Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies

These remind me of " yin - yang " !  When making these cookies, you will be mixing 2 smallish batches of dough, chilling them and then rolling a lot of little balls (45-50 each).

Heat the oven to 350º.

Chocolate dough - mix together all ingredients in this order. Wrap in plastic & chill 1 hr:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 Tblsp. milk
1/2 cup + 2 Tblsp. cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup flour
1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
WRAP & CHILL 1 HR.

Peanut Butter dough - mix together all ingred. in this order. Wrap in plastic & chill 1 hr:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1-1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
WRAP & CHILL 1 HR.

This works best if you quickly roll all the balls first (peanut butter first, and then chocolate) - if you alternate and make 1 cookie at a time, it's messy and you get chocolate all over your hands, mixing it onto the PB dough.

Roll each type of dough into small balls (1 level tsp. or so - don't forget - you're combining 2 balls per cookie!).  After they're all rolled into balls, take one of each and quickly roll them together between the palms of your hand.  Just a few 'spins' is all you need.  Place the balls into parchment lined baking pans (or greased sheets) - bake for 11-13 minutes.  Remove from the oven, let sit for a minute and then remove the cookies onto cooling racks.

Classic Peanut Blossoms

Unwrap 50 chocolate 'kisses' - set candy aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, combine & mix well:

3/4 cup softened butter

3/4 cup smooth or crunchy peanut butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup white sugar

1 egg plus 1 extra egg yolk

2 tsp. vanilla extract

Slowly, add to above mixture & mix to make a workable dough:

1-1/2 teasp. baking soda

2-1/2 C. flour

Get a small bowl, add 1/2 cup white sugar & keep near bowl of cookie dough.

Form 1" balls of dough - roll gently in white sugar to coat - place balls on parchment lined baking sheets, leaving 1" space between balls (20 per sheet).

Bake for 9-10 minutes, making sure the cookies aren't too undercooked, but NOT browned. Remove from oven and immediately place a chocolate kiss in the center of each dough ball, pressing firmly enough to set in, but not TOO firmly - you don't want them to go through the bottom of the cookie dough. Leave the cookies to set - it'll take a pretty long time (at least a couple hours) since the chocolate will melt, but will then cool down to room temperature.

Peanut Butter Cookies

Don't thank me here - thank Betty Crocker!! :)

Preheat oven to 375º - line baking sheets with parchment or lightly spray/grease them.

In a mixing bowl, mix well:
1/2 cup soft butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla

Stir in & combine thoroughly:
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1-1/4 cup flour

You could chill the dough and make later - or just shape into balls (under 1") and place on prepared sheets, leaving an inch or so between each. I usually get 5 rows of 4 on my (large sized) baking pans.

With a fork dipped in sugar (each cookie), depress it, leaving a criss cross pattern on each cookie, making sure you don't press TOO hard and flatten them.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, depending on how soft/firm you like them, until the edges are golden.  Remove from the oven & then from the sheets. Cool & enjoy!!