Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies

By bakers_delight85

This dough can be made ahead and frozen for up to a month, so if you get surprise guests, you can surprise them right back with an over-the-top treat.

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 11 Tbsp. unsalted butter, slightly softened
• 2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2/3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup unsalted peanuts, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup lightly salted roasted cashews, coarsely chopped
• 7 ounces bittersweet chocolate, cut into 1/4-inch chunks

Preparation

Step 1

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the butter and peanut butter at medium-high speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Gradually add the brown and granulated sugars and beat at medium speed until well blended. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in the vanilla extract. At low speed, beat in the dry ingredients. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the peanuts, cashews and bittersweet chocolate chunks. Cover the bowl and let dough stand for 10 minutes. (The dough can be wrapped in plastic and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or frozen, well wrapped, for up to a month.) Drop the dough by slightly rounded Tbsp. onto ungreased baking sheets, spacing the cookies at least 2 inches apart. Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, for 11 to 13 minutes, until just starting to brown lightly around the edges; they should still be soft in the center. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack and cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.