In Trouble Again

Usually I'm pretty good about the things I bake. I can taste, have a piece or two, then be done. I might even have baked goods go stale and be tossed, just because there's such a glut of baked goods in my kitchen.

Every once in a while, though, I stumble upon something that's treacherous, something that's addictive, something I just can't walk away from. Then I know I'm in trouble. I know I need to get it out of the house pronto, before I gobble the entire batch!

Recently I found another such recipe. It seemed innocuous enough. Peanut butter cookies. With peanut butter chips. What could be so evil about that? Why do they sing to me from the cookie jar, like a siren luring my diet to its ruin?

These are deceptively simple. A rich, moist cookie base, studded with hits of extra peanut butter, with a crunchy, sugary shell. Horrible, horrible combination. Trust me. You want nothing to do with these cookies! But if you don't trust me and go ahead and bake them, don't say I didn't warn you. And if you need help getting rid of the rest of the cookies, call me.

Siren Peanut Butter Cookies
- adapted from The Hasketeers

1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 egg
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup Reese's Peanut Butter Chips
granulated sugar for dipping

1- Preheat oven to 350 deg. F. with racks dividing the oven into thirds.

2- In the bowl of an electric mixer beat butter, brown sugar, peanut butter and egg together. Beat until creamy.

3- In a small bowl whisk together the flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture and blend together. Stir in the peanut butter chips.

4- Shape the dough into 1-inch balls. Roll them in granulated sugar and place on ungreased baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between cookie.

5- Bake for 9-10 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack.