perfect blending of our two favorites. They are truly 'to-die-for' kind of cookies.

I actually found this recipe in a magazine or coupon book years ago, but it called for chocolate chips instead of peanut butter chips. I absolutely LOVED the taste of the death-by-chocolate cookies, but it was too much chocolate for my husband (I didn't know too much chocolate was even possible). So, I thought I would try making them with his favorite; peanut butter chips. Oh my goodness, they disappeared so fast I wondered if I had baked them or just dreamed about baking them. It has now become my go-to cookie recipe if there is an event I need to bake for.  They are always a hit, and always disappear.  Of course, I still have to make them here at home, too. This is one of those recipes that I have literally memorized because I make them so often.



Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

2/3 c shortening (I use Butter-flavored Crisco)
1 1/2 c packed brown sugar
1 T water
1 t vanilla extract
1/4 t baking soda
2 eggs
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/3 c baking cocoa
1/2 t salt
2 c peanut butter chips


Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Combine shortening and brown sugar in mixer until creamed. Add water and vanilla and the eggs (one at a time) and mix until creamed. Add baking soda, salt, and baking cocoa and mix well.  Finally, add the flour slowly until well blended. Remove from mixer and add peanut butter chips; mix by hand.

Using a teaspoon, drop round spoonfuls of dough on the baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake 8-10 minutes or until cookies are set (I use 10 minutes for the first batch and 9 for any others after that). Cookies will appear soft and moist. Do Not Overbake! Cool for about 2 minutes, remove from the baking sheet and place on wire rack to completely cool.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.