Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

What’s your ideal cookie? Soft and chewy? Sweet but salty? Peanut butter and chocolate? How about all of the above in these salted caramel peanut butter chocolate chip cookies.

I don’t regularly participate in the Leftovers Club but as a quick overview, as bloggers who bake a lot and subsequently find ourselves trying to unload it all on others, each month we get paired with another blogger who will then send leftovers from a recipe they make and vice versa. We then all post on the same day sharing our recipes! It just so happened to be my lucky month as I was paired up with Joanne of Eats Well With Others!! We both sent very ecstatic e-mails to each other upon finding out, full of pretend cartwheels since we both work in labs.

Since I about lost it when I found out she had made her own homemade salted caramel peanut butter, I took it upon myself to make it and then do the only logical thing besides eating it with a spoon – bake cookies. I present to you, salted caramel peanut butter chocolate chip cookies AKA the best cookies ever. These cookies feature 3 of the best combinations all in one cookie: thick and chewy, sweet and salty, and peanut butter and chocolate!

They were so good in fact that Bob put his foot down and would not let me take them into work to share, to which I then pointed out the box of other goodies still left uneaten that were also hoarded. Apparently the others don’t compare to these cookies in his eyes (although I still told him he better start eating the goodies I save at home before I bring them into work anyway). He seemed upset that any of them at all were being shipped away and think it took a lot for him to let any out of his sight. However I think 2-1/2 dozen is plenty. In other words, these cookies were so good that “leftovers” are not really an issue.

One year ago: Creamy Skillet Brussels and Corn

Two years ago: Chicken-Quinoa Burgers with an Avocado-Yogurt Sauce

Three years ago: Maple, Walnut, and Flaxseed Pancake Doughnuts

Four years ago: Spicy Cheetos Crusted Chicken

SALTED CARAMEL PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Makes approximately 3 dozen

Ingredients:

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1/2 cup salted caramel peanut butter (store bought or homemade)

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

1 egg + 1 yolk, room temperature

1-1/2 cups mini or regular semi sweet chocolate chips

Coarse sea salt (optional)

Directions:

1. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, peanut butter, and sugars until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until just incorporated. Mix in the sifted ingredients in three batches until just blended*. Using a spatula, fold in the chocolate chips.
3. Roll 2 tablespoons of dough into balls and place on a plate or tray, sprinkle with sea salt (if using), cover tightly with plastic wrap, and chill for at least 2 hours (or overnight for best results).
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line cookie sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper; set aside.
5. Place cookie dough onto the prepared cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart.
6. Bake for 7-8 minutes (will look underbaked). Cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

* If dough is too dry, add 1 tablespoon of milk.

Source: Adapted slightly from my Salted Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies.

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