Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Ain’t no mountain high enough, ain’t no valley low enough, ain’t no river wide enough to keep me from you….

                                                              ~Ashford & Simpson

I am so proud of my family. Like all adoring mamas, if given the chance, I would sing the praises of each of my children until the end of time…but I like you too much to put you through my singing – so I will just say this –

About my Beloveds…

If I didn’t know them,

I’d want to know them.

I am better for knowing them.

I am so grateful for knowing them.

They inspire me.

This calls for milk and cookies.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Monsters(Recipe inspired by Joy of Cooking)

Ingredients

14 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

2 cups sugar

½ cup packed dark brown sugar

3 eggs

1 ½ cups creamy peanut butter

¾ tsp. vanilla

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

¾ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

1 cup coarsely chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate

1 cup unsalted shelled peanuts

 Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease cookie sheets, or line sheets with parchment paper.

Using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar and brown sugar until light.

Beat in eggs one at a time.

Mix in peanut butter and vanilla.

Stir in flour, baking soda and salt until just combined.

Add the chocolate and peanuts and stir until mixed.

Using 1/3 cup for each monster, drop dough 3 inches apart onto sheets. Bake on middle oven rack for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.

Transfer sheets to wire racks and cool.

Make sure you’ve done a few bicep curls before you try to lift one of these babies. They mean business.