Chocolate Peanut Butter Sesame Cookies

Peanut Butter is one of my guilty pleasures.  I love it spread on hot white toast (not as decadent on wholemeal), or slathered all over a stick of celery where the salty sweetness combines with the crunchy nothingness of celery to make a great snack.  When I was on holiday in New York last year, I wandered into the Hershey store on Times Square and bought a bottle of Reeces Chocolate Peanut Butter topping.  Now I know it's probably going to be far too sweet for my tastebuds, but I knew of a tried and tested recipe I could adapt to bring some chocolately goodness to peanut butter... a variation of the Peanut Butter & Sesame Cookies originally from Make Bake Love by Lilly Higgins.  When I brought the originals into work, there was practically a fight over who would get the last one and I've been asked to make them again on a few occasions.  As I believe in making people wait, I decided to hold off for a few months and turn them into a chocolate version.  And here they are...

Thanks to the lovely Jay Fox for the amazing cup & saucer

Chocolate Peanut Butter Sesame Cookies

125g Butter, very soft
85g Caster Sugar
80g Demerara Sugar
125g smooth Peanut Butter
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
160g Plain Flour

40g Cocoa Powder
1tsp Baking Powder
50g Sesame Seeds

Preheat your oven to 170c/Gas Mark 4.  Line two baking trays with baking paper.

Cream the butter, caster & demerara sugars together until soft and fluffy.

Add the peanut butter & vanilla and mix well.

Now add the flour, cocoa & baking powder to the peanut butter mixture.  Fold in well, but don't overbeat as it will make the cookies tough

Roll teaspoons of the dough into balls, push one side into the sesame seeds and place onto the lined trays, allowing some expansion room between each.  

Flatten out slightly - the cookies will crack in the oven as they bake, giving them their lovely appearance.

Bake for 10-15 minutes until set on top when you poke them.  Cool for 10 minutes on the tray before transferring to wire cooling racks.

Chanel Paradoxal on nails, giant bite of cookie in mouth...