Salted Peanut Butter Cup Chocolate Chip Cookies

For 24 -30 cookies, Salted Peanut Butter Cup Chocolate Chip Cookies keeps the list centered on bread flour, cake flour and baking soda. Set aside about 150 minutes.

• Yield 24 -30 cookies
• Ready in 150 minutes
• Prep 135 minutes
• Cook 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 8 1/2 ounces bread flour
• 8 1/2 ounces cake flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/4 cups 2-1/2 sticks butter, room temperature
• 10 ounces light-brown sugar
• 8 ounces granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup chunky or creamy peanut butter
• 10 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (coarsely chopped)
• 10 ounces mini peanut butter cups (halved)
• Fleur de sel (for sprinkling)

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour, bread flour, baking soda and baking powder.
2. In a large bowl (you can use an electric stand mixer or use a handheld electric mixer), cream the butter until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes.
3. Add granulated and brown sugar and salt. Mix well.
4. Add the eggs, vanilla and peanut butter, Mix until the batter is very light in color, 2-3 minutes.
5. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated.
6. By hand, mix in the chocolate and peanut butter cups. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or up to 24 hours.
7. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
8. Line baking sheets with parchment or silpat liners. Form balls of dough with about 2-3 tablespoons of dough (each of my cookie dough balls weighed 2.55 ounces - how's that for fussy?).
9. Place on the cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Sprinkle lightly with fleur de sel. Bake until the cookies are golden around the edges but still soft in the middle, 13-16 minutes. Keep the dough refrigerated in between batches.

Let the center settle before you cut it, or the slices will slump.