Once in a while I am reminded that although I included a recipe in one of my two cookbooks, I have not published the recipe on my blog. My bad, I know! Anyway, thanks Leslie C. for bringing my attention back to this recipe. I make these cookies with regularity. But because I have the recipe in written form, I just naturally grab my cookbook and go from there.

Anyway – this is just an old fashioned cookie recipe. One that I have been making for decades. And yes I have other peanut butter cookie recipes on this site. But when I want just a simple, take me back to the days of building cookies for my kids sort of cookie, this is the recipe I use. And for very good reasons. These cookies are simple to make, the texture is perfect, and they taste like peanut butter. Simple as that! Hope you enjoy this classic.

And sorry about no picture. I would have made a batch of these cookies and taken a picture, except we are low on peanut butter. And I didn’t want to make a special trip to the grocery store. Not with coronavirus lurking behind every corner. Besides, you know what peanut butter cookies look like. Your imagination will undoubtedly do better justice to these little darlings than I could provide with my slap hazard camera technique. I may have a few redeemable skills, but photography sure isn’t one of them! Stay healthy everyone – and keep baking.

Update: As you can now see, I have added a picture of these peanut butter cookies. After having written this post, I couldn’t stand it. I used the last of our peanut butter to build a batch. But it was worth it. And they are still as good as I remembered.

½ c. butter, room temp. (You can use soft shortening if you prefer, or half butter, half shortening)

½ c. peanut butter, smooth or crunchy (not natural style)

½ c. granulated sugar

½ c. brown sugar (packed)

1 egg

½ tsp. vanilla

1¼ c. unbleached all-purpose flour

½ tsp. baking powder

¾ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

Cream the butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until smooth. Mix in the egg and vanilla.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Gradually add to the butter mixture, beating well after each addition.

Using a medium sized ice cream scoop, drop balls of dough, 2 inches apart, onto a very lightly greased baking sheet. Flatten each in a crisscross pattern with the tines of a fork.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes in a pre-heated 375 degree oven. Do not overbake. As soon as cracks appear on the surface of the cookie, they are done.

Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container. Recipe easily doubles.  

There isn’t really anything too difficult about changing up a cookie recipe. And sometimes, as in this recipe, the outcome is truly delightful.

As some of you know, I’ve been on a malted milk kick recently. For those of you not familiar with chocolate malts, I’m going to recommend that you rectify this situation sooner rather than later. Because dear friends, there is nothing better than a chocolate malt.

So with malts in mind, I took a simple chocolate chip cookie recipe and added my own touches. I decided to use bread flour rather than regular unbleached all-purpose flour because I thought it would result in a crisp, yet chewy textured cookie. (More gluten in bread flour.) And I was right. The bread flour helped create just the perfect texture for a cookie. Then of course, the batter had to contain malted milk powder. And because I wanted a subtle chocolate flavored dough, I added just 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder. And because variety is the spice of life, I used 2 kinds of chocolate chips.

Now I know you probably already have a perfectly wonderful chocolate chip cookie recipe you unfailingly use. In fact, I too have several really delicious chocolate chip cookie recipes at my disposal. (And yes they are on this site.) But, for varieties sake, I hope you give this recipe a try. It’s just enough different to bring out the “OMG” response after just one bite. And truthfully, my husband and friends who have tried these cookies have declared them a winner.  

Call me crazy, but I think cookies are just what’s needed during this very stressful time. Baking cookies is one thing you can do with your kids in the comfort of your own home. And if you don’t have kids, then all the more reason to bake up a storm. More for you! But while you’re in the kitchen, you might want to prepare a big old pot of soup too. Hot soup just always feels homey and comforting. And all of us need as much comforting as we can get right now. 

Please know that I do not consider myself a pessimist. And I do know I am probably preaching to the choir. But I truly believe coronavirus is a huge cause for concern and that every measure that can be taken to prevent its spread should be taken. Because it seems to me that it’s only a matter of time before every one of us is exposed to this virus and have to personally deal with this real-life health threat. All the mandatory closures of schools and large gatherings is simply a way to slow down the spread of the disease. Because if everyone were to become infected at the same time, it truly would be a disaster. Hopefully keeping some distance between people will allow medical personnel enough time between incidences and therefore enough hospital space to assist in the saving of lives. A vaccine might even be developed, if not to completely eradicate the disease, but to mitigate some of the deathly effects.  

I also firmly believe our government and even the press have not explained the “why” of decisions being made like closing down schools as adequately as they should have. People learn and understand much better if they can see the logic behind actions being taken. And that the actions being taken are only made after a great deal of thought and study has been given by people truly in the know. Like health advisers, state governors, knowledgeable business people, economists, and school officials, to mention a few. Not some politico simply blowing smoke in Washington DC. Or some government official who has no medical knowledge telling us that the coronavirus is under control. Just talk plainly to us. Assume that we are intelligent, because most of us are intelligent. Tell us why precautions are being made for our benefit. And please, leave all the political bullshit behind. I don’t care if the person who is providing us with reliable information is a republican or a democrat. Or white, male, Asian, female, young, old, or has red hair or no hair at all. Just someone with knowledge, an ability to empathize with the situation, and a true concern for everyone on this planet.  

So dear friends, I will now turn the soapbox over to someone else. I’ve vented enough. Just please wash your hands. Get plenty of sleep. Keep yourself and your family safe. And feed your family good healthy food. And cookies. Cookies really do bring a smile to almost everyone’s face. Who doesn’t feel that all is right with the world after having just eaten a cookie? Peace, Love, and Good Health to each of you.

(And sorry for the pontification. I just couldn’t help myself! I just care.)

• 1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1 c. brown sugar (packed)
• ½ c. granulated sugar
• 3 lg. eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3¼ c. bread flour* (you can use unbleached all-purpose flour if necessary)
• ½ c. malted milk powder
• 1 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 2 c. milk chocolate chips
• 1 c. regular or mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy. Scrape sides down periodically. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract; combine well.

In another bowl, whisk the flour, malted milk powder, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together. Add to the butter mixture only until well combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Let dough sit for about 20 minutes.   

Using a small ice cream scoop, drop balls of dough onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet, spaced about 2 inches apart.

Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 14-16 minutes or until light golden brown around the bottom edges.   

Remove from oven and allow to cool for a couple minutes on baking sheet before transferring cookies to cool completely on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container.

*Remember to “fluff” up the flour as you measure it out. Use a spoon to fluff up the flour within the container. Use a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup. Use a knife or other straight edged utensil to level the flour across the measuring cup.

I found this recipe on the chocolate chocolate and more web site. The recipe looked perfect to me so I didn’t change a thing. OK, I did specify unsalted butter, unbleached all-purpose flour and kosher salt in my version because that’s what I almost always use in every culinary endeavor I undertake. Granted, regular bleached flour can certainly be used, and is preferred by some bakers. I just haven’t the time or energy to have one more type of flour in my pantry. So even though bleached flour has a whiter color, finer grain, and softer texture, I’m sticking to my guns (like I own any guns!) on this one. It’s unbleached flour for me all the way! Unless of course the recipe calls for whole wheat, bread, rye, self-rising, etc. etc. flour. Then there is really no choice to be made. Same goes for butter. If you prefer to use salted butter, go for it! However if you use table salt rather than kosher salt, you might want to cut back the amount to ¾ teaspoon. But back to these incredible cookies.

I guess the first thing I should say about these cookies is that they are really yummy. I chose to use large Guittard milk chocolate chips for my first batch because I thought the milk chocolate would go well with the darker cocoa flavored dough. And the flavor combination worked perfectly. However, for presentation sake, you might want to use smaller chocolate chips.

As you can see in the picture, the cookies came out quite thin. That’s great because they are very crispy. And I love crispy cookies. But the larger chips stick out so much you might draw a similarity between the look of these cookies and what lays on the ground in a field of cows. (No offence intended towards cows.) But it does give a whole new meaning to cow chip cookies. (If you aren’t from the Seattle area, Cow Chip Cookies is a local company that makes and delivers truly delicious cookies. So any reference to or mention of cow chip cookies is only made in the most positive way.)   

Anyway, even though lovely presentation is probably not going to be the first remark out of your mouth, these are still truly delightful cookies. Just give them a lot of room on your cookie sheet. Even though the dough is chilled, the balls of dough still seem to take pleasure in cozying up to their neighbors as they bake. But then, shouldn’t we all try harder to adopt that kind of “get closer to our neighbors” behavior. The world would sure be a lot better off if everyone expended just a bit more effort in that direction. Peace, love, and chocolate chip cookies to all.

• 1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 c. brown sugar, packed
• ½ c. granulated sugar
• 2 eggs, room temp.
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• ½ c. good unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¾ c. malted milk powder
• 2½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 12 oz. (about 2 c.) milk, semi-sweet, or mini chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugars together until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla, beat until well combined. In a separate bowl, whisk the cocoa powder, malted milk powder, flour, baking soda, and salt together. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture blending just till combined. (Remember to scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl periodically.) Stir in the chocolate chips.

Refrigerate dough for about an hour. Using a small ice cream scoop, place cookie dough balls on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet at least 2-inches apart. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes or until set and beginning to look crackly on top. Don’t overbake. Remove from oven and transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

All of a sudden I have become a great fan of dark chocolate chips. And as for peanut butter chips, well I have been a devotee since they first appeared on grocery store shelves. And in combination, well there is no going back for this cookie lover. But sometimes dark chocolate chips can be hard to find. I use Guittard Extra Dark Chocolate Chips that I can usually find at our local Bartell Drugs Store. If you aren’t lucky enough to live in the Puget Sound area, I would recommend going on line to find a supply of these little darlings and then always keep them at the ready in your freezer. They really are wonderful chocolate chips. And these cookies are fantastic. Not too hard, not too soft – just right! And easy to make too!

I decided that I would take them to a recent choral rehearsal we were involved in. Some of us who had sung together for many years were asked to sing at the Celebration of Life for one of our fellow singers. A 49 year old woman who was one of the kindest, most amazing, and talented woman we had ever had the pleasure of calling a friend. It was rough.

We had already shed many tears, but accompanying the singers (Andy) and singing (me) was really difficult. And I knew how tough it would be for all of my fellow singers as well. So I decided to do what I had always done when we were singing together as a group. I brought cookies to the rehearsal. I knew this simple gesture would help bring a little normalcy to this difficult but ultimately rewarding occasion. And it worked, especially for the guys. They dove into the cookies as if they were a life line.  

No one knows what the future will bring. At the end of the Celebration of Life I was a little uncomfortable when the pastor got up to deliver his ending remarks. I thought his words might be a bit too preachy for my taste. But I could have hugged the man after he finished his closing comments. He said, and I paraphrase, “in these trying times – love each other a little bit more, show everyone a little bit more kindness, go out of your way to do something special for someone in need, live goodness rather than hate, and be understanding and respectful of others who have a different point of view than yours”.

His words really resonated with me, especially the “be understanding and respectful of others who have a different point of view than yours”. In these difficult times, it is almost impossible for me to even be in the same room with someone who defends much less admires our current administration. I see it as a character flaw and find the whole thing incomprehensible. So I need to change my ways. Not so much for anyone else’s sake, but rather for my own sake. As a decent human being. So I hope I’m not too old to learn a lesson about kindness and even forgiveness.

And even though the Celebration of Life was difficult and we are going to miss Laurie with all our hearts, I’m so glad I was reminded by her minister of what it means to be a good citizen of the world. And I’m going to continue baking cookies. Giving cookies away may just be a simple gesture, but it’s one that can make a difference in how someone sees the world and their place in it. So happy baking dear friends. And love and peace to all.

• 1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter
  1 c. brown sugar, packed
  ½ c. granulated sugar
  2 lg. eggs
  1 T. vanilla extract
  1¾ c. unbleached all-purpose flour
  1 tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. sea salt
• 3 c. rolled oats (not instant or quick cook)
• 1½ c. dark chocolate chips
  1½ c. peanut butter chips

Beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until light and creamy, about 4 minutes in your stand mixer. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

In a medium sized bowl whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together, then stir in the rolled oats. Add to the butter mixture and beat on low speed just until combined. Again, scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the dark chocolate and peanut butter chips, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds.

Using an ice cream scoop, drop cookies onto a lightly greased cookie sheet about 2-inches apart. 

Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 12 minutes or until edges and top are set. Don’t overbake.

Remove from oven and let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. (And don’t worry. The cookies will firm up as they cool.)  

Store in an airtight container. (And yes of course, you can easily halve this recipe, or double it for that matter!)

This recipe is from the Brown Eyed Baker site. (Great site BTW!) And boy oh boy are these bar cookies good. No wait. Good isn’t good enough. These are GREAT bar cookies. And ever so easy to make. You don’t even need a mixer. And I always say hurray to that. One less thing to bring out of my pantry.

So I made this recipe last week for Mr. C. and the other members of Seabreeze (a 7 piece jazz band) who rehearse once a week. And when it’s our turn to host the rehearsal, I make sure the guys get a homemade goodie for their break. (I’d actually go so far as to cook lunch for the guys if that’s what it took to bring them from Bellingham and surrounding areas to our home to practice. Because I absolutely love listening to them play. And because they are all really wonderful guys. But please don’t tell them I’d fix them lunch. I’m trying to reduce my commitments, not add to them. So for now I’m going to stick with serving them a homemade treat.) But enough about why I made these bar cookies.

As far as I’m concerned, bar cookies are the greatest time saving invention ever to hit my kitchen. And as I’ve already stated, these cookies are a snap to prepare. Just mix all the ingredients together, slap the batter into a greased pan, and throw the whole mess in the oven. 30 or so minutes later, take the pan out of the oven, place it on a cooling rack, and cut into whatever size pieces you want when cooled. Could not be easier.

So next time you bake a treat for your family or friends, give this recipe a try. These cookies are truly delightful. In fact they were recently awarded “the jazz musician’s seal of approval”. So you don’t have to take my word for how great these cookies taste. You now have verification from true experts. Thank you gentlemen!

1½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

¾ c. (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1½ c. light brown sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

1½ tsp. vanilla extract  

1½ c. unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted

1 c. roughly chopped macadamia nuts

1 c. white chocolate chips

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and light brown sugar until combined. Add the eggs and vanilla, and whisk until well combined. Using a rubber spatula, add the dry ingredients to the bowl and gently fold them into the egg mixture until just combined. Do not overmix. Fold in the toasted coconut, macadamia nuts, and white chocolate chips. Scoop the batter into a lightly greased 9×13-inch baking pan (glass preferably); smooth the batter into an even layer.

Bake in a pre-heated 325 degree oven (350 degrees if the pan is metal) until the top is shiny and cracked and feels firm to the touch, 30 – 33 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars as needed.

The bars can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

This recipe comes from the Serious Eats site. (Wonderful cooking site BTW.) I changed the directions a bit, and reduced the amount of salt, but the rest is true to its author.

And I am here to tell you, these bar cookies are amazing. I just wish I could say they were my invention, but that would be very, very wrong of me. I’m a good technician, but I could never have envisioned a bar cookie as good as this one. Now that’s not to say that I don’t have original ideas in the kitchen. Just that I know my limitations and work around them. And original recipes for sweets are never going to be my forte.

And that is why I love the internet. There are so many terrific bakers out there. It is truly humbling to read a recipe like this, prepare as directed (well within reason), and then reap the rewards of another person’s efforts and creative ability.

That leads me to why I have this site, why I often feature other cook’s recipes, and why I don’t advertise and make some money off my efforts. (I’m only bringing this up because I was recently asked about this very subject.) It’s simple.

I love good food and I want to share fabulous recipes with you that are tested, found to be wonderful, and as easy to prepare as possible. I simply want you to be able to trust this site. Because as you probably already know, for all the fantastic recipes out there, there are some (and I’ve made my share of them) that are absolutely not to my liking. I just want you to feel that if I have taken the time to post a recipe, it is because both Mr. C. and I have found the dish to be pretty darn delicious.

My ultimate goal is to help you in the kitchen whenever and however I can. And I don’t want you to have to wade through advertisements. I hate them myself, so why would I want to subject you to any more “special offers” for things you neither want nor need?   

So on that happy note, you simply must try this recipe. It is beyond belief easy to prepare and so darn good that you are not going to believe that such a simple recipe can produce something so delicious. Actually you better just bite the bullet if you have several mouths to feed, and make a double batch to begin with. If you do double the recipe, bake in a 10×16-inch pan or 2 9-inch square pans. And thank you again Serious Eats.      

11 T. unsalted butter

1 c. packed light brown sugar

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. baking soda

½ c. plus 2 T. maple syrup, divided  

1 large egg

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour

1¾ c. toasted walnuts, chopped, divided

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees for a glass pan, or 375 degrees for a metal pan.   

Partially melt the butter in a large microwave safe mixing bowl. Stir in the brown sugar, salt, and baking soda. Stir in the ½ cup maple syrup and egg until well combined. Add flour and stir until completely combined. Add 1½ cups of the chopped walnuts.

Spread into a lightly buttered 9-inch (preferably glass) square pan; smooth the top. Drizzle remaining 2 tablespoons of maple syrup over the top and swirl into batter. Sprinkle with remaining quarter cup walnuts.

Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown and almost set in the center (should still be slightly jiggly). Don’t overbake. Remove from oven. Place pan on a wire rack to cool completely. Cut into serving sized pieces just before serving.