It was a cold and rainy weekend here and I wanted to stay indoors and huddle under the covers. These Secret Ingredient Crispy Chocolate Cookies were the perfect treat to enjoy while reading a good book in front of the fire.
Cookies are the best thing to have on hand in case someone drops by. I like to take half the dough, roll it into a log, wrap with parchment (labeled with the cookie type and baking directions) and then tightly wrapped with plastic before freezing. Then I have homemade slice and bake cookies whenever we want them.
The Artist loves discovering cookie dough in the freezer. He can make his favorite dessert – cookies – any time he feels like something sweet. And I love that he happily bakes them himself!
Today’s cookies are a double chocolate chip cookie with a surprise ingredient – peanut butter! It is just enough to give you a hint of the flavor but it is more like “I wonder what makes these cookies taste so good”.
They are very easy to make, just like regular chocolate chip cookies except with cocoa added to the dry ingredients and some of the butter replaced with a little peanut butter. If you are comfortable making chocolate chip cookies, these will be just as simple!
I used Guittard’s Cocoa Rouge cocoa powder and it made these cookies super dark and rich with a hint of red. I love its intensity.
Use a good spring-loaded ice cream scoop for the easiest and fastest portioning of the dough. Having all the dough balls the same size also gives you consistent baking results and similarly sized cookies.
Make these Secret Ingredient Crispy Chocolate Cookies for your family and they will be begging for more!
Jane’s Tips and Hints:
If you don’t want to use peanut butter or are avoiding all forms of nuts, just replace with additional regular butter. Always disclose that you’ve used nuts in your cooking and baking in case any of your guests has a severe allergy!
Gluten-Free Tips:
I used my favorite gluten-free blend but you can use any 1-to-1 style of flour blend such as Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1, Pamela’s, or Cup4Cup, for example.
Secret Ingredient Crispy Chocolate Cookies (Gluten Free)
Ingredients
- 2-1/4 cups (270 g) all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour blend
- 1/2 cup (45 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 stick + 5 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3 tbsp creamy peanut butter, almond butter, or other alternative butter
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (200 g) firmly packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups (340 g) chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or use a Silpat.
- Make the Cookie Dough: Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the butter, peanut butter, and both sugars, beating until the dough cleans the sides of the bowl, 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape the beater, sides and bottom of the bowl, and then add the eggs and vanilla, mixing on medium-low speed until light and fluffy.
- Mix in the dry ingredients in thirds, beating until just combined after each addition. Scrape the bowl and beater again to incorporate any extra dry ingredients. Stir in the chocolate chips. Refrigerate the dough for 20 to 30 minutes until fairly firm.
- Bake the Cookies: Use a 2 tbsp spring-loaded ice cream scoop to portion the dough in balls and place 2-inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake the cookies 9 to 10 minutes or until the tops look dry. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature or up to a week in the refrigerator.
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