Chautauqua Lake Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies

Today I was craving a good peanut butter cookie and thought of this recipe. Growing up, I spent a lot of my time at Chautauqua Lake sailing camp, but I wasn’t particularly fond of sailing. My mom would put theses cookies in my lunch box and that was probably the only reason I continued to agree to go. (The same cookie also worked a few years later, when I attended Nantucket Community Sailing). Chocolate and peanut butter are one of my favorite combinations and these cookies are the perfect balance of both. So whether you are trying to bribe your kid, butter up your boyfriend or just want to eat something sweet and salty, try these cookies.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 egg

1 1/4 cup flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup plus a little more of chopped peanuts

Directions:

1. Beat the butter until creamy. Add the sugars, beat for two minutes. Mix in the peanut butter and egg. Mix together the dry ingredients - flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix on medium speed, the dry ingredients into the sugar butter mixture.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Shape dough into tablespoon sized balls. Place about 3 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten in crisscross pattern with a fork. Bake until light brown, 8 to 9 minutes. Allow to cool. 
3. Place chocolate in microwave safe bowl and melt until smooth. Meanwhile coarsely chop peanuts until you have about 1/2 cup plus a little more. Dip cookies into chocolate and place on parchment paper. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts. Allow chocolate to harden, this could take a few hours. To speed up the process put cookies in refrigerator.