Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup HERSHEY'S unsweetened natural cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 3/4 cup smooth REESE'S peanut butter
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 (3.53 ounce) bar CACAO RESERVE BY HERSHEY'S 65% Extra Dark Chocolate with Nibs, finely chopped*

Directions

Position the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter 2 large baking sheets.

Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.

With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary, for about 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Beat in the peanut butter until smooth. Beat in the egg until combined well. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the speed to low, and beat in the flour mixture in 2 batches. Stir in the chopped chocolate with a rubber spatula until combined well.

Roll a rounded teaspoonful of dough for each cookie into a scant 1-inch ball. Place the balls 2-inches apart on the baking sheets. With the back of a fork, gently press a crisscross pattern into each cookie, flattening it to about 1/4 inch thick.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, switching the positions of the baking sheets halfway through baking, until the cookies are dark golden brown. Let cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

Note: If you can't find the specific chocolate called for, you can substitute another chocolate with about the same intensity-the higher the percent of cacao solids (labeled as % cacao) in a bar, the more intense the chocolate flavor. Bars labeled simply as bittersweet, semisweet or dark can be used in any recipe calling for any recipe calling for chocolate of less than 70% cacao.