Salted Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

I have a feeling that I'm amongst the last to the table, but it's only in the past month that I stumbled across the divine food52 blog, which has quickly become one of my most beloved and trusted sources for new recipes.

This one immediately caught my eye. It's not hard to see why. I'm a sucker for chocolate and peanut butter -- and even MORE of a sucker for any cookie with fleur de sel on top. I figured there was no way I could wrong.

I was right. These cookies are FANTASTIC. The picture simply doesn't do them justice. They were fast, easy, chewy, delicious, and just surprising enough to make them special and memorable. My boyfriend's best friend (does that make him my BFBFF?), who incidentally is usually heath-conscious, came over with just 6 cookies left, and proceeded to eat each and every one of them with a big, guilty grin on his face. That, my friends, is a high compliment.

So, without further ado:

Salted Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
(from food52.com)

• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder 
• 1/2 teaspoon  salt
• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs 
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3/4 cups creamy peanut butter (not all natural)
• 1/2 cup unsalted peanuts (I subbed peanut butter chips, with great results)
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• coarse sea salt for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar with an an electric mixer on medium-high speed. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Beat in peanut butter until just combined. Beat in dry ingredients until just combined. Stir in peanuts (or peanut butter chips) and chocolate chips.

Drop 1 heaping tablespoon of cookie dough  two inches apart (as they will spread). Top each cookie with a few sea salt crystals.

Bake cookies for 12-14 minutes, until the edges are firm. It's OK if the centers are a tad soft. They'll firm up as they cool. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Cool completely before storing in an air-tight container, for up to 5 days.