Pretzel and Chocolate Chip Loaded Peanut Butter Cookies

So we are basically a week into the holiday season and all I want to do is bake all day and eat cookies. Even more so than usual.  The good news is that in one week I’ll be on a much needed vacation from work that will allow me to focus most of my energy on just that.

The bad news? Well, there isn’t much.  I just have to find a home for all these cookies because at my current rate of consumption I’ll need an entirely new wardrobe a couple sizes bigger come January 1’st. Not in the budget and not quite so desirable.

So other than eating cookies 24/7 and exercising as much as I can to support that habit, I’ll be finding homes for these baked goods. Some will go towards the multitude of cookie swaps* I’m signed up for. Others will go to friends. These cookies, one of my favorites that I’ve had in a while, will show up on the doorstep of a few of my favorite people in the very near future.  I hope each of them has their sweet and salty tooth ready!

These peanut butter cookies are chewy on the inside and crispy on the outside but the best part about them is that each bite also comes with the perfect amount of pretzel and chocolate. You can make this huge batch to share with friends or easily cut it in half for your own stash, because who doesn’t need 3 dozen delicious cookies on hand?

*I’m pretty sure that eating cookies I receive in a cookie swap doesn’t count

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Chocolate Chip and Pretzel Loaded Peanut Butter Cookies

Yield: Makes 6 dozen cookies

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 3 cups salted creamy natural peanut butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup milk chocolate chips
• 2 cups salted pretzel pieces

Cooking Directions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and baking soda, set aside
3. Using a mixer, in a large bowl beat peanut butter and sugars on high until light and fluffy
4. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until combined
5. Reduce speed to low and stir in flour mixture just until combined
6. Stir in chocolate chips and pretzel pieces
7. Use a cookie dough scoop or tablespoon to place cookie dough balls (about 2 tablespoons each) on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (Note: the dough will be a little greasy, that is OK)
8. Bake for 11-13 minutes until or cookies are brown around the edges

Adapted from my Chocolate Chip Blueberry Peanut Butter Cookies [/print_this]

Are you taking any time off around the holidays? If so, what will you be doing?

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