1cup + 2 tbspcreamy peanut butterI used Kraft Light
1cupbrown sugarpacked
1large egg
1tbspvanilla
1/2cupcocoa powder
1tspbaking soda
Instructions
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together peanut butter and brown sugar, stopping to scrape down the sides if necessary. Add egg and vanilla and beat until smooth and combined.
Add the cocoa and baking soda and beat until smooth, scraping down the sides if necessary.
*The dough should come together easily. There may be some crumbly pieces in the bowl, but you should be able to squeeze them and roll them into a ball. If you can't, add a little extra peanut butter, 1 tbsp at a time.
Scoop out 1 tbsp of cookie dough and roll into a ball. Place on a large plate and flatten slightly with a fork. The dough won't spread much once it's refrigerated, and you don't want the cookies to be puffy and domed. You also don't want to flatten too much and have very thin cookies.
Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment or spray well with cooking spray. Place cookies on prepared sheets a couple of inches apart (I baked 12 to a pan).
Bake 7-9 minutes, until edges are set and tops nearly set. Overbaking will result in drier cookies, and cookies will continue to set up as they cool. I found 7 minutes for a 1 tbsp cookie to be just perfect.
Let cookies cool for 5 minutes before removing to a rack to finish cooling. Store at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
*You can bake the cookies right away, but they will be slightly thinner and chewier. For thicker, softer cookies, you'll need to refrigerate. *Note: original recipe used 2 tbsp cookie scoop and baked 8-10 minutes, making 13 cookies.