Christmas Cookies 2014 -- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Chocolate Chocolate Chip

I generally only get someone a present if I find something perfect for them, which is usually by accident.  I usually just give them that present if I do find it, I am really bad at keeping something like that under my hat for however long it takes for a present giving opportunity. There is one except to this -- consumables.

I have a theory that people love to eat more sweets this time a year and there are many occasions for people to share them with others.  There are also many occasions that recipients might be overwhelmed with the quantity of sweet they receive that might go stale before they get to savour them.  The solution to this is to make cookie dough and freeze it so that the cookies can be cooked up fresh when needed/wanted or just eaten frozen from the freezer.

The first cookies that I made this year are a Yin/Yang cookie.  Half the cookie is a Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip cookie dough and the other half is a Chocolate Chocolate Chip cookie dough.

I found the recipe for this cookie at Sally's Baking Addiction, I did change how I put them together since I was trying to stream line the production to aid in freezing these puppies up.  

Yin Yang Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Chocolate Chocolate Chip
Original recipe created by  Sally's Baking Addiction

	Chocolate/Chocolate		Peanut Butter
Ingredients	Single Batch	Double Batch	Single Batch	Double Batch
Butter	1/2 c	1 c	1/2 c	1 c
Sugar	1/2 c	1 c	1/2 c	1 c
Brown Sugar	1/2 c	1 c	1/2 c	1 c
Egg	1	2	1	2
Peanut Butter	-	-	3/4 c	1 1/2 c
Vanilla	1 tsp	2 tsp	1 tsp	2 tsp
Flour	1 c (125g)	2 c (250g)	1 1/4 c (156g)	2 1/2 c (312g)
Cocoa	1/2 c + 2 tbsp	1 1/4 c	-	-
Baking Soda	1 tsp	2 tsp	1/2 tsp	1 tsp
Salt	1/2 tsp	1 tsp	1/4 tsp	1/2 tsp
Milk	2 tbsp	1/4 c	-	-
Chocolate Chips	1 c	2 c	1 c	1 c

I made this chart to help me keep track of the ingredients when I doubled the batch.  Pick the set of columns either single batch or double batch, then make both types of cookie dough.  

Both cookies go together in the same way.

~Cream Butter and then add sugar.  Beat until fluffy.  Add Eggs one at a time and Vanilla.  Add the peanut butter for the peanut butter cookies.

~In another bowl combine all the dry ingredients, except the chocolate chips which you will mix in after mixing the dry ingredients in to the wet.  

~Combine dry ingredients slowly into the wet until just combined.  Then add chocolate chips.

~Form each dough into a log shape, wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour but 2 would be better.  If making a double batch shape into 2 logs for ease of handling.   

~Once chilled, remove both doughs from the fridge.  Using a knife or a bench scraper, cut the chocolate/chocolate log lengthwise and then into cut each side of the cut log into 12 pieces.  You want a total of 24 pieces of each single batch of dough, or 48 for a double batch.  Repeat with the Peanut butter dough.  

~Then take a piece of each dough and put them together and roll between your hands to form a dough ball.  The peanut butter dough will be softer, so try to make sure that you have an even amount of each type of dough visible.  That way your friends will be in awe of your wicked skills.

~Now you can either place on a cookie sheet freeze and then bag up these little (enormous) cookies.  These do make a very large cookie :)  -OR- you can bake these bad boys at 350F for 10-12 minutes.  They will look under cooked but leave them on the cookie sheets to cool and they will gain a bit of structural integrity while still being soft.

Not very visually appealing in this form but there is something wonderful about frozen cookie dough right out of the freezer.  

Enjoy!
K.