Cookies galore!

COOKIES. Happiness for the belly.

Well, Hello there.
Here we have the next best thing to a peanut butter cookie. A cookie made with CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER. No, not a peanut butter cookie with chocolate, but actual peanut butter made with glorious chocolate! It is the definition of heaven on Earth. Picture Nutella and peanut butter having a baby and this is what is created...only better... and not as strange because obviously spreads do not make babies. Anyways! What I am saying is if you don't have this in your kitchen pantry yet, you are seriously missing out. This stuff is like crack. Crack that tastes like the middle of a peanut butter M&M. Which I might add, is what I used in these cookies too. That's right, you should be drooling now.

with Chocolate. Sold.
Here is what's tempting me to run downstairs, grab a spoon, and sit in a corner with the jar. Oh the willpower. But to be honest, this jar doesn't get as much spooning action (heheh puny) as regular peanut butter because it is rich. Seriously, the first time I tasted it I was like "Whoa." and for me, a die-hard chocolate fanatic, that is saying something. So no, there are not many late night dates with this jar of PB. Moving along!

Here we have a favourite of mine that is just not made often enough because it ends up with me eating the entire batch because nobody else in my family likes them. (Which isn't a bad thing, it just means an extra lap around the block for my run) But, I do try to control myself. These cookies, more like brownies. are rich and for the die-hard chocoholic, like myself. They start with a chocolate cookie dough, and have both semi sweet and white chocolate chips added in. If I feel like being a little crazy, I add in milk chocolate chunks too. I know I know, totally over the edge right? Fresh out of the oven they are gooey, and with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream, a la mode is the only way to go.

BA BAM bringing back the peanut butter.
These are quintessentially the most basic peanut butter cookie recipe there is, but hey, why mess with a classic? It is soft and chewy on the inside, and delightfully crisp on the outside. With sugar on top, there is no way to go wrong with these bad boys. Oh funny story, in my tenth grade social studies class there was a girl who brought a container of peanut butter to school for breakfast. No bread, just plain ole peanut butter. She was a purist I guess.

Now this is the only recipe of the day I wasn't too excited about. The chocolate chip cookies. I have been experimenting with  CCC recipes for the past couple years, but honestly I keep being let down. Pudding mix add ins, cornstarch add ins, chilling the dough, whaaaat. I thought we were making cookies, not figuring out the solution to my college chemistry lab. I'm talking about simplicity. That is what I look for in a CCC recipe. I won't be sharing this recipe, simply because it doesn't come close to my favourite one (That I have been making for YEARS) found here. Smarties are the preference by the way.

Last, and certainly not least, were today's variation on an oatmeal cookie. Once again, I was let down with this recipe, and do not wish to share it. However, I was thrilled with the flavours of this cookie and will try this combination in my standard oatmeal cookie recipe! It was a coconut and semi-sweet chocolate chip cookie. No raisins! Those little buggers cause trust issues... they look like chocolate chips, but once fooled, there is no denying that prune-y texture and taste. Also, I'm just not a big fan of dried fruit unless its in a granola bar... which reminds me... new recipe coming soon.

8 dozen!
All the cookies ready to go! It was for a customer appreciation day event. Last year it was cake, and this year it was cookies! Much easier and cleaner, in my opinion. 

Here we have the peanut butter cookie dough making it's debut appearance... And lets get to the recipes.

First... Peanut butter M&Ms!!

Chocolate Peanut butter M&M Cookies: Courtesy of Kraft
-Substitute creamy peanut butter for chocolate peanut butter.
-Add 1 1/2 cups peanut butter M&Ms (or however much you like)

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies: Courtesy of Sally's Baking Addiction

-Just the double chocolate chip cookie dough part of the recipe

Peanut butter Cookies: Courtesy of Kraft
-Recipe as written

There we go! I hope you have some time to bake cookies in the upcoming cooler months. I would share a post on the pumpkin scones I made... but let's just say they were eaten before any photo opportunities were made :o)

See you later all my fellow cookie addicts!

~ Kala-Dawn

Failing to plan is planning to fail!