So really, is there anything better than a chocolate chip cookie to satisfy a sweet tooth? I didn't think so. There's something so special about a homemade chocolate chip cookie, warm out of the oven. Just think back to when you were a kid making cookies with mom or grandma—they always made pretty amazing cookies from scratch. So don't even think of making the kind from a refrigerator can or boxed mix. You have to agree that homemade is the best hands-down.
There are countless different versions of the classic recipe, but the best chocolate chip cookies don't have chips but chunks, chopped from a big block of premium chocolate. But I take the classic recipe one step further and add a Halloween favorite candy, peanut butter cups, and a sprinkling of salt.
Chocolate chip cookie purists might turn up their noses at that. But I think they (along with peanut butter fans) will love these cookies. Trust me—these cookies have been tasted and approved by discerning mouths. This recipe is great for using up any leftover Halloween chocolates. But if you're a fan of peanut butter cups like I am, you'll make these cookies all-year long without having any special reason or occasion.
This recipe has been adapted from this recipe by one of the world's best chocolate makers, Jacques Torres. There's no beating his recipe, but I must say that this one is just as good—if not better. For accurate results, I recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh the ingredients.
Salted Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
8-1/2 ounces bread flour
8-1/2 ounces cake flour
1-1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/4 cups (2-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
10 ounces light-brown sugar
8 ounces granulated sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
10 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
10 ounces mini peanut butter cups, halved
fleur de sel, for sprinkling
Sift together the dry ingredients: flours, baking soda, and baking powder.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter until fluffy. Beat in sugars and salt. Mix in the eggs, vanilla, and peanut butter. On low speed, add the dry ingredients, a little at a time, until incorporated. By hand, mix in the chopped chocolate and peanut butter cups. Cover the dough with plastic wrap. Chill for at least 1 to 2 hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Using a 2-inch releasable scoop, form balls of dough and place no more than 6 on each baking sheet. Sprinkle with fleur de sel. Bake in batches until cookies are spread, set in the center, and brown around the edges, about 20 minutes. Keep dough refrigerated in between batches. Yield: 28 cookies.
Joseph Erdos is a New York–based writer and editor, butabove all a gastronomer and oenophile. He shares his passion for foodon his blog, Gastronomer's Guide , which features unique recipes and restaurant reviews among many other musings on the all-encompassing topic of food.