Chewier Peanut Butter-Cup Cookies

The first time I made these cookies, they came out chewy (yum), but every batch after was crispy (still yum, but not quite right). I finally wised up and turned to the internet for some recommendations on how to bake a chewy cookie. So, I made some changes to the original recipe, and tonight's batch came out of the oven just right.

I think my pops would really enjoy these. Maybe I'll bake him some for Christmas. And then I'll make the rest of my family their own batch, because when it comes to chocolate, it's a race with my dad to see if you can even get one piece.

Here is the recipe:

Chewier Peanut Butter-Cup Cookies

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 1/4 cup dark brown sugar (somewhat packed)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 12-oz. package small peanut butter cups, coarsely chopped

Directions

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  
• Whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.
  
• In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the butter and sugar until creamy. It still looks grainy, but if you stir a bit with a spatula, the mix smooths out. Add the egg and vanilla and beat. Gradually add the flour mixture, and mix with a spatula until just blended. The batter will be quite thick and more difficult to stir. Carefully fold in the peanut butter cups.
  
• Using a tablespoon, place mounds of dough two-inches apart onto the parchment lined baking sheets. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes. In the oven, the cookies should appear fluffy (flat cookies equal crispy cookies). Once removed from the oven, let them sit on the cookie sheet for several minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.