4/14/13

chocolate chip cookie bars stuffed w/ peanut butter

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Remember when I (finally) made the Jacques Torres chocolate chip cookies?
Well ever since then (it was my 1st time making them) my husband has asked for them again EVERY SINGLE WEEK.
You know me, I just can't re-do a recipe the same way again.
if I was going to make them again I had to kick them up a notch.
So, with this next batch I was curious if a) they were stand up ok to pan cookies and b) can I stuff them with something!?
Answer? When made into pan cookies they make the best "almost" gooey cookies.
I like gooey chocolate chip cookies if they aren't too gooey, you know?
And the stuffing with peanut butter worked great; I was afraid the peanut butter might just melt away or dissolve away into the batter, but it didn't.
If you make these, please remember to sprinkle the sea salt on top before baking (just like Jacques does in his cookies).
Can I tell you again, just how darn good these are?  I mean they are so melt in your mouth good, so tasty, decadent, not too sweet, buttery, rich pan cookie.
The part I love most about this recipe is you can make the batter literally days ahead and keep it in the fridge.  This time I left the batter in the back of the fridge (wrapped in plastic really well) for 4 days.
I know you always ask "how can you not eat the dough earlier?"
My fridge has a lot of doughs, crusts, and other foods sitting waiting to be used; so temptation is never a factor really.
I'd be curious though to see how well the dough freezes?
Anyone know?
Also, why is the Jacques Torres cookie recipe also called the New York Times cookie?
I thought Jacques made the recipe?
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Follow these simple steps.
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Cover in those edges.
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Ready for baking!
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Almost done, little bit more; look for more golden brown.
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Fresh out of the oven its all gooey baby!
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The peanut butter middle did not melt away!
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They are easy to make.
The hard part, if you have to have one, is letting the dough rest for a few days. ha!

chocolate chip  bar cookies stuffed with peanut butter
cookie base from Jacques Torres

2 cups minus 2 TB (8 1/2 ounces) cake flour
1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour
1 1/4 ts baking soda
1 1/2 ts baking powder
1 1/2 ts coarse salt
2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 TB (8 ounces) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 ts natural vanilla extract
1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate disks/chips at least 60 percent cacao (don’t skip this part, use a high quality chocolate, it makes all the difference)

1 – 1 ¼ cups smooth or chunky peanut butter, (not all natural-- too oily for this recipe)
Sea salt for sprinkling top of dough

Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.
Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes.
Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.
Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds.
Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them.
Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours.
(I left mine for 96 hours and it was perfectly fine)
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a 9 x 13 pan with non-stick spray.
Divide dough into 2 piles: 2/3 and 1/3.
Take the 2/3 dough and line the bottom of the baking pan with it, making sure to get all the corners, making sure there aren’t any holes or gaps in the dough.
Spread a layer of peanut butter; do not spread peanut butter to the edges!
Take the 1/3 remaining dough and crumble on the top. Also make sure to take any dough and close up any gaps you see in the corners.
Don’t push the crumble down into the dough, just leave it on the top—it’s ok to have spaces in the crumble—gaps are good on the top, it will let the peanut butter swirls show through.
Sprinkle the top with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, roughly 25 – 31 minutes.
Look for golden brown edges, non-jiggly middle.
The middle will be a bit soft, but once it completely cools it won’t be as gooey; it sets up really nice.
Slice with a sharp knife.

Makes about 20-24 bars depending on how you cut them.



29 comments:

  1. I love making cookie bars! So much faster than actual cookies. I made some sort of like this last week but with PB cups in the middle rather than actual PB. Yours look awesome!

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  2. I mean seriously......You made these little babies crazy good.

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  3. Stop it with this goodness! Stuffing them? Amazing

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  4. oh my goodness. this looks like the most incredible cookie bar of all time! a gooey PB center?!? yummm!

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  5. Killer! You do rock.
    I use the JT/NYT cookie dough for most ccc stuff I do.
    It is mostly the JT recipe, NYT did an article with researching what they thought was
    the best cookie. They came out with a ccc of their own (you can Google New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookie and find it pretty easily. Their recipe is mostly taken from the JT recipe with a few of their own little twists. I thought they came up with the sprinkling of sea salt, that isn't part of JT's, and the fridge time, maybe, can't remember for sure.

    I almost always have some of the cookie dough, frozen in ready-to-bake dough balls ready to pull out of the freezer anytime. So it freezes great! Just takes a little longer to bake from frozen (of course). I actually like letting it thaw a little.

    Anyway--your bars look delicious! I have used the JT dough for a cookie pizza and skillet cookie, too. All great!

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  6. Here's the article.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/09/dining/09chip.html?pagewanted=all

    Here's the recipe.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/09/dining/091crex.html

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  7. What's in a name? Just hand me the pan, a fork, and tall one (of ice cold milk!) please. We can discuss semantics later. Holy cannoli these look good!

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  8. I think i gained 5 lbs looking at the pictures! May try this one with Cookie Butter!

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  9. Oh wow, that's such a great idea to use plain old peanut butter in the middle.

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  10. Knowing how great the Jaques Torres cookies are, I can't wait to try these! Chewy peanut butter chocolate chip bars? Yum!

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  11. I'm pretty sure you should write a book on stuffed cookies. These look delicious.

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  12. Woman. You are a GENIUS. I am not going to be able to rest until I get these in my life.

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  13. How much peanut butter? Would eyeballing a layer be fine?

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    Replies
    1. Isla - if you look at the recipe it tells you how much to use!

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  14. Such a good idea! Love cookie bars and filling them with pb can only make them better!

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  15. I, too, have frozen the JT recipe as prescooped cookies, and they turn out great. I think the only thing that would wreck his recipe is bad ingredients.

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  16. My husband asked me what I was going to make for his hunting trip next week. They always have to have chocolate chip cookies. They are my all time favorite too. But with a layer of peanut butter is insanely scrumptious.

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  17. that sure does seem like a lot of trouble...but TOTALLY worth it. :)

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  18. Girl, I want to try this with cookie butter. Love it!

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  19. oh man, what a way to kick up an already killer cookie!!

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  20. mmmm...I swear I was salivating while I was looking at those pictures! Yup, I want to try these with cookie butter as well!

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  21. I love chocolate and peanut butter desserts. For this to be the first thing I see on your blog, I'm instantly hooked! Looking forward to reading more.

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  22. Oh my.... That looks heavenly!!!! Amazing recipe! Thanks for sharing :)
    xox Amy

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  23. I just made these and they are to die for. Next time, I think I'll sub Nutella for the peanut butter. Mmmmmm! Thanks for sharing!

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  24. Food porn... Yum.

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  25. Does making good all-purpose flour instead of cake and bread flours make a huge difference?

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    Replies
    1. I meant USING apf...

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    2. If you use all purpose flour, don't let the dough sit in the fridge overnight (it might get dry).
      And the bars won't be as soft and chewy.
      And you might have to reduce baking time.
      Have never tried it this way, so good luck!

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    3. Thanks for the answer. :-) I think I'll go out on a limb and try it with just the one type of flour.

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