Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

Cookies are perfect all year long. Perfect for holiday parties. Perfect for summer picnics. Perfect for snacking - in moderation, of course. Chocolate peanut butter ice cream is one of my favs, and these Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies are just as good! The best of both worlds: all the chewiness of classic peanut butter cookies with the rich chocolate you love.

There is nothing like homemade cookies. Store bought cookies or even prepared cookie dough just does not measure up. It's a little extra work, but toss the ingredients into your favorite mixer and you'll have cookie dough in no time.

Most of my cookie making memories are from my early childhood. Mom would make cookie dough and even though we weren't supposed to, we loved to sneak some of the cookie dough. Decorating Christmas cookies was always fun too!

Your family will love these Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies! For more cookie recipes, check out these Cherry Delight Cookies (a fav everywhere I take them!), Cherry Mint Sugar Cookies, and Thumbprint Cookies.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 3-4 tablespoons Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa (100% Cacao)
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2.5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1.5 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup peanut butter (I used creamy peanut butter)
• 2 eggs
• 0.5 teaspoon salt

Directions
1. Mix butter, peanut butter, white sugar and brown sugar together until blended in the mixer
2. Beat eggs into mixture
3. In a separate bowl, sift flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt (dry ingredients)
4. Stir dry ingredients into mixer
5. Add 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
6. Add 3-4 tablespoons Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa powder (taste it after 2-3 tablespoons and add more if desired)
7. Place dough in the refrigerator for 1 hour
8. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
9. Add parchment paper to baking trays.
10. Roll dough into balls and place on baking sheets
11. Using a work, create criss cross marks on each cookie, flattening them
12. Bake cookies for 9 minutes
13. Let cookies cool for 20 minutes
14. Enjoy!

**Makes approximately 36 cookies. The dough also freezes well if you do not want to bake all of the cookies immediately***