Peanut Butter Cookies (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Cookie Dough
01 -
½ cup and 2 tablespoons of packed brown sugar
02 -
½ cup unsalted butter, browned
03 -
2 tablespoons of regular white sugar
04 -
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
05 -
1 large egg, at room temperature
06 -
1⅓ cups all-purpose flour, leveled and spooned
07 -
½ teaspoon of baking soda
08 -
¼ teaspoon of salt
09 -
½ cup of milk chocolate chips, plus extra for garnish
10 -
½ cup of peanut butter M&Ms, plus more for topping
→ Filling & Toppings
11 -
Pretzels for decorations (optional)
12 -
A few more chocolate chips to sprinkle on top
13 -
Some extra peanut butter M&Ms for decoration
14 -
8 tablespoons creamy peanut butter (1 tablespoon per cookie)
# Instructions:
01 -
Take a parchment-lined plate and scoop out 8 tablespoons of peanut butter onto it. Freeze them until you’re ready to bake.
02 -
Chop butter into pieces and melt it in a sturdy pan over medium heat. Keep stirring while it melts, and don’t stop stirring when it starts bubbling. Once it’s golden and smells nutty, take it off the heat and pour it into a heatproof bowl to cool.
03 -
When your butter has cooled, set your oven to 350°F (or 175°C). Get a baking tray and line it with parchment paper.
04 -
Take your cooled browned butter and whisk it with brown sugar and granulated sugar in a big mixing bowl. Add in the egg and vanilla, whisking until the whole thing is smooth.
05 -
Carefully sift the flour, baking soda, and salt into your wet mixture. Fold it in gently, just enough to combine everything. Don’t overdo it.
06 -
Stir in the peanut butter M&Ms and chocolate chips so they’re spread evenly in the dough.
07 -
Scoop out ¼ cup-sized chunks of dough or use an ice cream scoop. Flatten each piece, place a peanut butter ball inside, and carefully fold the dough so it completely covers the peanut butter. Gently press the ball down so it’s about 75% flattened.
08 -
Push a few extra chocolate chips and M&Ms into the tops of the cookies for decoration.
09 -
Bake half the batch (6 cookies) at a time for about 10 minutes. Stop when the edges start setting and the bottoms turn a light golden color. The centers might not look fully baked yet.
10 -
When you take the cookies out of the oven, and they’re still hot, you can use a large round cookie cutter or a measuring cup to reshape them if needed. While still warm, you can top each cookie with M&Ms, chocolate chips, or pretzels.
11 -
Leave the cookies on the baking tray until they cool completely. Enjoy them once they’re cool! If there are leftovers (unlikely), keep them in an airtight container.
# Notes:
01 -
You must bake this dough right after it’s mixed. It won’t keep for later.
02 -
These cookies will look a little soft when you take them out of the oven, but they’ll continue setting on the hot tray.
03 -
Brown butter adds a nutty, deep flavor that works perfectly with peanut butter and chocolate.