Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

Are you ready for Santa tonight? Did you already bake some cookies for him? These cookies may tempt him to leave extra gifts tonight. You never know but they may. I think they tempted my husband to buy me some extra gifts or it could have he has felt bad that I was hit hard with the flu. These cookies are the perfect mix of a peanut chocolate chip cookie.

Are these enough cookies for Santa?

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies
 1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1 (11 1/2 oz) bag chocolate chips

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, beat the butter, shortening, and peanut butter until creamy.
2. Add the sugar and beat well.
3. Add the eggs and beat for 1 minute.
4. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
5. Slowly, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Beat well.
6. Fold in the chocolate chips until combined.
7. Scoop about 2 Tbsp of batter and shape into balls.
8. Place the dough onto a parchment lined cookie sheets and flatten slightly.
9. Bake the cookies for about 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
10. Allow to cool for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe adapted from My Recipes.com. 
One year ago...........................I made Snowman Sugar Cookies. 

 Did you already know.............
-In 1955, children could call to find out where Santa was in the world.
-NORAD continues the tradition and children can track Santa online.

Merry Christmas to All!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

My youngest sister loves chocolate. When I was a child, we would receive chocolate for the holidays. My sister would eat all of her chocolate and then wait. Why was she waiting? She knew I would eat a few pieces of my chocolate and hide the rest for later. After a couple of weeks, my sister would always find my hidden stash. I would normally catch her in my closet with the evidence. I never got mad at her. She was just to cute.

Today, I decided to bake up some cookies. Within the hour, my youngest sister happen to visit me. She didn't know I was making cookies and I wasn't expecting her. I wasn't surprised since my family would joke and say if there was chocolate around, my sister would find it.

My sister and I agree these cookies are good. Aren't all chocolate chip cookies good? I have previously told you how my youngest sister will eat dessert instead of her meals. These cookies were my sister's breakfast. These cookies do have my sisters stamp of approval.These cookies are a nice start to kick off the holiday season.

Warning: These cookies need to be chilled for at least 24 hours.

Chocolate Chip Cookies from Jacques Torres
2 cups cake flour, measure and take out 2 Tbsp of the cake flour
1 2/3 cups bread flour
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup (2 1/2 sticks) butter, unsalted
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
1 cup and 2 Tbsp sugar
2 eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 lbs. bittersweet chocolate disks or chips
sea salt for the top of the cookies

Directions:
Whisk the cake flour, bread flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
Cream the butter and the sugars in another bowl.
Add the eggs, one at a time and mix.
Stir in the vanilla and mix well.
Add the flour mixture and mix well.
Fold in the chocolate pieces and mix until the chocolate is incorporated.
Press plastic wrap against the dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours.
Next day, scoop the dough onto a baking sheet about the size of a golf ball.
Sprinkle the top of the dough with sea salt.
Bake between 16 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown and still soft.
Wait about a minute and then transfer the cookies onto a wire rack to cool.

Recipe adapted from New York Times website.

Did you already know....................
-Jacques Torres was raised in France but now makes his home in New York City.
-In 2000, Jacques Torres opened his first chocolate factory in Brooklyn, New York.
-Mr. Torres makes his own chocolate by starting from the cocoa bean.
-Mr. Torres is referred as Mr. Chocolate. He is married to a fellow chocolatier.