Cookie inspiration from Carol's Cookies
March 6, 2008
The dessert counter at Whole Foods taunts me every time I walk by it. The fresh pastries, Vosges chocolate bars, homemade marshmallows, Dancing Deer brownies… and especially, Carol’s Cookies.
Carol’s is based in Highland Park, IL so I’m not sure if they only sell to Whole Foods in Illinois (which is where I found them) but if you can’t get them at a store near you, they are happy to deliver them. A warning when ordering though, these cookies are mammoth, so you wouldn’t need too many to overdo it.
My favorite is the Combo Cookie which is made up of half peanut butter, half brownie cookie dough. Theirs is soft, but crumbly instead of chewy.
I decided to try making a version of these on my own. Mine are chewy, soft (I generally prefer soft cookies to crunchy) and a lot different than Carol’s in flavor but are super chocolate peanut buttery just the same! You essentially just make the two doughs (these are from Mrs. Field’s Best Ever Cookie Book) and slap em together for each cookie. This is fun because if you want to make a bit more of a selection, you can make some chocolate cookies, peanut butter cookies and then combine the doughs for some combo cookies. Everyone’s happy!
Makes 3 dozen
Peanut Butter Cookie
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 + 1/8 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 + 1/8 cup granulated sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup) salted butter, softened
1 1/2 eggs
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup roasted salted peanuts
1. In a medium bowl, combine flour, soda, and salt with a wire whisk and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, blend sugars using an electric mixer set at medium speed. Add butter and mix to form a grainy paste, scraping the sides of the bowl. Add eggs, peanut butter and vanilla and mix at medium speed until light and fluffy.
3. Add the flour mixture and mix at low speed until just mixed. Do not overmix. Chop the roasted peanuts and set aside for later. Set aside peanut butter dough and make chocolate dough.
Chocolate Cookie
6 oz semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/8 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cups packed brown sugar
1 1/2 eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 oz bittersweet chips or chunks
4. Preheat oven to 300° and prepare baking sheets with parchment paper.
5. In a double boiler, melt the semisweet chocolate over hot, not simmering water. Set aside to cool slightly. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.
6. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla until just combined. Blend in the cooled semisweet chocolate. Blend in the flour mixture until just combined.
Put em together
7. Measure out 1 scant Tbsp of pb dough & 1 scant Tbsp of chocolate dough for each cookie & combine. I like to make the peanut butter side hug the chocolate dough creating kind of a moon shape around it. Dip the peanut butter cookie side into the chopped nuts and press in so they stick.
8. Chill each sheet of unbaked cookies in the fridge for 10 minutes so the dough sets a bit. Bake for 18-22 minutes until the edges of the peanut butter cookie are barely brown. They will be soft and barely set to the touch. I happen to think these taste better soft, so take them out if they look a tad uncooked because they are probably perfect. If you leave them in until the peanut butter cookie browns a bit more, they will be crispy.
Feeling indecisive today? These cookies will give you the best of both worlds.