Peanut Butter Cookies

I've recovered, finally. I'm somewhat over the lemon incident from the other day. Movin' right along, I decided I needed to make a get-over-it dessert that I knew I couldn't mess up. PB cookies. Something about these cookies is so cozy and comforting. I just love those marks of the fork tines. Totally old school, but totally perfect. Sometimes old-fashioned never goes out of style.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies

taken from Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa Parties!

makes 36-40 cookies

½ pound unsalted butter at room temperature

1 ½ cups light brown sugar, packed

¾ cup granulated sugar

2 extra-large eggs at room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup good smooth peanut butter

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 pound good semisweet chocolate chunks

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time. Add the vanilla and peanut butter, and mix. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt and add to the batter, mixing only until combined. Fold in the chocolate chunks.

Drop the dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, using either a 1 ¾ inch ice cream scoop or a rounded tablespoon. Dampen your hands, flatten the dough lightly, then press the tines of a wet fork in both directions. Bake for exactly 17 minutes (the cookie will seem underdone). Do not over bake. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly on the pan, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

*I opted to leave out the chocolate chunks.

*I baked the first couple batches for 17 minutes and they were slightly dry, just slightly. So I reduced the baking by 1 minute for the next batch and by 2 minutes for the last batch. I like the last batch the best - Crunchy on the outside and a little chewy on the inside. Since every oven is a little different, you may need to adjust the baking time a little.