Chocolate Peanut Crumble Cookies

There is something about the combination of chocolate and peanut butter that is quintessentially perfect don't you think?



It's that sweet/salty thing I am sure. The rich sweetness of the chocolate going so very well with the creamy saltiness of the peanut butter . . .



It doesn't seem to matter to me if it is dark chocolate or milk chocolate, or something in between. Chocolate and peanut butter are just plain good, no matter which way you work it together. Reeses has made a fortune on that premise . . .



A divine combination that is bliss, pure bliss, and never more so than when baked into a buttery cookie, chock full to the brim with smooth and tasty semi sweet chocolate chips and topped with a rich, crumbly, peanutty streusal topping.



Scrummy never tasted so good! (Not a favourite of Todd's of course, but that's his fault for not liking chocolate. It just ain't natural!)




*Chocolate Peanut Crumble Cookies*
Makes about 15
Printable Recipe

Deep, dark and delicious chocolate cookies, filled with chocolate chips, topped with a scrummy peanut topping and drizzled with white chocolate as a crowning touch.

9 TBS of butter, softened
115g of caster sugar (1/2 cup plus 1 TBS)
1 heaped TBS of creamy peanut butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 large free range egg, beaten
150g plain flour (1 slightly heaped cup)
30g of cocoa powder (8 TBS)
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
100g of semi sweet chocolate chips (1 cup)

For the crumble topping:
30g salted butter (2 1/2 TBS)
40g plain flour (1/4 cup heaped)
30g of caster sugar (1/4 cup)
60g of unsalted peanuts (1/2 cup),
half of them coarsely chopped and half of them left whole

For the drizzle:
50g of white chocolate, chopped (1/2 cup)

Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/gas mark 5. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

Make the crumble topping by whisking together the flour and sugar. Rub in the butter until crumbly and then stir in the nuts. Set aside.

Cream together the butter and sugar for the cookies, along with the peanut butter, until smooth and fluffy. Beat in the egg. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder and baking soda. Stir this into the creamed mixture, mixing it in completely. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Shape into 15 gold ball sized balls. Place well apart on the baking sheets. Press down lightly with a spoon, making a slight indentation in the middles. Sprinkle heaped TBS of the topping in the middles. (This will be messy, and some will fall off, but do the best you can do. You will not need all of the crumble topping, but it freezes well for another time and trust me, when you taste these little gems, there will be another time). Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the cookies are well set and the topping is golden. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 5 to 10 minutes before scooping off to finish cooling on a wire rack.

Melt the chocolate in a bowl in the microwave for about 60 seconds. Stir until smooth. Drizzle decoratively over the tops of the cookies, across the streusel. Allow to set before storing in an airtight container.