Chocolate-Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies

When I was in Toronto last week for work, I ate a cookie from a dessert tray during a meeting that I was immediately determined to recreate. The concept was simple: Bake a very large peanut butter cookie, cut said cookie into quarters, and dip the pointy side of each piece in chocolate.

Chocolate plus peanut butter, as every American knows, is just about the best flavor combination there is, and so — no surprise here — the cookie was delicious. Simple, but perfect in its simplicity.

I went with the peanut butter cookie recipe from this (also amazing) recipe, modifying it to add the chocolate-dipped component. I used semi-sweet chocolate chips, but these cookies would also be great with a less sweet, darker chocolate coating as well.

Chocolate-Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients 

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 12-ounce bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips (or the chocolate of your choice!)

Directions

• Don’t preheat your oven yet! (Remember, you have to wait at least an hour after making the dough before baking.)
• In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt, and set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together butter and both sugars on medium speed until combined.
• Add in the peanut butter, egg, and vanilla, then turn the mixer to high and beat until the dough becomes light in color and nice and smooth.
• Turn the mixer speed to low and slowly incorporate the dry ingredients.
• Mix until combined.
• Cover the dough and chill it for at least an hour.
• Once you’re ready to bake your cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line cookie sheets with Silpats or parchment paper.
• Roll dough into large fist-sized balls, flattening each ball of dough and using a fork to place criss cross lines on top. Repeat with the rest of the dough.

• Bake for 11-15 minutes, or until golden brown.
• Cool about 80% of the way, then slice each cookie into four pieces. Let cool completely.

• Set out a couple of pieces of parchment paper on the counter.
• Once your cookies have cooled, melt chocolate for dipping. I’d recommend using a small ramekin-sized bowl and melting the chocolate in stages in the microwave. Nuke for 30 seconds at a time, then stir until completely melted.
• Either dip cookies into the chocolate mixture or use a spoon or butter knife to spread the chocolate over the pointy end of the cookie (on all four sides of the cookie). After covering a cookie piece in chocolate, place it on the parchment paper to set.

• Store in covered container to keep fresh. Enjoy!