Thursday, December 18, 2014

Chocolate-Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies (with Pretzels!)


 

Are you making holiday cookies this year? (It's Toby's favorite thing to do.) Today, Monique from Ambitious Kitchen shares her killer recipe for chocolate-dipped peanut butter cookies with salty pretzel and crunchy toffee. Here it is...

 

Chocolate-Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies with Toffee & Crushed Pretzels
by Monique Volz of Ambitious Kitchen


Peanut butter cookies are underrated. I’m not sure if it’s because everyone grew up eating the super crispy ones and found them boring, or if it’s because chocolate chip always reins king in the cookie world. Either way, I’m eager to share a new twist on peanut butter cookies. I’m quite certain you might just fall in love...

First I need to be honest: These cookies are downright addictive. In fact, they’re unlike any other peanut butter cookie you’ve ever tasted. If the instructions are followed correctly, you’ll end up with soft and chewy peanut butter cookies. And they’ll continue to stay soft for days (like they’ll last that long)!

A few secret ingredients help the peanut butter cookies bake up beautifully: dark brown sugar, honey and sour cream. The dark brown sugar adds an essential chew to the cookies, the honey gives a unique flavor and helps the cookies react to the baking soda, and, lastly, the sour cream provides moisture to keep the cookies soft.

But why stop there? Dip these babies in a little melted chocolate, then adorn them with a sprinkle of salty pretzels and sweet toffee. Yes, this cookie is sure to win you a few prizes at work. Or at least the best spouse/parent/friend award.

Recipe: Chocolate-Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies

What you'll need:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup all natural creamy peanut butter
1 cup packed dark brown sugar (light will also work just fine)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 tablespoon honey
1/2 tablespoon sour cream or plain greek yogurt
1 cup chocolate chips
1 teaspoon coconut oil
1/2 cup crushed pretzel
1/2 cup toffee pieces

Preheat oven to 350F. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer, add in peanut butter, softened butter and brown sugar; mix on medium low until well combined. Switch mixer to low speed; add in egg, vanilla extract, honey and sour cream and beat one minute or until well combined, smooth and creamy. Slowly add in dry ingredients, increasing speed to medium low; mix until just combined.

Grab a tablespoonful of dough and roll into a ball with your hands. You can also use a small cookie scoop if you have this available. Place dough on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving 2 inches apart between each dough ball. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Allow cookies to cool on cookie sheet for 5-10 minutes before removing and transferring to a wire rack. This allows them to set and harden slightly around the edges. Repeat with remaining dough.

In a small bowl, mix crushed pretzels and toffee pieces.

Once cookies are completely cooled, you can prepare the chocolate. First, line two baking sheets with wax paper. Next, add chocolate chips and coconut oil to small pot and place over low heat. Watch carefully and stir often until chocolate is completely melted. Dip each peanut butter cookie in chocolate then sprinkle with toffee-preztel mixture. Place on wax paper and repeat with remaining cookies. The chocolate should set up within 30 minutes, but if you want to speed up the process, just place the baking sheet in the fridge for about 5 minutes.

Cookies will keep for 3-5 days if stored in an airtight container.

 
Thank you so much, Everybody!

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