Peanut butter white chocolate cookies

Peanut butter is one of my favorite foods, so put it into a cookie and I'm sold! I knew that the subtle saltiness of peanut butter would work well with the sweetness of white chocolate, and the crisp and chewy texture of this cookie just brings it all together.

This cookie doesn't require any special equipment, and because it uses melted butter you also don't need to factor in time to bring your butter to room temperature before starting. It is important though for your peanut butter and eggs to be at room temperature - so if you're like me and your peanut butter is stored in the fridge, be sure to take it out with your eggs about 30 minutes before starting.

A few notes on ingredients:

• Peanut butter: Make sure to use a natural peanut butter with no added oils. The only ingredients should be dry roasted peanuts and possibly salt. If you use one with added oils the texture of your cookies may be different in the end!

• White chocolate: I recommend using a white chocolate bar or pieces large enough that you can chop, ones that are meant to be melted. This will result in a much tastier cookie, though chips will still be delicious. If you use a white chocolate that melts more naturally, you'll wind up with delicious caramelized pieces that give this cookie its signature taste and a little added crunch! My favorite white chocolate is made by Valrhona, and I promise it's worth the price.

• Sugar: This recipe uses a higher ratio of granulated sugar as compared to my typical chocolate chip cookie. Light brown sugar is still an important ingredient that give this cookie a chew and unique sweetness, but the higher amount of granulated sugar helps to give this cookie the perfect exterior crisp with a deliciously chewy center.

Though this recipe doesn't require any fancy equipment or ingredients, it does need some time to chill prior to baking. The dough will spread a decent amount, but it needs time in the fridge to chill in order to get the best end result. Allowing your dough to chill and settle will get you that perfect crisp exterior and chewy center that you want and I promise the wait is oh so worth it. You have the option to either bake all of the cookies or freeze some or all of the dough to bake later for fresh baked cookies any time - the freezing guidance is at the end of the recipe!

For scooping your cookie dough, your cookies should be about 2 1/2 to 3 tablespoons in size. I love these scoops from Cook'n Feel (I use the medium scoop usually for cookies) or this large scoop from Oxo.

Ingredients:

• 1 sticks (1/2 cup) unsalted butter 113g

• 2/3 cup granulated sugar 127g

• 1/4 cup brown sugar 48g

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 eggs + 1 egg yolk

• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter* 64g

• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour 135g

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 6 oz / 1 cup chopped white chocolate 170g

*The peanut butter should be a natural one with no added oils, dry roasted peanuts (and possibly salt) should be the only ingredient.

Total time: 4-7 hours including chill time

Prep time: About 15 minutes

Bake time: 10-12 minutes

Inactive chill time: 3-6 hours

Servings: 12 cookies

Equipment:

• Whisk and Spatula or large spoon

• Cookie sheets

• Parchment paper

• Scooper (2 1/2 to 3 tablespoons)

Cooking instructions:

In a large bowl, melt your butter. Then add in both sugars and whisk until fully combined and your sugar begins to melt into your butter to form a thickened texture.

Add in your vanilla extract and one egg. Continue to whisk, and add in your extra yolk once your first egg is incorporated. Keep whisking until your mixture is thickened and lighter in color.

Next, add in your peanut butter and continue to whisk until fully incorporated.

Add in your dry ingredients, flour, baking soda and salt. Use a spatula to fold in your dry ingredients. When your dough is about halfway formed, add in your chopped white chocolate. Continue to mix only as much as necessary, until your chocolate is evenly dispersed and your dough is just formed.

Cover your cookie dough with plastic wrap or put it into an airtight container, and place your dough in the fridge for at least three hours up to six to chill. You can also chill your dough overnight, up to 24 hours, if time allows! I highly recommend leaving your dough for at least the minimum of three hours so that you get the best end result in taste and texture.

When you're ready to bake, remove your dough from the fridge. If you left it for an extended chill time, you may need to give it some time at room temperature before scooping - no more than 30 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Line large cookie sheets with parchment paper and use a large scoop or spoon to portion out your dough (it should make 12 cookies at about 2 1/2 - 3 tablespoons each) and place the portioned dough spaced out onto your lined cookie sheets. Note that these cookies will spread so make sure to space them out appropriately. If your dough feels too soft to the touch, place the scooped dough balls into the fridge to firm up prior to baking.

Bake your cookies for 10-12 minutes. Remove your cookies from the oven, allow them to cool, and enjoy!

Additional cooking and storing information:

If you don't think you'll finish the batch within 2-3 days, I recommend freezing some of your dough so you can bake some of the cookies later on. To do this, place your scooped cookie dough onto a baking sheet and into the freezer for 12-24 hours. Then, transfer your frozen dough to a plastic bag or airtight container and store in the freezer. From frozen, you can bake your cookies at 325 for 13-16 minutes.

You can store the baked cookies in an airtight container once cooled for about 3 days. If you do eat a cookie the day after being baked, place it into the microwave for about 5-10 seconds to refresh it. I cannot emphasize enough though how much I recommend keeping the dough frozen and baking the amount you want to eat within a day or two because you just cannot beat the experience of fresh baked cookies! These cookies will still taste delicious the next day, but note that they may lose some of their crisp.

Carb and serving info:

Servings: 12

Carbs per serving: 33

Carbs for full recipe: 401

Carbs from chocolate: 90 (adjust this if you use a different type or brand of white chocolate!)

Note: Carb information is calculated based on the specific ingredients I used to cook with to help guide my own insulin to carb ratio when dosing before I eat my home cooked recipes.