Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

Chop the Chips

I took my daughter Shoshana to college this past week. One would think, because Shoshana is my 3rd child, that I would be accustomed to this type of thing. Guess what? I am not.

I returned home and am adjusting to the ‘new’ sounds of my household, which are quieter than they were. Over the course of the weekend, I found myself a bit less focused.

Fortunately, I did snap out of it early enough to realize that in the insanity of getting Shoshana organized, I had failed to decide what to bake for today’s blog. I actually baked two desserts and these cookies won out in both taste and texture.

I most definitely was in a chocolate and peanut butter mood. I find this combination of ingredients comforting and delicious, both of which I needed.

I toyed with incorporating the peanut butter into the cookies in a few ways and finally decided that it would be a good idea to use the peanut butter chips in my pantry before they spoiled. My first thought was to make an icebox cookie so I chopped up the chips to prevent them from falling out when I sliced the cookies.

As is often the case, I changed my mind in the middle of the recipe and scooped the cookies onto the prepared trays once the dough was mixed. The chips, however, were already chopped, so that is precisely how they were added to the dough rather than straight from the bag.

Turns out, it was actually quite clever on my part. The peanut butter flavor is more consistent than had I used the chips whole. The flavor of the chopped chips makes me think this technique may start popping up in other recipes, as well.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies do not replace the emptiness of my home, but they do bring comfort at a much needed moment.