Flourless Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Cookies

I sometimes think I have the attention span of a 5 year old, which explains why I will probably never be a patissier, a baker maybe, but never a pastry artist. There are a few foolproof baking recipes that I have found and mastered, which have a natural buffer for failure, so even if the cookies turn out as ugly cookies, I get forgiven because they shine in the flavour department. I recently found another recipe that can be put together in less than 10 minutes excluding baking time, other than measuring, it is an under-three-steps cookie: measure ingredients, stir them together, shape them and pop them into the oven. And, to me, there is nothing better than the combination of peanut butter and chocolate, two of the many of my favourite foods. Hersey’s got it spot on when they created those Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, and it’s a damn shame they don’t sell those here! As an alternative to Reese’s but a rather far substitute, this recipe makes a good double dozen of slightly sticky soft gooey delicious peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies.



Flourless Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes 24

Ingredients:
250 g chunky peanut butter
200 g golden brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
160 g miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Mix all ingredients except chocolate chips in medium bowl. Mix well then add in chocolate chips.
3. Using moistened hands, form generous 1 tablespoon dough for each cookie into ball. Arrange on 2 ungreased baking sheets, spacing 5 cm apart.
4. Bake cookies until puffed, golden on bottom and still soft to touch in centre, about 12 minutes. Cool on sheets 5 minutes. Transfer to racks; cool completely.

Recipe taken from: Bon Appétit, September 1999