Chocolate Peanut Butter Preztel Cookies

Wow. I cannot believe that it has been over a month since I last posted a new dessert recipe! I have talked before about how I consider myself more of a baker than a cook, so I am thinking it is about time I get some sweets up on here! 

One of the wonderful things about being a food blogger is this huge community of great cooks and bakers with delicious food ideas. One of the downsides that I've heard discussed before is that it's really hard to come up with an original idea! I came up with the idea of using Trader Joe's chocolate-covered, peanut butter-filled pretzel bites in cookies after wandering across them in the store several months ago. I have made pretzel-chocolate chip cookie bars and pretzel m&m cookies previously and know that I love the sweet-salty combination that results. As you may have guessed, it turns out my idea was not that original as the Blue Eyed Bakers posted the exact same cookies this spring. I guess great minds think alike? Not being one to re-invent the wheel, I used their recipe, so the credit for these beauties is completely theirs.

The cookies turned out as good as they sound. I actually wasn't impressed by the chocolate covered, peanut butter-filled pretzels alone (of course I had to try one), but in the cookies, they were great. I love how the salt from the crushed pretzels adds another dimension to baked goods. If you don't have a Trader Joe's nearby, you may be able to get similar results with chopped Reese's and coarsely crushed normal pretzels - it's the salt that counts :) Enjoy!

(Printable Recipes)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Cookies
From Blue Eyed Bakers

Ingredients:
3 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 large eggs
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips
1-1/2 cups chocolate-covered, peanut butter-filled pretzels, coarsely crushed

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a mixer, cream the butter for 2 minutes, until fluffy. Add the sugars and mix for 2 minutes more. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each. Add the peanut butter and vanilla and mix until incorporated. Slowly add the flour mixture and mix only until just incorporated. Fold in the pretzel pieces and chocolate chips. 

Roll the dough into tablespoon-sized balls and place on a prepared baking sheet (lined with parchment, silpat, or cooking spray). Flatten slightly with your hands or a spatula, and bake 8-12 minutes or until cookies are just set and beginning to brown on the edge. Do not overbake. Transfer cookies to a rack to cool completely.