One Cup of...Chocolate Chips

Normally when I read a recipe, I take a quick look to see if I have the ingredients.  If I do, I may start preparing it right away.  If I don’t, I either add what’s missing to my shopping list or decide not to make that dish after all.

But what if I start with an ingredient I have and then search for a recipe that calls for it?  One of my favorite ingredients when I’m baking is chocolate chips.  What could I make with one cup of them?  Here’s what I found:

1) Traditional Chocolate Chip Cookies 

2) Chocolate Banana Bread

3) Triple Chocolate Brownies 

4) Fudge 

5) Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

6) Jaffe Squares 

7) Chocolate Chip Cake

8) Chocolate Chip Bagels 

9) Chocolate Granola Bars

And there are many more possibilities.  Here’s my recipe for Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies, which are very easy to make.

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies – makes about 30 – adapted from our cookbook “Chocolate on the Brain” 

1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature + more for greasing
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup peanut butter chips 

Place an oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly rub 2 cookie sheets with butter or use non-stick baking sheets.  Set aside. 

Put the butter, peanut butter and the sugars in the bowl of a food processor or large bowl.  Process or beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.  Add the egg and vanilla and process or beat on low speed until well blended.  Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and process or beat on low speed until well blended.  Add the chocolate chips and peanut butter chips and pulse or mix thoroughly to distribute the chips. 

Scoop a portion of the dough onto a teaspoon and, with your hands, roll each portion into a ball.  Place the balls on each cookie sheet, 3 cookies per row in 5 rows.  Flatten the balls with the heel of your hand or the tines of a fork so they spread to about 1½ inches in diameter. 

Bake 1 cookie sheet at a time for about 10 minutes.  The cookies will be firm to the touch and just beginning to brown.  Remove from the oven and cool on the sheet for 3 minutes.  Then transfer the cookies to a cooling rack.  

Store in an airtight container.

                           For easy recipes, order "Help! My Apartment Has a Kitchen!"