Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

I considered writing about plumbing today, but with Christmas right around the corner, it didn’t seem right. Instead, I’m indulging in visions of Christmas cookies! I’m sure you’re busy baking. Or getting ready to devour said cookies!

These aren’t exactly traditional Christmas cookies, but I don’t care because they’re my ultimate favorite. Peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. Or rather, peanut butter cookies with seasonal M&M’s. If it’s Christmas, they’re made with red and green. If it’s Valentine’s Day, they’re pink, red, and white. If it’s Easter or around my birthday, they’re in pastels.

The love of these cookies is similar to John’s family’s love of guacamole. You can count on them at every holiday.

You would think I would have this recipe memorized by now, but I don’t. I have to pull out the recipe copied from my Mom’s collection of recipes. As you can tell from my cookbook, I’ve used this page several times. And to prove my love of these cookies, this is the first recipe copied into my cookbook.

These cookies were also regulars in college care packages. A friend was visiting my roommate one year and she started calling them [redacted] cookies since my last name was written on the Tupperware container they were sent in. When my old roommate got married this summer, I was sure to bring [redacted] cookies to the bachelorette party.

M&M’s aren’t the only substitution you can make. You can use chocolate chunks instead of chocolate chips. I’ve had success with crunchy peanut butter instead of creamy peanut butter. Finally, you can mix up the cake mix used in the recipe, but I’m a purist and stick with white.

As for the yield of 6 dozen cookies, I think that’s only if you make minature cookies. And who wants that? Not this kid :) I got about 3.5 dozen out of this batch. My bake time was 12 minutes per batch.

How about you? Favorite Christmas cookie? Or year-round cookie?

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes 6 dozen

Note: I also like to use seasonal colored M & M’s in place of the chocolate chips

Ingredients
2 eggs
1/3 c water
1/4 c butter
1 c peanut butter
1 package yellow, devils food, or white cake mix (I prefer white)
12 oz chocolate chips (2 cups or ~1.5 cups M&M’s)

Directions
Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Beat eggs, water, butter, peanut butter, and half of the cake mix until smooth. Stir in remaining cake mix and chocolate chips.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls (let’s be honest, tablespoonfuls) about 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets (I’ll use parchment paper).

Bake 9 – 12 minutes depending on your oven and the size of your cookies.