Big bakery-style peanut butter chunk cookies

This may be the best peanut butter cookie recipe I’ve tried. Or at least the best I can remember in my recent baking past. Which really says something because you know I’m indifferent to peanut butter. But if a peanut butter lover asked me to bake them some cookies, I would go with this one, hands down.

I like it for a few different reasons. First, with 2 cups of peanut butter in it, it isn’t messing around. It’s peanut butter. Even though it has chocolate chips in it, first and foremost, it’s a peanut butter cookie.

Second, and you had to know this was coming, it baked into a thick, chubby cookie! Hardly any spread. In fact, you may want to shape this as thick discs instead of dough balls as it won’t spread out that much if you bake it from frozen dough, which is what I always do. Baking as thick discs will help give you a uniformly thick cookie instead of (very slightly) thinner edges with a domed middle.

Lastly, I loved the texture. I’m still somewhat indifferent to the taste of peanut butter itself but I liked the soft, chewy, moist texture of this cookie. A lot. I put these out at work before 8 am, had meetings most of the morning but the next time I went to our communal kitchen, even the plate was gone. Rumor has it they were gone by 9 am. There weren’t even any telltale crumbs on the counter. So that’s my gauge that other people less indifferent to peanut butter than I am also liked this cookie.

Big bakery-style peanut butter chunk cookies
From Sally's Baking Addiction

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups creamy peanut butter
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chip cookies
1/2 cup granulated sugar for rolling, optional

1. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside.

2. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and both sugars together on medium speed until smooth, 1-2 minutes. Add the eggs and beat on high until combined, 1 minute. Add the peanut butter and vanilla and mix until combined.

3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips with a wooden spoon.
Portion into golf-ball-size dough balls, flatten into thick discs if desired (these don't spread much), cover and chill or freeze for several hours or overnight.

4. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

5. Roll dough balls in granulated sugar and evenly space on cookie sheets. Bake each sheet for 14-15 minutes until lightly browned at the edges and middles no longer look raw. Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheets for several minutes before removing to wire cooling racks to cool completely.

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