Old Fashioned Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cookies

A couple weeks ago I was out shopping with my friend, L, and stumbled upon a cookbook by Food and Wine Magazine called "The Best of the Best." It had their all time favorite recipes from their all time favorite cookbooks. I have way too many cookbooks, but this one was on sale for $4.99...so I couldn't resist!

One of the coolest parts of the cookbook was a section featuring the recipes from a cookbook called Heirloom Baking with the Brass Sisters. They've collected 6500 vintage cookbooks and have a vast collection of recipes from the 1890's to the 1970's. Most of the recipes and cookbooks they discovered at tag sales, flea markets and antique stores. I loved the story of their cookbook and decided to give a few of their star recipes a whirl! Warning...nothing about this recipe is remotely healthy...I've got a husband who travels a lot and I bake when I'm bored and bring the goods to work!

My little $5 find

Some of the main stars in the peanut butter cookies...

My little recipe book holder sporting the recipe for Nel's Wonderful Peanut Butter cookies..I'm not sure who Nel is, but I did enjoy her cookies

 This was a nice, almost spongy dough..then came the chocolate and salted peanuts

Prepped for the oven..

The final result..

I love nice symmetrical cookies

These were a great cookie. I'm not a huge fan of peanut butter...but everyone who tried one said they were great and I saw a lot of people going back for seconds, thirds, fourths and fifths....

Nel's Wonderful Peanut Butter Cookies

circa 1930

1 1/4 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

1 egg

1/2 cup salted peanuts (NOT dry roasted)

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.

Sift together flour, baking soda, and baking powder and set aside

Cream together butter, brown sugar, sugar, and peanut butter. Then, add egg and mix thoroughly. Add sifted dry ingredients. Then fold in peanuts and chocolate chips.

Chill dough in the refrigerator for 1 hour or until it is firm enough to handle. Roll dough into balls and about 1" in diameter. Bake 12 minutes or until golden brown.

I didn't change anything about this recipe...well, I didn't roll little individual balls...I used my cookie scoop and I thought they came out great. This recipe says it will yield 42 cookies...I got about 30...and they weren't huge cookies..you saw em! So, I'd say that's the only complaint about this recipe!

Enjoy!