Chocolate-Lover's Cookies

No one can resist sweet treats made with this ingredient.

If you check your pantry, you'll likely find you have most of the ingredients on hand for these cookies. That's good news, because with recipes this yummy, you'll want to bake a batch right away.

To have fresh cookies for guests, freeze dough for Chocolate Chunk-Peanut Cookies in an airtight container up to one month. They'll love the scrumdidlyumptious combination of peanut butter, peanuts, and chocolate chunks. CYNTHIA ANN BRISCOE

CHOCOLATE SNACK BARS

MAKES 16 BARS

PREP: 20 MIN., BAKE: 30 MIN.

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 ¼ cups sugar

½ cup unsweetened cocoa

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

4 large eggs

¾ cup butter or margarine, melted

1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels

½ cup milk chocolate morsels

½ cup white chocolate morsels

3 (2.07-ounce) chocolate-coated caramel-peanut nougat bars, cut into ¼-inch pieces

COMBINE first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Add eggs and butter, stirring well. Stir in morsels. Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch pan.

BAKE at 350° for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Sprinkle immediately with candy pieces. Cool completely before cutting into bars. KIM MORTON

BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA

NOTE: For testing purposes only, we used Snickers candy bars.

CHOCO-NUT DAINTIES

MAKES 4 ½ DOZEN

PREP: 35 MIN., BAKE: 15 MIN. PER BATCH

¾ cup butter or margarine, softened

¾ cup sugar

1 large egg

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup semisweet chocolate mini-morsels

1 (12-ounce) package semisweet chocolate morsels

2 cups finely chopped walnuts

BEAT butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, beating until blended. Add flour and salt, beating well. Stir in mini-morsels.

TURN dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Shape dough into 2- x ½-inch logs (about 1 heaping teaspoon each). Place logs on ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE at 350° for 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned; remove to wire racks to cool.

MICROWAVE chocolate morsels at HIGH 4 minutes or until melted, stirring once.

DIP ends of cookies in melted chocolate. Roll ends in walnuts. Place on wax paper until set. Freeze up to 1 month, if desired. PATTY VANN

BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA

CHOCOLATE CHUNK-PEANUT COOKIES

MAKES 28 COOKIES

PREP: 20 MIN., BAKE: 15 MIN. PER BATCH

½ cup butter, softened

½ cup shortening

1 cup chunky peanut butter

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts

1 (11.5-ounce) bag chocolate chunks

BEAT butter and shortening at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; add chunky peanut butter and sugars, beating well. Add eggs, beating until blended.

COMBINE flour and next 4 ingredients. Add to butter mixture, beating well.

STIR in peanuts and chocolate chunks.

SHAPE dough into 2-inch balls (about 2 tablespoons for each cookie). Flatten slightly, and place on ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE at 375° for 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on pan 1 to 2 minutes; remove to wire rack to cool completely. MARSHA JOHNSON

MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CHUNK-PEANUT COOKIES: Reduce flour to 2 cups; add 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa, sifted. Proceed as directed.

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation May 2004
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