Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cookies

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cookies. Need I say anymore? ;-)

Prep time: 20 Mins (Plus 60 Mins Chilling Time)
Baking time: 15 Mins
110g Unsalted Butter (Softened)
175g Golden Caster Sugar
1 Large Egg
1tsp Vanilla Extract
135g Plain Flour
25g Cocoa Powder
1/2tsp Baking Powder
150g Dark Chocolate Chips
16tsp Smooth Peanut Butter (About half a jar)

These are great to make in advance, so if time is of the essence don't worry about splitting this process in half and leaving the dough in the fridge until your ready, even overnight.

In a large mixing bowl cream together the butter and the sugar, then beat in the eggs one at a time along with the vanilla extract. Sift in the flour, cocoa and baking powder and mix to a sticky dough. Fold through the chocolate chips and that's the hard bit done!

Take a large sheet of cling film, blob the mixture onto it, then wrap up and leave in the fridge for at least an hour to firm up.

Once the mixture is firm you can preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and line two large, flat baking trays with baking paper. Take a small handful of the dough, shape into a ball about the size of a golf ball and place on one of your prepared trays. Repeat for the rest of the mixture, evenly spacing the balls apart. You should have around 16 from this quantity of mixture.

For each ball press your thumb into the middle to make a deep dent, then fill with a teaspoon of peanut butter. Don't worry if the peanut butter smears over the edges as you go, as this just adds to their charm! Bake the cookies in the centre of the oven for around 15 minutes, until each cookie has spread and is just starting to crack on top. You can leave them in a little longer if you prefer a crunchier finish.

When you are happy the cookies are baked remove them from the oven and leave to cool on the trays. Once cool peel each from the baking paper and you are good to go. He he he. X