Monday, March 19, 2012

Brown Butter Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies - Secret Recipe Club


My March Secret Recipe Club submission has been met with extreme research.   Immediately visiting my assigned blog, Mangia, nearly an entire hour was spent getting caught up in Chelsey's posts on subjects ranging from food, to pins, to photos, to her family and on to her brand new iPhone.  Chelsey is truly an adorable 20-something who reminds me of my own Liv with her passion for Living Life and the happiness she exudes while doing it.

A Texas girl, with similarities to me in her recipe style, Chelsey's blog is filled with healthy recipes in combination with hearty dishes and extremely tempting sweet treats.  A recent grad with a BA in Kinesiology (had to look that one up... the scientific study of human movement) she boasts an Italian heritage that had her making meatballs before riding a bike.  Inspired by her sister who has Celiac Disease, Chelsey works to recreate family favorites in a Gluten-Free fashion, and from my perusing, she succeeds.

With my extensive research interrupted by Liv's dance rehearsal schedule and life in general, the publish date for this SRC assignment was on me before I knew it, and not being a gluten-free baker I didn't have some of the necessary ingredients on hand to attempt one of the GF recipes.  Hence, I turned to a gluten-full recipe featuring my beloved peanut butter -  peanut butter, peanut butter chips, chocolate chips, brown sugar and brown butter to be exact.  Ahhhh... I think I'm in heaven!

As such, my second level of research began:  Studying the actual recipe.  Making a few substitutions (simply due to what I had, or rather didn't have, on hand - who runs out of a/p flour??), my dough came out a tad crumbly in my first batch, but was packed with chocolate chips as I may have wonderfully added a few more than required.

Test #1:  The Dough.  Yep... the dough was divine!

Bake and Test #2:  The Warm cookie.  Good, but not as good as the dough.

Cool and Test #3:  The Cooled cookie.  Wow.  Wow!  Did I say, "Wow!!!"?
 
Actual adjectives used by teenage boys and girls who devoured these cookies include:  Extraordinary,  fantastic,  superb,  excellent,  exquisite,  muy bueno,  delicious,  out of this world, awesome, brilliant and totally killer.

Ok, on with the experimentation and research.  Hearing a famous Dr. Seuss rhyme on the radio as I was baking, I figured Today was my Day.  I was off to great places, I was off and away.

But...

Would I like them on a plate?
Absolutely, it must be fate.

Would I like them in the afternoon?
Most definitely as these beauties make me swoon.

Would I like them in the car?
Yep, especially if I have to drive very far.

Would I like them in the morning for brunch?
Without a doubt, I'll have a bunch.

And lastly,
Would I like them in the kitchen?
You bet!  These cookies are **tchen'!

Ok... so I don't really use words like the last one, but I couldn't think of anything else to rhyme with kitchen, and well, the description is apt and it's the word my teenage son used to describe these beauties.

Chelsey, your cookies rock!  We did a taste and critique test at dance the other night, and with 6 thirteen year old girls in my car we went through no less that 20 cookies in no time at all.  I had 3 requests to bring them again next week and 2 request to send the recipes to the girls' mothers.  When asked what they would do differently, the overwhelming response was, "Nothing!  Don't change a thing!".

I'd say we have a winner.

Brown Butter Peanut Butter Chip Cookies
My first batch came out a bit crumbly, most likely due to my lack of measuring and adding too much whole wheat flour (Liv actually preferred this batch).  The second batch, however, turned out wonderfully.  Taken to our St. Patrick's Day adult event, the plate was cleaned quickly and my next door neighbor wanted to make sure that I had more so she "could have some tomorrow".  I haven't had a hit like these in a while!
Baking instructions are Chelsey's

2 sticks (1 c.) of unsalted butter (I used 1 stick + 6 Tbs)
1/2 c. granulated sugar

1 3/4 c. brown sugar
(I used 1 1/2 Cups)
2/3 c. creamy peanut butter
(I used a very generous 2/3 cup)
2 eggs

2 t. pure vanilla extract

3 c. all-purpose flour
(I used 2 Cups A/P Flour and 1 Cup Whole Wheat)
1 1/2 t. baking soda

3/4 t. salt

1 c. peanut butter chips
(+ 2-3 really big handfuls of dark chocolate chips - the teen girls LOVED the high ratio of chip/cookie)

1. Heat a large saute pan over medium heat on the stove and melt the butter.

2. Keep your eye on the butter, as it will start to foam and make a crackling noise (watch out, you could get hit by little "spits" of hot butter).

3. After the foam subsides, small brown flecks will start to appear on the bottom of the pan. Once the butter has reached a nice brown color, and has a nutty aroma, turn the heat off. Pour the browned butter into a small bowl and refrigerate until solid again.

4. Using an electric mixer, cream the solid butter, sugar, and peanut butter until mixed well. Scrape down the side of the bowl.

5. Continue mixing, while adding the eggs one at a time, making sure each egg is incorporated before adding the next.

6. Add the vanilla. Mix well for a few minutes until the batter is light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl with a spatula.

7. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

8. With the machine on low, slowly add the flour. Mix until just combined, making sure not to over mix.

9. Fold in the peanut butter and chocolate chips.

10. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. 

11. Bake at 350 F for 9-12 (we found about 10 min was good for our batch) minutes, or until golden on the outside, and slightly gooey on the inside.

12. Allow to cool on a wire rack...or just eat immediately!





41 comments:

  1. These look delicious and I KNOW the brown butter sends them over the top! GREAT write-up on Chelsey as well!!

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  2. Peanut butter noodles, peanut butter stuffed cookies, and now these delicious looking cookies! Am I seeing a trend this SRC post?

    These actually sound fantastic and I may make them this week as I am on SPRING BREAK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  3. These sound fantastic! I'd like test number 2 =o) Warm cookies are heavenly!

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  4. Wow you liked the cooled better than the warm cookie!? That never happens to me. Must try.

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  5. I think I'll have your eggs and quinoa for breakfast and these cookies for lunch please! LOVE the way these look! I'm hopelessly attracted to crackly cookies like these!

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  6. Wow these look incredible!! Lovin alllll the peanut butter - yumm!! My SRC post was the same way, dough - awesome, warm - still good, cooled down - amazing! Great recipe, totally saving this!

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  7. I use the cookie dough taste test, too :) These look fantastic...and you got better adjectives out of the teenagers hanging out at your house than I ever do...though I'm certain something would be uttered in Spanish as well...LOL.

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  8. I picked a recipe with brown butter also - it is so insanely good!

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  9. Wow, these looks fantastic - and I love that they're gluten free, too!

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  10. Yum to your pick for the SRC and yum to your blog! I'm here from Group A but wanted to stop by and say hi and admire all your yummy recipes and food here!

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  11. You HAVE to do the dough test! These cookies sound delicious, and look amazing! I need to try baking with browned butter soon!

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  12. Hahha it seems like you really loved these. They look amazing. Brown butter is always a plus!

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  13. i adore brown butter, and these look like amazing cookies! thanks for sharing!

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  14. OMG! Aren't they just ah-mazing! They look great! You did a fantastic job! Thank you so much for the write up! I just love your blog...have been following for quite some time! I am so glad everyone enjoyed them!

    MANGIA!!!

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  15. I was all in at the combo of brown butter and peanut butter! And I am a dough tester too, if the dough isn't good, why bother?

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  16. Kim,
    These cookies are amazing and the accolades that you received for these cookies prove it. I'm sure that the chocolate and peanut butter in the cookies, along with the browned butter, put them over the top.

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  17. Love your rhyme! Okay, so I had a couple sticks of butter sitting out on the counter too long and they started to melt in the unseasonably warm temp we're currently experiencing. These cookies will be absolutely PERFECT way to use that butter. So glad I visited today. I plan to make your tweaked version - thanks!

    :)
    ButterYum

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  18. Brown Butter in cookies! TO DIE FOR!!

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  19. Ah...my peanut butter-loving friend. You had me at the title...I must must make these! Must. Speaking of...you need to come by my blog and enter my Biscoff Easter Prize Pack giveaway: two jars of Biscoff Crunchy + a cute Easter Bunny cookie jar filled w/Biscoff cookies.

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  20. Kim...these cookies look so scrumptious. Actually, I don't know how you got them in the oven! The picture of the spoonful of dough is all I need! Fabulous! : )

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  21. Brown butter makes everything better!

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  22. Kim, I have zero confidence when it comes to baking cookies but you have sold me on trying these. Oh my gosh, I can't wait!

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  23. Kim, these cookies look amazing! I honestly believe the world is a better place when there is browned butter! Bookmarked this recipe!

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  24. this looks wonderful deliciously done cookies

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  25. Kim - I actually already pinned this cookie earlier since it just caught my eye. Love the brown butter addition - I bet it just adds the extra special something-something! Glad that we are part of group C together!

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  26. I love your three tests, the browned butter and this cookie!

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  27. Brown butter and peanut butter? And chocolate? It does not get much better than this :D

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru
    Latest: Lemon Polenta Raisin Cookies + Mini Berry Yoghurt Tropical Bundts

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  28. Peanut butter, chocolate, and then brown butter? we are all OVER these!

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  29. Just wanted to stop back by and let you know I made these! They are everything you said. I used a full bag of mini chocolate chips in mine. Really, these are too delicious. I had to stick half in the freezer so we wouldn't devour them!

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  30. Aw! Such a clever rhyme!! Who doesn't love a good nod to Dr. Seuss!?

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  31. What a great post, and the cookies look amazing!

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  32. Browned butter improves the flavor of most anything. These look perfect.

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  33. Those cookies look fantastic! I've never worked with brown butter in a recipe, I think it's time I do!

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  34. I totally love recipes that use brown butter! This sounds perfect! Great guest post, Kim! Thanks for sharing this with us :)

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  35. Stop teasing me! I have a thing for peanut butter and chocolate....one of my favorite food combinations!

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  36. These cookies look totally devine! Brown sugar in cookies is a match made in heaven. I also love your writing 'voice'. You're so natural and witty. You have a new fan, girl!

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  37. Love the browned butter in this recipe, sounds delicious.

    If you haven't already, I'd love for you to check out my Group 'A' SRC entry: Broiled Sushi.

    Lisa~~
    Cook Lisa Cook

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  38. Wow thanks for sharing! I was looking for a really good recipe to make for the hope that I could make a peace offering gift to someone.

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