Chocolate Peanut Butter Criss-Crosses

Growing up, I loved Reeses Peanut Butter Cups. There's just something about the chocolate peanut butter combo that totally rocks. So, upon seeing Dorie Greenspan's recipe for Chocolate Peanut Butter Criss-Crosses, I just knew that I had to make them as a nod to my childhood candy fave.

The finished cookies will be either soft and chewy or crispy depending on how long you baked them. As for the taste, both the chocolate and the peanut butter flavors are somewhat subtle, but you can still tell that they're there. The peanuts add a good crunch, and of course, who can resist little bits of chocolate. While they'll never come close to my PB Cups, they're still a good cookie nevertheless.


Chocolate Peanut Butter Criss-Crosses
(from Dorie Greenspan's Baking From My Home to Yours)

2 c. flour
1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
pinch grated nutmeg (I omitted this)
1 c. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 c. peanut butter (I used crunchy)
1 c. light brown sugar
3/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 c. chopped, salted peanuts (optional)
1/3 c. chocolate chips (or more)

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Beat the butter until smooth and creamy. Add the peanut butter and beat for another minute. Add the sugars and beat for 3 min. more. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 1 min. after each addition. Scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl and, on low speed, add the dry ingredients, mixing only until they just disappear. Mix in the chopped peanuts and chocolate chips.

Roll the dough into balls and coat them in some sugar. Place on a baking sheet. Dip the tines of a fork in sugar and press the tines against each ball first in one direction and then in a perpendicular direction - you should have a flattened round of dough with crisscross indentations.

Bake for about 12 min., rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back at the midway point. When done, the cookies will still be a little soft. Let the cookies sit on the sheets for a minute before transferring them to cooling racks. Cool to room temperature.