Hello Substack Pals!
This week’s post will be slightly abbreviated since I’m smack-dab in the middle of packing up and moving back to Phoenix now that the summer season is over in the Hamptons.
BUT! I promise that whatever this week’s newsletter lacks in verbosity, it definitely does not lack in flavor. This week’s Extra Ingredient is PEANUT BUTTER. Very likely one of America’s top five inventions. And aside from maybe ice cream, there’s no better use for peanut butters than in a perfectly chewy, decadent cookie. Many claim peanut butter cookie superiority, but I have found that few deliver. A lot of times, peanut butter cookies are gritty and boring and one-note. Let’s fix that. I happen to think these Peanut Butter Cocoa Swirl are the platonic ideal of a peanut butter cookie. Big talk, but I think you’ll agree once you try the recipe. What makes this cookie special is that balance between decadent peanut butter, a hit of flaky sea salt, and just the right bitter chocolatey note from the portion of the dough that gets dusted with dark cocoa powder. When properly swirled, you get a little bit of everything in each bite for the perfect cookie!
Alright, let’s get right to the recipe:
2 ½ Cup All Purpose Flour
1 ½ Teaspoons Baking Soda
½ Teaspoon Powder
1 ½ Teaspoons Salt
2 Sticks Butter, Very Soft
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Cup Granulated Sugar
2 Eggs
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1 ½ Cups Crunchy Or Soft Peanut Butter
2 Tablespoons Dark Cocoa Powder
Flakey Sea Salt To Finish
-Turn the oven to 325* and line two baking sheets with parchment paper, then sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder in a large bowl and set aside.
-In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, cream the butter, sugars, salt, and vanilla until very light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, then add the eggs one at a time. Allow about a minute between adding each egg to let everything incorporate. This can be done with a hand mixer in a large bowl as well if you don’t have a stand mixer–it’ll just be a bit of an arm workout.
-Add in the peanut butter to the stand mixer and use a spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl, then mix on low speed until the peanut butter is just combined.
-Add the sifted dry ingredients and mix until the dough just comes together. Do not overmix.
-Remove about ⅔ of the dough into a bowl, then sift the cocoa powder over the top of the ⅓ that remains in the mixer. Mix on low until it is completely combined, about 1-2 minutes.
-Using an 8x8 baking dish or similar vessel, dot the two doughs around randomly creating a speckled dough effect (see photo for reference!). This will give us a good swirl once we scoop.
-Use an ice cream scoop to divide the dough into even size balls and place on one of the parchment lined trays. They can be close together as we are going to chill them.
-Use your hands to gently roll each ball into a sphere, then sprinkle with a generous amount of flaky salt.
-Allow to chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, up to overnight.
-After chilling, arrange the balls, leaving enough space for spreading (I usually do 6 per tray) then bake at 325* for roughly 18-22 minutes or just until set.
-Allow to cool completely before serving
-Dough balls can be frozen for up to a month and baked at 310*F from frozen for 25-28 minutes.
Reilly’s remixes
It’s peanut butter! Eat it straight out of the jar. You can do no wrong with God’s perfect food.
B-Sides
The new Margo Price album, Hard Headed Woman, has been on repeat for me lately. really resonated with someone who identifies as a HHW themselves, ya know?