Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
Nothing beats a good book, a roaring fire and a fresh batch of these Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies!
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Are you guys over the holiday hangover yet? Have you settled back into your old (or new?) routine? With the wacky weather we’ve had here in upstate New York this year, it’s barely felt like winter. I finally had to dig the snow shovels out about 2 weeks ago. Granted, we only had about 2-3 inches of icy snow, but I had to clear a spot in the backyard for the dogs. I was out there at 7am in a bathrobe and slippers shoveling a path in the backyard. But I don’t mind it too much as I don’t have to walk out there 
Anyhoo, the holidays are now behind us, and we’re settling in for a cold winter. Cold winters mean fires in the fireplace. And fires in the fireplace just require good books and good movies, right? The other night, our local news flashed up a graphic of the most popular books in 2015 from the New York Public Library. That pretty much sounds like a to-do list to me. I’ve been working on the Song of Ice and Fire (i.e. Game of Thrones) series by George R. R. Martin, but I’ll be wrapping that one up soon. It’s time to start scouting out some new books for the list!
#6: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (The movie was incredible, so I’m sure this book is even better. It’s sitting on my bookshelf waiting for me.)
#5: Prodigal Son by Danielle Steel (I’ve never been a huge Danielle Steel fan, but this one was a NY Times bestseller. That’s legit.)
#4: NYPD Red 3 by James Patterson (I’ve read tons of James Patterson books over the years. Nice, easy, entertaining reads, so I suspect this one will be similar.)
#3: Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee (I’ve heard mixed reviews about this one, but it’s Harper Lee. She’s one of the most famous American novelists of our time. I probably should read this one.)
#2: The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins (This one has been sitting on my shelf waiting. I’ve heard amazing things about it, so it’s next up for sure!)
…and the #1 book of 2015 according to the New York Public Library?
#1: Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult (Don’t know much about this one, but there’s probably a reason why it’s so popular.)
Little Robbie is about to hit 2 months old here soon. In my head, I thought my wife and I would be hanging out reading books and watching movies like crazy once Robbie arrived. That hasn’t played out quite as expected, but I still have a nice reading list lined up for these cold winter days ahead. I plan on curling up on the couch next to the fire with my book, a couple of Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies and a glass of milk.
Oh wait, did you say Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies? Sure enough! I whipped up a batch of these bad boys the other day, and my wife and I were instant fans. C’mon–it’s chocolate and peanut butter. You can’t go wrong with chocolate and peanut butter!
But I did something sneaky with these cookies. No, I didn’t hide broccoli in the dough. That would just be rude. But I did sneak in several tablespoons of ground flaxseed meal. Flaxseed is packed with omega-3 fatty acids (i.e. the “good” fats) as well as dietary fiber. This means that flaxseed meal is an excellent way to naturally control cholesterol. Since I’m probably going to be making cookies anyways, I figured why not slip some healthy ingredients in there at the same time!
We use whole flaxseeds in our go-to maple granola recipe (which I just realized I’ve never posted…stay tuned for that one), but I wasn’t sure how whole flaxseeds would work in these Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies. So I grabbed some ground flaxseed meal from Bob’s Red Mill instead. (While I opted to keep the eggs in this dough, it’s worth noting that flaxseed meal can be used to replace eggs in baking recipes.)
As we head into the coldest part of the winter, you can probably find me curled up on the couch nibbling on cookies and reading The Girl on the Train. That is, when I’m not changing diapers or shoveling snow.
Have you read any of these books?
Have you used flaxseed meal in other recipes? (And will you share those recipes with me?)
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup old-fashioned oats
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 2 Tbsp flaxseed meal
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup semisweet chocolate chunks
- ½ cup peanut butter chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, oats, cocoa powder, flaxseed meal, baking soda and salt. Set mixture aside.
- Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter, brown sugar and sugar until light and fluffy (~3 minutes on medium speed). Add egg and vanilla; beat on medium-low speed until well combined.
- Add flour mixture to the mixing bowl; beat on medium-low speed until just combined.
- Fold in the chocolate chunks and peanut butter chips.
- Shape 1½ Tbsp of dough into a rough ball and place on parchment-lined sheet pan; press dough gently with palm of hand to flatten. Repeat with remaining dough.
- Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes, or until edges of cookies begin to turn crispy.
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Bob’s Red Mill.
The opinions and recipe are all my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Spiced!
Okay, LOVED Gone Girl (along with everyone else, of course). It was awesome. And I could also read it with a fractured attention span due to small child interruptions, so that’s a plus. And I’m sorry, but I’m giving Go Set a Watchman a big fat NO. Maybe it’s my English teacher side coming out, but I feel like that book is just not that good, and it’s nowhere near as good as To Kill a Mockingbird.
Don’t get me started on books, David. Do not. 🙂
And definitely don’t get me started on peanut butter and chocolate, because that’s the best food combination in all of history and I will devour all of anything with it, flaxseed or no. These look perfect!
I’m with you 100%, Mir! My wife told me I would love the movie, and woah. I want to watch it again and again and again. I recall saying, “I never want this movie to end!” So the book is definitely up soon. Thanks for the feedback on Go Set a Watchman. I’ve heard pretty negative reviews, but I figured it’s Harper Lee and therefore needs to be read. But if an English teacher is telling me to pass on it, then maybe I actually need to pass! Either way, let’s make cookies and read a lot of books this winter. You know, in all of our free time. 🙂
Like you and Mrs Spiced, chocolate and PB are a match made in heaven! Saw what I did there? 🙂
Seriously, these cookies are phenomenal and I am setting the longitude and latitude co-ordinates on my drone so it should be arriving in your neighborhood within the next couple of hours or so to pick these up because cookies are for sharing right? And hey – nothing wrong with a bit of broccoli in the dough every now and then or even beets! Happy Monday David!
Hahaha…I see what you did there, Shashi! Clever, clever. 🙂 So I heard something clunk into the side of my house yesterday, and then I heard a crunch in the driveway as I backed out to go to my curling game last night. Tell me I don’t have a broken drone in my driveway right now! (Oh, and if you make broccoli cookies, then I’ll be mega-impressed.)
Chocolate and peanut butter? This is an awesome combination, these cookies are a must for anyone who loves this combo! The cookies look amazing, I’d eat up the whole stack 🙂
Thanks so much, Melanie! I’m with ya here…it’s hard to beat chocolate + peanut butter. In fact, it might be time for another batch of these bad boys soon!
I have a long list of novels to read as well. I’m gonna have to check out the list you mentioned, and downloaded a few samples. In my opinion, there is nothing better than a plate full of cookies, milk and a good book.
I’m right there with ya, Nicole! I want to turn off the tv, turn off the phone and light a fire. Then pull out a good book, a glass of milk and some of these chocolate cookies. The only trick will be staying awake for more than 5 pages! 🙂
Hi David! You and I are on the same flavor train, just in different cars! This afternoon I’m making a chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting, topped with you know what! 🙂 But, I’ve already printed off this recipe!
Woah…we’re definitely on the same train then, Dorothy! How about we trade seats for a bit of the ride? I could go for some cake (plus bacon!), and I’ll gladly have some fresh cookies waiting for you in my seat. 🙂 Hope the cake turned out great!
Thanks for the reading list! I’ve always loved Jodi Picoult. I actually made the decision (for now at least) to not read Harper Lee’s book. To Kill a Mockingbird is my absolute favorite and was a huge inspiration for me becoming a public defender, so the bad reviews make me think Go Set A Watchman will kill it for me. Now, I would like to have some of these cookies! Who doesn’t love chocolate and peanut butter? P.S. I can’t believe you shovel snow in slippers! Yikes! and Brrrrr.
Wow, I had no idea that To Kill a Mockingbird played such a role in your life’s work, Rachelle. How awesome is that? I’m thinking you are making the right call on the new book, though. I’ve heard very mixed reviews, and I’m afraid it might just take Mockingbird down a notch. But thanks for the Jodi Picoult feedback! Oh, and regarding the snow shoveling in slippers? It wasn’t a lot of snow…only an inch or two. Haha…I sound like such a northerner instead of the true southern boy that I am! 🙂
I’d come to your book club if you served these cookies. And I’d suggest two Lewises, one old, one new: Michael – “The Big Short” and C.S. – “God in the Dock.”
Very good, Jeff. I’m a fan of C.S. Lewis, but I’m not familiar with Michael Lewis. I just googled it only to discover it’s the book behind the recent movie. Of course, I haven’t seen the movie yet, either…so I’m putting that one on the list as well. Also added to the list this morning: Berenstain Bears’ and the Spooky Old Tree. You still want to come to book club?
If you make the snacks, yeah, I’ll even come to Spooky Old Tree. Can I bring beer?
This is a match made in heaven and one that I can eat everyday! now pass me cookies please!!
Absolutely! A plate of delicious cookies coming your way, Manali! 🙂
I know nothing about children, but I’ve got a feeling that with Robbie growing up you should adjust your list. I’ve heard kids like fairy tales and other similar books. Perhaps, you can write something. What about a seria of stories about a foodblogger, eh? Modern things. I don’t know how many people do attend libraries nowdays, but I’m quite sure if the library offered these delicious cookies to their visitors, the number of visitors would dramatically increase. Count me on too:)
Wait. You want me to write a kid’s book? Are you crazy, Ben?? Maybe the misguided adventures of a food blogger. That could be fun actually. Like Food Blogger and the Cake Fail? Or Food Blogger and the Oven Mitt Incident? Oh, and we should start a movement for libraries to have cookies all the time. I might go to the library more if that was the case! 🙂
Hmmm yum! I’ve never used flex seed but I love wheatgerm, so I am sure I will like these cookies too! And the chocolate PB combo makes these extra yum! So yeah, I’m still in cookies heaven 🙂
Yup, you definitely need to check out flaxseed, Linda! I use whole flax in our granola for an added healthy boost, and ground flax goes great in baked goods. It’s a sneaky way to boost fiber. (It’s also a great excuse to reach for another cookie!) 🙂
Urgh. Buying a kindle was such a waste- I told myself I’d read more but…that didn’t happen!
Can’t believe Robbie is 2 months already!! Geebuz, time flies! I hope you celebrated with these epic cookies and make it a monthly or even daily tradition!
Hah! Yeah, we’ve debated buying e-readers, but we never did. And now with Robbie here, I’m not sure it’s worth the investment. A good old paperback is hard to beat anyways!
So sneaky! And I couldn’t agree more about books and fires and cookies! That is what winter is all about. I don’t have a fireplace in NYC but I totally have more books than one person should! I haven’t read any of the books on the list you posted but I know what I’ll be doing as soon as I finish “Paris” by Edward Rutherford. Have you read anything by him? I’ve devoured them all! Coooooooookies! Thank you for not posting broccoli cookies, btw. I would have cried.
Ok, I guess I’ll let you get by without a fireplace since you have extra books. I hope there are cookies to go along with those books, though. I’m not familiar with Edward Rutherford, but apparently he needs to go on the list, too. I still remember you recommending, “Salt.” I think it’s still sitting in my Amazon wishlist actually. I might need to get on that one. 🙂
I love the combination of chocolate and peanut butter, can’t get any better than that. Your cookies look wonderful!!
I couldn’t agree more, Dawn! Thank you so much! 🙂
I am so not a chocolate fan… UNLESS it’s chocolate peanut butter – UGHHH! YUM. These cookies have stolen my heart.
So it’s kinda hard to get away from the chocolate in these cookies, GiGi. But it’s also kinda hard to eat one of these cookies without getting a bunch of peanut butter chips, too. The best combo eva! Now I can return your heart to you…since keeping it would just be rude. 🙂
Book, fire and cookies? That is pretty much my ideal night and these cookies look incredible.
I LOVED the Gone Girl film, but I wasn’t sure if I should bother to read the book as well.
I am off to eat some peanut butter now.
Yeah, I’m a little torn on reading Gone Girl since I know the ending, but Laura read it and said the book is even better. So I’m definitely putting it on my list. Along with some more cookies. 🙂
I’ve only read “Gone Girl.” I didn’t see the movie, but the book was excellent!
These cookies look so good! So glad you decided not to add broccoli to these. That would have been rude and wrong. LOL! I’ve not baked with flaxseed meal before. Good way to get something good for you into something that may not be super healthy, but good. 🙂
Thanks for the tip on the book, Tamara! It’s on the list. And yes, broccoli in cookies is wrong. But I figured if I’m making cookies anyways, I might as well slip some flaxseed meal in there with ’em. 🙂 Thanks so much!!
I have not read any of those book, but I am a cookies lover :), and since we are in the coldest part of the winter you book reference is the best. The Chocolate Peanut Butter cookies is a very rich, all-natural peanut butter with chocolate chips, very tasty……will come back on the review for your tip book list soon :)))
Hey, that puts us in the same boat, Angie! I haven’t read any of these books yet either, but if the NY Public Library recommends them, then there must be something there, right? Nothing beats a good book and some freshly baked cookies, right? 🙂