Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

Preparation Place an oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly rub two cookies sheets with butter, or use nonstick baking sheets. Set aside. Put the butter, peanut butter and the sugars in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer or a wooden spoon until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat again. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, and beat on low speed until well blended. Add the chocolate chips (see Mom Tip), peanut butter chips and peanuts and mix thoroughly. Using a teaspoon as a guide, scoop a portion of the dough and, with your hands, roll each portion into a ball. Place the balls on each cookie sheet, 3 cookies per row in 5 rows. Flatten the balls with the heel of your hand or the tines of a fork so that they spread to about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Bake each batch, one cookie sheet at a time, for about 10 minutes. The cookies will be firm to the touch and just beginning to brown. Remove from the oven and cool on the sheet for about 3 minutes. Then transfer them with a spatula to a cooling rack. Let the cookie sheet cool for 1 or 2 minutes more before reusing so the dough doesn't melt. Store in an airtight container. Mom Tip:If you want chocolate coating on the top of each cookie, reserve 1/2 cup chocolate chips when mixing the batter. After the cookies are formed and placed on the cookie sheets, lightly press 5 chocolate chips into the top of each cookie. When the cookies come out of the oven, gently spread those partly melted chocolate chips over the top of each cookie with a knife to make a thin chocoalte layer. Cool as directed. Chocolate on the Brain by Kevin & Nancy Mills Houghton Mifflin

Preparation Place an oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly rub two cookies sheets with butter, or use nonstick baking sheets. Set aside. Put the butter, peanut butter and the sugars in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer or a wooden spoon until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat again. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, and beat on low speed until well blended. Add the chocolate chips (see Mom Tip), peanut butter chips and peanuts and mix thoroughly. Using a teaspoon as a guide, scoop a portion of the dough and, with your hands, roll each portion into a ball. Place the balls on each cookie sheet, 3 cookies per row in 5 rows. Flatten the balls with the heel of your hand or the tines of a fork so that they spread to about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Bake each batch, one cookie sheet at a time, for about 10 minutes. The cookies will be firm to the touch and just beginning to brown. Remove from the oven and cool on the sheet for about 3 minutes. Then transfer them with a spatula to a cooling rack. Let the cookie sheet cool for 1 or 2 minutes more before reusing so the dough doesn't melt. Store in an airtight container. Mom Tip:If you want chocolate coating on the top of each cookie, reserve 1/2 cup chocolate chips when mixing the batter. After the cookies are formed and placed on the cookie sheets, lightly press 5 chocolate chips into the top of each cookie. When the cookies come out of the oven, gently spread those partly melted chocolate chips over the top of each cookie with a knife to make a thin chocoalte layer. Cool as directed. Chocolate on the Brain by Kevin & Nancy Mills Houghton Mifflin