Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies with Toffee Peanuts

Welcome to Labor Day cookie week. This week features a variety of strange cookies I've made and have been holding off on posting because the pictures aren't that good.

But the recipes are good. Maybe I should make this a yearly event? We'll see.

Ironically enough, I'm posting this right before I have to go to work.
On Labor Day. Happy Labor Day to me! I don't even have enough enthusiasm right now to tell you about the meth addict-woman that yelled at me in the Asian food section at Wal-Mart the other day.

So let me tell you about these cookies. Well, is that necessary? The title of the post tells you everything you need to know. Do you even need me?

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies with Toffee Peanuts. YES! Delicious! What could be better than peanut butter cookies with chocolate chunks (Ghiradelli) and homemade toffee peanuts in them. Nothing.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies with Toffee Peanuts (Recipe by Me)
Printable Recipe

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided use
1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar, divided use
1 cup coarsely chopped salted peanuts
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon instant yeast
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
8 ounces coarsely chopped semi-sweet chocolate

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a small cookie sheet with waxed paper and grease waxed paper.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a small saucepan over medium heat; whisk in 1/4 cup brown sugar and bring mixture to a boil, whisking frequently. Stir in peanuts until well coated, then spread out on waxed paper. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Remove from oven and cool completely before crumbling into pieces.

Melt remaining butter in a small saucepan over medium heat; continue to cook the butter, whisking frequently, until it starts to brown and foam, about 2-3 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly, about 8 minutes.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking soda and salt; stir in yeast until combined.

In a large mixing bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat peanut butter, remaining brown sugar and granulated sugar until well combined and grainy, about 1 minute; beat in browned butter for 1 additional minute. Beat in eggs and vanilla until well combined. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually beat in flour mixture until just combined; stir in chocolate and toffee peanuts with a wooden spoon until combined. Chill dough in the refrigerator for 1 hour. ( You could speed up this process by placing the dough in the freezer for about 40 minutes.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Roll heaping tablespoonfuls of dough into balls, place on greased cookie sheets and flatten slightly using palms of hands. Bake for 11-13 minutes, or until golden brown around edges. Cool 1 minute before transferring to wire racks.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies