Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup peanut butter (smooth or chunky)
• 4 tablespoons ( 1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, cut into chunks

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, whisk together flour and baking soda; set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat peanut butter, butter, and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat until smooth. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture, beating just until combined. Stir in chocolate chunks.
2. Drop dough by heaping tablespoons (use a cookie scoop to get that rounded shape out of the cookies), 1 inch apart, onto two large baking sheets or I used my pampered chef cookie stone (and they came out wonderfully). Bake until golden, 13 to 15 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool.

Recipe from everyday food magazine, March 2009.