If you give a mouse a cookie a peanut butter chocolate chip shortbread cookie, he’s going to ask for a glass of milk…
…And when you give him the milk, chances are he’s going to want another cookie to go with it. Because while plain shortbread cookies are fantastic, these peanut buttery ones are all kinds of melt-in-your-mouth phenomenal. You already know how I feel about peanut butter and chocolate. Then add a sprinkle of sea salt, and it turns up in unexpected bites for that sweet-and-salty combination that I actually don’t normally love. Somehow though, it works in these cookies.
Slice and bake cookies: the make-ahead secret for busy people who have to feed their friends at the last minute. When I found this recipe, I thought it was too good to be true – you mean I can make a mess of the kitchen on a day off, pop the logs of cookie dough into the freezer, and break ’em out whenever I need cookies in a pinch? And they’re going to be delicious?! (Obviously, midnight cravings also count as ‘needs’…)
I don’t know why I hadn’t thought about that sooner, but I guess in my head I associated slice-and-bake with store-bought, and never imagined that you could get an amazing melt-in-your-mouth texture from cookie dough that came out of the freezer. You can use regular chocolate chips or chunks, but I found that the mini chocolate chips made the logs easier to slice without crumbling.
They’re dangerous, I’m telling you. While writing this post, I kept going downstairs to eat another one. And another one. Pretty soon I will find myself looking longingly at the empty plate, wondering what happened to all my cookies… and my jeans (they fit last week, I swear!). Oops.
Recipe: Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies with Sea Salt
Ingredients
- 1 stick, (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temp
- 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
- scant 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Cream the butter and the peanut butter together, then add the vanilla.
- Whisk together he dry ingredients and add it to the butter mixture. Mix until the dough comes together.
- Stir in the mini chocolate chips, and turn the dough out onto a piece of waxed paper. Gently pull the dough together and form it into a log. If it is still crumbly, work it with your hands until it holds together smoothly. Roll up the log with the wax paper and twist the ends securely. Refrigerate for at least a couple of hours. (Or stick them in a freezer bag and freeze until you need cookie dough!)
- Slice the log into slices with a sharp knife. (Iif you had them in the freezer, let them sit out for a few hours to soften before you slice) I sliced mine between 1/2-1/3 inch thick. If they crumble, just reshape with your fingers – they don’t have to be perfect!
- Bake on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet at 325 for about 12-14 minutes. The cookies will not be browned, and they may look undone, but don’t over bake. One of the joys of shortbread cookies is that they fall apart and melt in your mouth.
- Let the cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a rack.
Number of servings (yield): a little over 20 small cookies
Adapted from: The View from Great Island
I just put this dough in my refrigerator to bake later tonight, i added m&ms too. I cant wait to try them!!