Baking: Chocolate Cookies (with Peanut Butter Chips)

I decided to try to bake some chocolate cookies... those just sounded good and different from what I've already tried.  My mom told me to look at the recipes because a lot of chocolate cookies can end up feeling dry, so I went for a 'chewy' chocolate cookie recipe to help with that.

So I did what I always do - google and pick the one I want... which in this case was the first one from food.com.

At first I thought I may have messed it up... I left the butter on top of my stove to soften, but left it there almost too long, luckily I realized in time (my oven heats up the top fast!)... I also added the cocoa powder to my butter and sugar mixture without thinking (should have gone in the dry ingredients).  I mixed it up the best I could, but it was dry with the powder in there, so I ended up making sure it was all mixed up by hand (totally messy but worth it)

I ended up cooking them a bit differently this time too - only one sheet at a time... I don't always plan on doing that, but was testing it out... that and I forgot to move my racks around while the oven was cool and I'm scared of ovens so I didn't want to do it when it was hot (yes this is a real fear of mine... a stupid stupid, but real fear)

Either way - they were great!! Probably the best cookies I've made - texture-wise I didn't over cook them and had a good balance of chewy and crunchy.  The peanut butter chips in them were awesome (although I will say that I didn't mix them up well enough in the batter as some had a bunch and others not so much... but I also kinda like the variety like that)

Dan seemed to like them too... he's been eating them since I made them.

Here's the recipe from food.com
1 1/4 cups butter or 1 1/4 cups margarine, softened

2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups peanut butter chips (12 oz. pkg.) or 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (12 oz. pkg.)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°.
2. In large mixer bowl; cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.
4. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; gradually blend into creamed mixture. Stir in peanut butter or chocolate chips.
5. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-9 minutes. (Do not overbake; cookies will be soft. They will puff while baking and flatten while cooling.).
6. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet onto wire rack. Cool completely.