only delicious

I love baking. I looooooooooooooooove baking for other people. This is good when the bakee is delicious and well-tested, not so good when it's a first try sort of situation. (i.e. don't bake a new, untasted cake for a dear friend's going away party that looks fabulously canadian, but is too icky-sweet to even enjoy. bah.) Anyway, I'm about to share with you the easiest and most delicious peanut butter cookie recipe you've ever had. People will fall at your feet in adoration when you feed them these cookies. They will clap their hands and cry, "More, MORE, MORE!" They will clamor for the recipe, and you will smile down upon them and, well, give it to them if you wanted to. Anyway, it's really good. And really simple. So I'm sharing it with you. Because I love you. And it was Valentine's Day a couple of hours ago. And I can't sleep. Which accounts for the rambling.

Here you go:

1/2 cup Peanut Butter (NOT Skippy, Bouncey, or any of that weird stuff. The natural kind. That you have to stir. I like Trader Joe's Crunchy Salted, but the unsalted and creamy versions work just as well. Be sure to add a pinch of salt if you use the unsalted kind.
1/2 cup Butter, softened (When baking, use unsalted butter unless otherwise stated. It gives you so much more flavor control.)
1/2 cup White Sugar, plus 1/4 cup for rolling
1/2 cup Packed Brown Sugar
1 Egg
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 1/4 cup Flour
1 cup or so of Chocolate Chunks or Chips (Semi-Sweet or Dark are best.)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Put 1/4 cup of white sugar in a bowl. Set aside.
In a large bowl, blend Peanut Butter and Butter on high for 30 seconds. Mix in Sugars, Egg, and Vanilla. Blend well. Mix in Baking Powder and Baking Soda. Add flour slowly, making sure that it blends completely, scraping sides of the bowl when necessary. Fold in Chocolate chunks.
Shape a small spoonful of dough into a ball by rolling between your palms. It should be about the size of a shooter marble or walnut shell. Gently roll the ball in the sugar that has been set aside, lightly coating on all sides. Set cookie on baking sheet. Repeat until sheet is full.
Taking a fork, gently press tines into the top of the dough in an "X" pattern. Be sure not to smash your cookies, or they will turn out too flat.
Bake for 8-10 minutes, depending on your oven. Mine usually takes about 12-14 minutes. Just look for the golden edge on the bottom of the cookie, and pull it out when it looks done. Try not to overbake them or they will get all crunchy.
Allow to cool for a few minutes before devouring the test one that "broke."

Share. Enjoy. And seriously, you will love these guys. At least I do.