Guest Post: The Only Time You'll See Peanut Butter on Take A Bite

Oh, what a joy it is to be blogging again! I have taken a nice break but was more than ready to do a guest post for Take a Bite. I loved getting back in to the kitchen with a new recipe, camera in hand, and ready to make a mess for the sake of cookies and a blog post. Recipes for a blog always take longer when you factor in the extra minutes of angling your KitchenAid just right, perfectly stacking your cookies, burning a dish towel on the stove, and crawling on furniture to capture your creation just right. I savored each moment knowing that it will only happen every so often.

As much as I love Annie’s blog and drool over every recipe post, there is something huge missing from her recipe index. Peanut butter! I guess she has a good reason, seeing as that she is allergic, but I figured for my first guest post I would offer the followers something that she can’t give you. So I present you Dipped + Crisp Peanut Butter Cookies! I had been holding on to this recipe for a special occasion and a blazing hot, lazy, Sunday afternoon sounds like the perfect event!

I can always count on finding the best recipes from Joy the Baker and not that I will ever get tired of a classic peanut butter cookie, but sometimes you just gotta kick it up a notch. I can assure you that dipping perfect peanut butter cookies in rich, dark chocolate and sprinkling them with honey roasted peanuts and sea salt is a way to kick up a basic cookie and a basic Sunday. I love that cookies can turn around a whole mood and make the last day of the weekend seem more like a treat and less like Monday-Eve. If the cookies aren’t enough to brighten your day, I would recommend listening to Taylor Swift’s new song on repeat. Dance party is not optional.

Dipped + Crisp Peanut Butter Cookies original recipe from one of our favorite food bloggers, Joy the Baker
yields 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

For the Cookies:
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus more for coating
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

For the Topping
8 ounces dark chocolate chunks
2 tablespoons coconut oil
3 tablespoons coarse sea salt
1/3 cup coarsely chopped honey roasted peanuts, chopped

Directions:
In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars on medium speed. Beat for about 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla extract egg and beat on medium speed until combined, about 2 minutes. Add the peanut butter and beat until just combined.

Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl, ensuring that all of the wet ingredients are thoroughly combined. Add the dry ingredients all at once. Beat on low speed until just combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer and finish mixing with a spatula. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

While the cookie dough chills, preheat the oven.

Place a rack in the center and upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Place about 1/2 cup granulated sugar in a small bowl for coating the dough. Spoon cookie dough by the tablespoonful into the palm of your hand. Gently roll into a ball and coat in sugar. Place on the prepared baking sheet and use a fork to mark the cookies with a cross-hatch pattern. Place cookies on the sheet about 1-inch apart.

Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes until removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Melt chocolate and coconut oil in a double boiler or in the microwave. Stir until completely smooth and combined. Place in a small but deep bowl for dipping. Place the salt and chopped peanuts in separate bowls near your dipping area. Dip the cookies halfway into the melted chocolate. Place on a parchment lined tray. Sprinkle with chopped nuts and a bit of sea salt. Place in the refrigerator to harden the chocolate. I bagged my cookies up and store them in the refrigerator. Delicious!