milk chocolate

I was that girl. The one who sat at her corner booth eyeing your table full of mess and sticky hands. I was the one who cleared my throat a little too loud in the check out line at TJ Maxx while your kid had a meltdown. And yes, I’m the girl who turned to give you the stink eye on the airplane when your toddler kicked my seat.

Prior to having kids, high and mighty was the name of my game. I had a million opinions on parenting and a laundry list of things I would or would not do with my own children someday. I’d roll my eyes at friends who lamented over dinner time woes and turn up my nose in disgust at the kid with boogers dripping down his face. Most of the issues I observed from my ivory tower were, in my mind, the result of poor parenting and ill-behaved children. Let’s all just laugh at that, okay?

Three years of parenting have reduced me to the mess of a human most parents actually are. I’m in the trenches myself now, and I constantly find myself eating my own words. So here’s an open apology to the parents who were on the receiving end of my snarky attitude.

For Restaurant Parents:

For the mom and dad at the restaurant: I know you’re here because you’re exhausted. You wanted someone else, besides yourselves and Papa John, to make supper tonight. You wanted to treat your family to an evening out and teach them how to function in public like proper citizens. It’s not that you condone spitballs or throwing food or making fart noises at the table. You didn’t tell your 5-year old to dump his macaroni and cheese on the floor. You’re just in need of a meal and you’re doing what you must to survive.

So while you guzzle down the remnants of your much-deserved wine and that complimentary bread basket, I’ll sit here and give you a sympathetic smile. You’re doing the best you can.

To TJ Maxx Mom:

I’m sorry to you too, Mom at TJ Maxx. I now know that you were just stir crazy at home. You couldn’t bear to read “Goodnight Moon” one more time, and you didn’t want to melt your kid’s brain in front of the television on this rainy day. So you opted for a day trip to the store, some quality time bargain hunting with your Mini-Me. You had no idea she would pinch her thigh in the seat of the shopping cart; it’s not your fault that she peed her pants in the stationary aisle. And after she threw her pantsless self down on the linoleum in a fit of rage when you said no to that God-forsaken bag of gummy worms, I felt for you. Truly.  

To the Airplane Parent:

And finally to you, Airplane Parent: You bought these tickets because you wanted to take your kids to Disney World. You planned ahead and packed extra Goldfish, extra coloring books, extra iPads, extra bravery. You changed the nap schedule so that your infant could sleep on the plane, but instead, the baby decided to abandon ship. It’s not your fault that the 4-year old is kicking my seat. He’s just entertaining himself while you clean the spit up off the guy next to you; while you pick the paci up off the floor for the millionth time; while you bounce little junior up and down the aisle to keep him from scream-induced vomit.

Me? I’ve got it made in the shade with my exit row leg room and ginger ale. You couldn’t prepare for this and I’m sorry.

The point is that parenting is hard. Apologizing for being a jerk in years past is my way of excusing the embarrassment that I often feel these days. So hang in there, Moms and Dads. I’m with you.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies

You know what’s not hard? Peanut butter chocolate chunk cookies.

Sometimes we need something simple. We need that giant “EASY” button to push on the days that our kids and the world have given us a swift kick in the rear. These peanut butter and chocolate chunk cookies are ridiculously simple and should be a surefire hit for you and your family of wild animals.

Making the Cookies

To make these peanut butter chocolate chunk cookies, we start by creaming together butter and peanut butter. A little extra brown sugar is added to the fat to make these cookies chewy. Once the egg and vanilla are incorporated, we stir in the dry ingredients. Flour, leavening, salt, and oats are in the mix along with chunks of chopped chocolate and a handful of peanuts. If desired, you can give these cookies an extra roll in some chopped nuts before baking.

There are lots of variations you can take on these peanut butter chocolate chunk cookies. I prefer to use milk chocolate chunks for an extra dose of sweet in these already salty cookies, but certainly if you prefer the bitter bite of dark chocolate that would work too. In place of chocolate you could add dried cherries or blueberries for a PB&J-inspired cookie. And if you absolutely love the crunch and salt of roasted peanuts, you’ll want to give these cookies a roll in nuts before baking, but you can also opt out for a sweeter and more dessert-like cookie. The choices are yours to make!

I hope you’ll give these peanut butter chocolate chunk cookies a try. They’re sure to be a hit with your little ones- no risk of throwing these guys across the restaurant. And if you happen to see my in line with my kids at TJ Maxx… just share a little grace with us, okay? Happy Monday!

If you like these peanut butter chocolate chunk cookies, you should check out:

Pretzel Shortbread Peanut Butter Brownies

Trail Mix Cookies

Pretzel Millionaire Bars

Cookies and Cream Cookies

Candied Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies

Coconut Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies

Print

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

These peanut butter chocolate chunk cookies are loaded with sweet milk chocolate and hunks of oats and peanuts! Chewy, sweet, and salty!

• Author: Kate Wood
• Prep Time: 15
• Cook Time: 20
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: 18

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (113 gm) unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1/2 cup (135 gm) creamy peanut butter
• 1 cup (200 gm) brown sugar
• ½ cup (100 gm) sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup (130 gm) flour
• 1 cup (100 gm) old fashioned oats
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 ounces  milk chocolate or semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped peanuts, optional

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
2. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and the peanut butter until well combined and smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the sugars and beat together an additional 1-2 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the egg and vanilla. Beat briefly just to combine. In a separate smaller bowl, stir together the flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add to the butter mixture and beat just until combined. Add the chocolate and peanuts and stir together.
3. Scoop 3 tablespoon sized mounds of dough (I use a large cookie scoop) 2″ apart on the baking sheet.  Bake in the preheated oven for  about 11 minutes, or just until the edges have set and the top is beginning to crack. The center may seem underdone. Allow to cool on a cooling rack prior to eating. Enjoy within 2 days or freeze up to 2 months.

Notes

• You can use quick oats in a pinch, but the texture of your cookie will change. I recommend the old fashioned.
• If you use a different size of cookie scoop, your baking time will differ. Please adjust accordingly.