Ultimate Chocolate Cookie Book - Bruce Weinstein [76]
4. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes, switching the sheet back to front halfway through baking, until the cookies are flat yet springy with crackly, dry-looking tops. Cool on the baking sheet for 3 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack and cool completely. Cool the baking sheet for 5 minutes before baking additional batches.
Recommended storage
4 days at room temperature
1 month in the freezer
Personalize It!
Stir in 2/3 cup of any of the following with the vanilla extract: golden raisins, currants, chopped dried apricots, chopped dried figs, or chopped dried pineapple.
Substitute any of the following for the vanilla extract: 1 teaspoon banana flavoring, 1 teaspoon coconut flavoring, 1 teaspoon orange extract, 1/2 teaspoon mint flavoring, 1 teaspoon rum flavoring.
PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
The problem with peanut butter chocolate chip cookies? Well, none, except they’re often too soft for our taste. So we’ve taken the egg yolks out of the batter, thereby making these cookies crunchy and irresistible. There’s just enough rich peanut butter dough to hold all the chocolate chips in place. No problem there at all.
MAKES ABOUT 31/2 DOZEN COOKIES
11/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cool, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup solid vegetable shortening (2 ounces)
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1. Position the rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl until uniform; set aside.
2. Soften the butter in a large bowl, using an electric mixer at medium speed. Add the peanut butter and shortening; beat until smooth, about 1 minute. Then beat in the granulated sugar and brown sugar until light, fluffy, but still a little coarsely textured, about 1 more minute. Beat in the egg whites and vanilla until smooth. Turn off the mixer, add the prepared flour mixture, then beat at low speed just until a thick, shiny batter forms. Do not overbeat—just moisten the flour. Remove the beaters and stir in the chocolate chips with a wooden spoon; or if the dough is too stiff, work them in by hand.
3. Scoop out a tablespoon of dough and roll it into a ball between your palms. Place it on a large, ungreased baking sheet, preferably nonstick; continue making these balls, spacing them about 11/2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Gently press a cross-hatch pattern into each ball with a fork—do it gently, not until the sides crack.
4. Bake for about 11 minutes, or until lightly browned and set when touched, rotating the sheet once during baking. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Cool the baking sheet for 5 minutes before making further batches, or use a second sheet that hasn’t been in the oven.
Recommended storage
3 days at room temperature
2 months in the freezer
More Choices!
For cakier cookies, substitute 1 large egg and 1 large egg yolk for the 2 large egg whites, in the base recipe or any variation.
Double Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies: Reduce the semisweet chocolate chips to 11/2 cups; add 11/2 cups peanut butter chips with the remaining chips.
GORP Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies: Reduce the semisweet chocolate chips to 1 cup; add 1 cup peanut butter chips and 1 cup golden raisins with the remaining semisweet chocolate chips.
Peanut Butter and Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies: Reduce the semisweet chocolate chips to 11/2 cups; add 11/2 cups crushed banana chips with the remaining semisweet chips. Reduce the vanilla extract to 2 teaspoons; add 1 teaspoon banana flavoring with the remaining vanilla.
Peanut Butter White Chocolate Chip Cookies: Reduce the semisweet chocolate chips