double chocolate peanut butter cookies

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Whenever the group from Krafty Draft gets together for parties and we all bring something to eat, I have one responsibility. Guess what that is?

NOT CHEESECAKE.

Cookies.

In particular, Snickerdoodles.

However, the last time we got together, I decided to bring an extra flavor cookie, and it’s one of my favorites. My mom used to make Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies around the holidays, and I would sneak into the kitchen when she wasn’t looking, grab a handful of cookies off the cooling rack and dart out of the kitchen before she could see me. She always knew it was me, because I was smaller and faster than my dad and older brothers. She also knew it was me, because at least 4 would go missing at a time. That was my signature move. Luckily, I had already eaten all of them by the time she noticed they were gone. These days, I make this recipe Gluten-Free so I can enjoy them without my intestines having a hissy fit.

The last time we all got together from the pub was at the end of the summer, and we were on the lake…with access to jet skis. And alcohol. Probably not the best combination, but it is what it is.

I brought my bathing suit and had it tucked in a bag, just in case I decided to hop on a jet ski. I kept putting it off, putting it off, and putting it off…until it was about 15 minutes before sunset and they were getting ready to take them out for a last ride.

By this time, I’d had a couple glasses of wine. I saw Jack and Sam putting on their life jackets and heading toward the dock.

“WAIT!! I WANNA RIDE!!” I cried, and ran down to the dock.

Oh, it’ll just be a quick ride, I won’t need my bathing suit I thought. I strapped on a life jacket and hopped on the back with Jack. Sam “accidentally” cranked the engine of his jet ski right in front of us, and it sprayed my entire left side. “OOPS!” he yelled, and cackled. Thanks.

Sam took off first, and we were right behind him. We got a few hundred feet away from the dock, and I was holding on tightly to Jack’s life jacket, like a cat hanging on to a curtain for dear life.

Then, it happened.

He took a sharp left turn, and the momentum threw BOTH of us backwards off the jet ski, raking the outside of my right ankle against the side of the jet ski. He landed on top of me in the water, shoving me down deep and I started clawing for the surface.

I came up for air, choking and sputtering as I coughed the water out of my lungs.

“Are you okay?” Jack asked, floating next to me.

“Yeah,” I said, then noticed something was missing. “WHERE ARE MY SHOES???”

Why in the world was I wearing my sandals when I climbed on the jet ski? The wine. I blame the wine…and I was in a hurry to get on the jet ski for a ride. I looked around frantically, and we saw both of my sandals floating nearby. Whew.

Sam pulled up on his jet ski to check on us. Jack said, “Erin, maybe you should ride with Sam.”

“Good idea,” I said, and swam over to the other jet ski, climbing up the back.

We made it back to the dock, and Mary brought me a towel. Thankfully, I was thinking enough before getting on that jet ski to leave my phone behind with Melanie. I grabbed my phone and bag, and headed upstairs to change into my only extra pair of clothes…a bathing suit. How ironic.

My husband called while I was getting changed, and I told him what happened.

“Why didn’t you drive the jet ski yourself?” he asked.

“Because I had been drinking,” I replied.

“Weren’t the guys you rode with drinking?”

“Ugh. Yeah,” I responded, then slapped my palm on my forehead.

Ten minutes later, Jack admits that day was his FIRST time EVER driving a jet ski.

Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup light brown sugar

2 tablespoons molasses

2 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 cups all purpose flour (makes these Gluten-Free by using All Purpose GF flour)

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

10 oz. bag Reese’s peanut butter chips

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

In a standing mixer or mixing bowl, cream butter and peanut butter using an electric mixer for 2-3 minutes. In another mixing bowl, combine cocoa, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add both sugars and molasses to butter, continue beating for another minute. Add eggs and vanilla, continue beating. Add half of flour mixture and continue beating until combined, then add remaining flour mixture and beat again. Don’t worry, you’re done beating. Now, it’s time to stir in the chocolate chips and peanut butter chips. Using a *large cookie scoop, distribute dough onto a parchment or foil lined baking sheet. Shape cookies to make them look like hockey pucks, then place in freezer for at least 1 hour, or until ready to bake.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place cookie dough on **silicone lined cookie sheet, place in oven and bake for 14 minutes. Pull the pan out of the oven and let cookies rest on sheet for at least 2-3 minutes before transferring to cooling rack to cool completely. Store in airtight container.

*Cookie size will determine baking time. If you want your cookies smaller, user a smaller cookie scoop and adjust the baking time by 1-2 minutes. Same with making them larger.

**If you love to bake cookies, I HIGHLY recommend using silicone baking mats on commercial grade half sheet pans. Working in the restaurant industry changed my entire outlook on baking cookies just from using these two items, and personally I will NEVER go back to the old way if I don’t have to!!