Chocolate & Peanut Butter Chip Pretzel Cookies

There has to be a better name for these delightful cookies. Obviously, the title of this post is pretty indicative of what these guys are all about. What I wish it expressed is the perfect ratio of sweet and salty, soft and crunchy, and chocolate and peanut butter baked into one oh-so-good treat.

The first time I made these at Bryan's parents' house, they were gobbled up overnight with a request for another batch the following day. Making batches in pairs seems to be the trend, because when I made these last week for a Bible study (in my antique oven, of course), they were devoured...only to be requested a few short days later when my family came into town. The great thing is that when you purchase the ingredients, there's enough in each bag to make them more than once.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Pretzel Cookies

Makes about 2 dozen


1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup butter at room temp.
1/2 cup tightly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter chips
1/2 cup smashed pretzel pieces
Sea Salt

1. Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl or stand-up mixer, beat the butter and sugars on medium speed until fluffy. Slowly add the egg and vanilla, scraping down the sides of the bowl.

3. Add the sifted flour mixture and beat just until there are no big streaks of flour. You don't want to over-mix the dough. Stir in chocolate and peanut butter chips, as well as pretzel pieces.

4. The original recipe calls to refrigerate the dough at this point for an hour. In the four times I've made these, I've done it twice and just baked it then twice. I've never noticed a difference. Whether your dough is room temp or cold, scoop well rounded tablespoonfuls onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. The dough will not spread much while baking, so you may want to smoosh them down a little bit. Sprinkle amount of sea salt on top of each dough ball. Trust me. You don't want to omit that step. Bake in 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes, or until cookies are slightly golden brown. Allow to cool on a baking sheet for a few minutes before removing them.


Recipe found here.

Easy No-Bake Cookies

They say today is going to be a scorcher... there's a heatwave across the South bringing temperatures over 100 degrees. Whew! Yesterday was in the 90's, too, and with all this heat (and humidity) I haven't exactly been in the mood to crank up the oven. 

But let's not kid ourselves... no amount of insane summer weather can curb my insatiable sweet tooth, so something just had to be done! No bake cookies seemed like the perfect solution. I honestly can't remember the last time I've had them. Probably high school. But with an easy, quick recipe and only a handful of ingredients, these oven-free treats were just begging to be made (and more importantly, eaten). And yes, the chocolatey, peanut buttery, oatmealy goodness is just as fantastic as I remembered.

No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

Makes 2-3 dozen

1/2 cup butter

2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup milk

4 Tbsp. cocoa powder

2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup peanut butter (I like creamy, but you could definitely use crunchy)

3 cups quick-cook oats

In a medium saucepan, melt butter, sugar, milk, and cocoa powder together, stirring consistently to avoid burning. Bring to a rolling boil, and allow to boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add vanilla, peanut butter, and oats. Mix well. Drop onto wax paper and allow to cool completely. 

The whole process probably takes about 10 minutes from the time you start getting your ingredients out of the pantry until you're putting your saucepan in the sink. It's that easy!

Map found here, recipe found here.

Oreo-stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Something that's always been a source of comfort for me is baking. When I was living in the Middle East for a year, taking some time to whip up something familiar brought me peace in times of homesickness. Now that Bryan and I are married, I take that same comfort in being able to toss in a quick batch of cookies. And throw in living with the in-laws on top of that... you better believe this girl is a baking machine! What can I contribute to a house full of adults if not some warm, chocolatey goodness at the end of a long day at the office?

Anyway... cookies are one baked good in particular that I enjoy trying new recipes for. So when I saw this photo on Pinterest a while back (after I wiped the drool off my chin), I decided these puppies were going to make an appearance in our kitchen asap.

Photo Credit: http://veryculinary.com

Due to the sheer size of these Oreo-stuffed monsters, I made only half a batch to start. I'd say it was a good decision too, considering one cookie has the equivalent of 2 servings of dough plus a double stuffed Oreo inside. If there were more than 12 of these lurking around the house at a time, I'd probably outgrow my waistband just by calorie osmosis.

Seriously, that is one pregnant cookie.

But moving on... this is what you really want. The Recipe. And trust me, you're going to want to have a glass of milk handy. Enjoy!

Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes 24 cookies
Prep: 25 minutes
Cook: 13 minutes

Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 package Double Stuff Oreo cookies

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, cream butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together with a mixer until well combined. Beat in eggs and vanilla.

In medium bowl mix the flour, salt, and baking soda. Slowly add to wet ingredients along with chocolate chips until just combined.

With a cookie scoop, form balls with the dough.

Smoosh each ball a bit, and place one ball on top of an Oreo cookie, and another ball on the bottom. Seal edges together by pressing and cupping in hand until Oreo cookie is fully enclosed with dough.

Place onto parchment or silpat lined baking sheets and bake cookies for approximately 13 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

Recipe from: http://veryculinary.com