Chocolate Chunk Cookies

My favorite baker, Sally, says this is the most downloaded recipe from her blog.  I can see why.  Delicious, easy to make, soft and chewy.  No mixer required!  But, you need a little extra time with these because they require chilling in the fridge for at least 2 hours (up to 3 days).  You can also roll the chilled dough into balls and freeze (up to 3 months) to bake as desired (just add a minute to baking time).

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg + 1 egg yolk, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips or chunks

Directions:

In large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cornstarch and salt, set aside.

In medium bowl, whisk melted butter and sugars together until no lumps remain.  Whisk in the egg then egg yolk and vanilla.  Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix together.  Fold in chocolate chunks.  Cover dough and chill for at least 2 hours.

Take dough out of refrigerator and allow to soften for about 10 minutes.  Roll about 2-3 tbls of dough into balls.  Bake at 325 degrees for 11-12 minutes.

Super Soft Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

I'm sick.  Springtime allergies are kicking my butt more than I can ever remember.  Hubby is travelling and I'm home alone with my sick self.  I need comfort food.  To most that may mean things like meatloaf and mashed potatoes but I was craving a chocolate chip cookie.  For several days I fought the urge to bake some but finally gave in.  However, my craving changed from chocolate chip cookie to peanut butter chocolate chip cookie.  I've never had these before.  I love love love my peanut butter and chocolate together but never in an actual chocolate chip cookie. Not sure I have even heard of one, not a peanut butter blossom or the like, but an actual chocolate chip cookie with peanut butter base.

I googled, found many recipes and settled on one on Rachel Ray's website.  Now Rachel is a wonderful cook, but not known for her baking, so I was a little surprised that my search found her as a top recipe.  Turns out it isn't exactly her recipe, but a contributor to her site.  Even more surprising to me was that the recipe was adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction, my favorite baking blog.  That girl knows how to do Chocolate and Peanut Butter!  I actually searched Sally's first but didn't find what I was looking for, but it all worked out....Soft peanut buttery delicious chocolate chip cookies.  I really craved just one, and against my better judgement ate just a few and will save the rest for hubby. They seem like they should freeze real well, but I probably will not find out.  Easy and delicious!  I'm still sick, but these certainly aid on the road to recovery.   Thank God I'm not allergic to chocolate or peanut butter!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/4 cups flour

Pinch of salt

1 1/4 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

Cream the butter and sugars together, add the peanut butter, egg and vanilla and combine.

In separate bowl, whisk together baking soda, flour and salt and slowly add to the peanut butter mixture until combined.

Fold in chocolate chips.  Chill the dough in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.  This is required for a lot of drop cookie recipes to prevent the cookie from spreading too much while cooking.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line cookie sheet with parchment.  Roll tablespoon size cookie into ball, place on cookie sheet and slightly flatten.  Now, this is where I would make a change the next time I bake these cookies.  I would roll the ball into a small bowl of sugar to slightly coat the outside before I flatten on cookie sheet....works either way though.

Bake 10 minutes until set and very light in color.  They will look under done but will firm up upon cooling.  Store in air tight container up to 5 days.