The cookie that has it all: Double Chocolate Pretzel Peanut Butter Cookies!

So I'm not sure how many of you know how I feel about peanut butter and chocolate but I might have tossed around words like "God's gift to food" or "the most yummiest thing of all time" in the past.  Long story short, if I could only eat one thing for the rest of my life you can be assured that peanut butter and chocolate would be main ingredients in my choice.  That is why I was so captivated by these cookies I saw posted over on Picky Palate's page.  They have chocolate, peanut butter and pretzels...and they are topped with a tiny bit of sea salt, bringing that whole sweet/salty combo that is out of this world!  What more could you possible ask for in one small baked good?  Nothing I tell you!  Well, almost nothing in my opinion.  I am not really a fan of white chocolate so I substituted semi-sweet chips for the ones added in but either way these truly are the cookies that have it all!

 For this recipe you are going to need some broken pretzels, so I suggest you search your pantry before going out to buy a big bag of unbroken ones.  Our pantry always seems to have a half filled bag of just broken pieces left...maybe yours does too!   Now I finally found a use for them besides substituting them for bread crumbs when we run out...

Go ahead and set up a double broiler by putting a pot on the stove with a decent amount of water on to boil and topping it off with a heat proof bowl.  Add 1 cup of white chocolate chips (that't the first kind in the double chocolate part of my version of this recipe) and 2 Tbsp. of peanut butter.  Cream together the butter and sugars in a mixing bowl while this is warming up on the stove.

 This is what it will look like when it is all melted up...at this point you can add it to the butter/sugar mix along with the rest of the peanut butter.

Here is what all of that looks like...looks yummy doesn't it?  Go ahead, sneak a taste...I did!!

 Add in the eggs and vanilla, then the flour and other dry ingredients and finally the broken pretzels and semi-sweet chocolate chips.  I made a double batch today cause I have so many people here to feed...so your's will probably not look as full as mine...

Here it is all mixed in...

Again...sneak a bite...I won't tell...lol!

 Use a small ice cream scoop and scoop them out a couple of inches or so apart on the cookie sheet, squishing them with your palm till they are about 1/2 inch thick, top with a small bit of sea salt then bake them at 350 for about 10-13 minutes.

Double Chocolate Pretzel Peanut Butter Cookies with Sea Salt
Makes 3 dozen cookies            
adapted from Picky Palate's recipe

1/2 cup softened butter, 1 stick
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup white chocolate chips, to melt
1 1/4 cups creamy peanut butter (reserve 2 tablespoons to add to melting white chips)
1 large egg
2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup broken pretzel pieces
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy.  Melt white chocolate chips and 2 Tablespoons peanut butter over a double boiler until melted.  Add melted chocolate chips  and remaining peanut butter to beaten butter and sugars.  Beat in egg and vanilla.  

Place flour, baking soda and salt in bowl; mix to combine.  Add to wet ingredients until just combined then pour in pretzels and semi-sweet chocolate chips.  With a cookie scoop, scoop dough onto a non-stick pastry sheet or parchment lined baking sheet.  With the palms of your hand, gently press down each cookie to about 1/2 inch in thickness.  Sprinkle each cookie with a touch of sea salt.   Though it might be tempting to skip this part - don't!  It really makes the cookie great!  Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges become golden and slightly crisp.  Let cool for 10 minutes on baking sheet before removing.