~ Peanut Butter, Oatmeal & Chocolate Chip Cookies ~
Everyone I know loves a basic chocolate-chip cookie. I've never met a person who'd refuse an old-fashioned oatmeal cookie, and, unless one has an allergy to peanuts, the classic peanut butter cookie has earned its place in the cookie jars of America. Three great reasons for me to combine the flavors of three great cookies into one great cookie. No out-of-the-ordinary ingredients list and certainly not gourmet -- just a very special kid-tested mother-approved recipe.
Take a step into that well-stocked pantry & open the refrigerator. You've probably got all the ingredients on-hand.
1 1/2 cups + 2 tablespoons unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup salted butter, at room temperature, very soft (2 sticks)
1 teaspoon pure chocolate extract
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup creamy or crunchy peanut butter
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 1/2-3 cups milk chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips, your choice (Note: I use milk chocolate chips -- a full 3 cups.)
~ Step 1. Line four large (17 1/2" x 12 1/2") baking pans with parchment paper and set aside. In a medium bowl, measure and stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350°.
~Step 2. Place the butter, eggs and extracts in a large bowl. Over medium-high speed of hand-held electric mixer, cream ingredients together, about 1 full minute, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a large rubber spatula the entire time. Add the sugars and thoroughly incorporate them, 30-45 more seconds, again, scraping down the sides of the bowl with the rubber spatula. Add the peanut butter and continue to beat until mixture is smooth and uniform in color, about 30 seconds.
~Step 3. Lower the mixer speed to low. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl (the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Over low speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl constantly with the spatula, incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, about 1 full minute. Remove the mixer (you will not need it any more). Use the spatula to add and thoroughly fold in the rolled oats, followed by the chocolate chips.
~ Step 4. Using a 1 3/4" ice-cream scoop as a measure, drop balls of cookie dough, well-apart, onto each prepared pan, 12 on each pan. Bake cookies, one-pan-at-a-time on center rack of 350° oven, for 13-14 minutes or until lightly brown around the edges and bottoms. Remove from oven and allow to cool on pan for about 1 minutes, then, use a spatula to transfer cookies to wire rack to cool completely.
Slightly-salty & satisfyingly not too sweet -- what a treat:
Peanut Butter, Oatmeal & Chocolate-Chip Cookies: Recipe yields 44-46 (not quite 4 dozen), 2"-round cookies.
Special Equipment List: 4, 17 1/2" x 12 1/2" baking pans; parchment paper; spoon; hand-held electric mixer; large rubber spatula; 1 3/4" ice-cream scoop; wire cooling rack; thin spatula
Cook's Note: ~ My Favorite Sugar Cookie is: The Snickerdoodle ~. A traditional snickerdoodle is a flat, golden, crispy on the outside, slightly-chewy on the inside, sugar cookie made with butter and shortening, then dusted with cinnamon and sugar prior to baking. It doesn't contain chocolate or white chocolate chips, dried fruit, nuts, other embellishments or flavorings. Spare me any recipes that attempt to make this cookie gourmet. As for the name: it's believed it's German in origin, from the German word "Schnickennudeln", which is a cinnamon-dusted sweet roll.
"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti
(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2021
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