If you flatten before baking with a fork, it will stick to the fork. I flatten halfway through baking.
The chocolate...it oozes. This is why I prefer using chocolate bars instead of chips.
Get the milk kiddies! It's time for a cookie!
Ingredients -1 ripe banana -½ cup of creamy natural peanut butter (It should have two ingredients: peanuts, and salt. Smucker's Natural, and Kroger brand natural both fit the bill!) -¼ cup + 2 tbsp of granulated sugar -¼ cup + 2 tbsp of packed brown sugar -2 eggs -1 tsp of pure vanilla extract (Not imitation) 1-½ c + 3 tbsp of white whole wheat flour 1tsp of baking soda 1tsp of salt 7 oz of 72% or higher dark chocolate bar. (I get two 3.5 oz bars of from Kroger private selection) Method
Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium to large bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a stand mixer beat the banana on medium to medium high speed until smooth. Add the peanut butter, and beat until the banana and peanut butter are combined. If necessary, stop the mixer to scrape the sides of the bowl.
Add the granulated and brown sugar, and cream together until fully incorporated. If necessary, stop the mixer to scrape the sides of the bowl.
On a low speed add the eggs one at a time. Wait until the first egg is completely incorporated before adding the second egg.
Still on low speed add in the vanilla.
Once the vanilla has incorporated continue beating on low, and add in the flour mixture in three batches. Wait until each batch has fully incorporated before adding the next batch.
After adding the last batch of flour stop the stand mixer, and use a rubber spatula to scrape any flour on the sides of the bowl, and finish fully incorporating the flour. Be sure to get all of the dough off of the beater!
Once the dough is completely combined, use a knife, or your hands to break up the chocolate bar, and add to the dough. Mix with the rubber spatula.
On an ungreased baking sheet, use a 1-2tbsp cookie scoop, or eating spoon to spoon 6-8 cookies onto the sheet. (You can also put down parchment paper for easier clean up.) Keep the cookies the same size as you spoon them onto the sheet, so that they bake evenly.
If you don’t want dome shaped cookies, then flatten them out. This can be done either before they go into the oven with a fork, or halfway through baking with a fork. I prefer halfway through baking because the cookie won’t stick to the fork. However, the chocolate chunks will burst on top of the cookie. (I personally don’t see an issue with this, but it is a little messier.) Because of the peanut butter, they will keep whatever shape they are while baking, and will not flatten out on their own.
Bake for around 8 minutes. Start checking at 6 mins. The cookies are done when the tops spring back when lightly pressed.
Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 2-4 minutes before using a spatula to move to a cooling rack. Each batch will yield approximately 32 cookies.
Notes *If using the ingredients listed, each cookie is 108 calories per cookie when 32 cookies are made. The entire batch of dough yields 3,443 calories compared to a traditional cookie dough of 6,050 calories *The darker the chocolate the less sweet the cookies tastes. Since the cookie dough itself isn’t sweet, if you would like a sweeter cookie, then try using chocolate with a lower cocoa content such as semi-sweet, or milk chocolate. More sugar can be added to the recipe, but I really recommend switching out the chocolate first. If you decide to add more sugar, then make sure that you use equal amounts of granulated and brown sugar. Do not exceed 3/4c per sugar, and keep in mind that the texture, sugar content, and calorie count will change significantly. Also, please remember before you add more sugar to the recipe that the name of the game is to try to cut back on the sugar. *I haven’t experimented with this yet, but if peanut butter isn’t your thing, then you could try an equal amount of solid coconut oil. However, the calories are almost equivalent to butter, and while coconut oil does have healthy omega 3’s the jury is still out as to whether or not it is bad for your cholesterol, and if any health benefits outweigh the deficits. You could also use a stick of unsalted butter instead of peanut butter if cholesterol isn’t a concern for you. Peanut butter has less calories, and is better for cholesterol. It is also filled with protein, and when made with minimum ingredients, is a healthy fat. *These cookies freeze well, and can be eaten right out of the freezer, crumbled up for an ice cream topping, or microwaved for 20-30 seconds.