This is an older recipe originally called “Mom and David’s Fave’s” by its creator, Carrie Fields. A clearer name is Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Pretzel Cookies — big, thick cookies packed with peanut butter, chocolate chunks, and crunchy pretzels. If you like, add salted caramel chips for extra sweetness.
Background: Carrie sent this recipe with a note that she and her son developed it as a tribute to their favorite candy bar, the Take 5. Since Take 5 is a favorite here as well, I stopped other baking and tested these immediately.
This is an easy one-bowl cookie recipe. You can use an electric mixer, but I simply mixed everything with a spoon and the results were excellent. For some of the dough I tried chilling it to see whether colder dough would produce taller cookies — either way, the cookies were delicious. One tip: resist eating them straight from the oven. Let them cool so the pretzels stay crisp.
Mom and David’s Faves (from Carrie Fields) — also known as…
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Pretzel Cookies
Ingredients:
2 sticks unsalted butter (230 grams)
1 cup dark brown sugar (220 grams)
½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
¼ cup dark corn syrup
¾ tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups creamy peanut butter
2 cups all-purpose flour (270 grams)
2 cups chocolate chunks (use good-quality chocolate to taste)
A large double-fisted handful of pretzel sticks, lightly crushed (salty pretzels work best)
Soft caramels to melt for drizzling (optional)
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, and dark corn syrup. Add the baking soda, salt, and vanilla and mix to combine.
3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the peanut butter and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.
4. Fold in the flour until just combined. Stir in half of the chocolate chunks and half of the crushed pretzels so they are evenly distributed in the dough.
5. Drop dough by heaping tablespoons or soup-spoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets. Press 3–4 additional chocolate chunks and a few larger pretzel pieces on top of each mound so they show nicely after baking.
6. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until cookies are lightly golden around the edges. Remove from the oven and transfer the cookies to a cooling rack.
When cookies are cool, melt soft caramels and drizzle lightly over the tops for an extra layer of flavor. Serve once the drizzle has set.
Yield: approximately 40 cookies.