the evoo experiment

So my precocious husband has a very scholarly political blog. I'm living up to the family name by embarking upon an equally respectable undertaking. Food. I know, so intellectual. Our blogs balance each other. Honey, start breathing and have a cookie.

All that to preface myself. Last week I decided I wanted to make a chocolate chip peanut butter cookie. Through this process I learned why people put that Hershey's kiss in the middle of peanut butter cookies to make them chocolate, because the dough is so darn crumbly. Because I had no butter but would not be thwarted in my baking desire, I decided to use olive oil. I looked up the conversions, thank you google, and was on my way.

M&M Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup butter (1/4 c and 2 T. EVOO)
6 tablespoons brown sugar
6 tablespoons white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup natural peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used regular sized and some M&Ms:)
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Cream butter or margarine with brown sugar and white sugar. Add egg and vanilla. Mix well. Stir in peanut butter, baking soda, and salt. Make sure it is well blended. Add flour and chocolate chips. Drop teaspoons of cookie dough then flatten with fork slightly on greased cookie sheet. Bake for 5-6 minutes or until just showing a hint of brown on edges. Don't overcook. Let cool on cookie sheet for 5 -10 minutes. Then transfer to cooling rack.

I really think that because I used evoo instead of butter that they were more moist and the chocolate and m&ms actually stayed in there! I know butter creates that browned, crispiness but I don't think that's necessarily essential for pb cookies. I used natural pb as well. SO! I had some good moist little cookies with chocolate chips and m&ms. Perfect!

UPDATE: If you opt for butter, double the baking soda and increase the time to 7 minutes.