The Famous 4 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

Call me American but I love most things Peanut Butter. Left to my own devices I would eat it straight from the jar.. maybe even drizzle it with honey. What's not to love about Peanut Butter? It is voluptuous, creamy, wholesome, fatty and sinfully delicious. Put it on toast, in sandwiches, dip veggies in it, make it into a sauce.. or put it in cookies, cakes, brownies. Alright enough.

I'm also a big fan of delicious foods that are easy to make. I enjoy cookies but they typically require all these powders (flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt etc), brown AND white sugar, eggs AND butter, then whatever else makes them delicious: chocolate chips, nuts, dried fruit. Makes me a bit tired just thinking about it. Worth the effort sometimes but why do it if you can have shockingly similar cookies with half the ingredients and half the time?

I found this recipe while nannying in university. I had the pleasureable challenge of cookie for kids that were Gluten Free. Much like my Easiest Banana Berry Muffins, I was a little apprehensive when I first saw this Peanut Butter Drop Cookie Recipe: "sugar, eggs, peanut butter" period. You've got to give everything a try once right? I'm happy I did. With chocolate chips, you can't tell they're simple or that they're gluten free. I made them for Valentines Day = success.

 For Smaller bight sized cookies that are a bit chewy, form the cookie dough into small balls using a rounded tablespoon  (picture above). For flatter cookies with a bit of crunch, form the balls above with a tablespoon more of cookie dough then slightly flatten out (picture below). It is very important that you don't flatten the cookies too much... unless you want wafer thin peanut butter chocolate crisps!

The Famous 4 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
(Makes 12 to 20 cookies) 

1 1/2 Cups Peanut Butter (I used Martha's Organic Creamy Peanut Butter, stirred really well)
1 1/2 Cups Sugar (normal white baking sugar)
3 eggs 
3/4 to 1 Cup Dark Chocolate Chips
*Optional: add 1 teaspoon of vanilla 
*Other ideas: Add nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large to medium sized mixing bowl, combine the Peanut Butter, Sugar and Eggs (optionally vanilla), stir until it looks like delicious cookie dough. Add Chocolate Chips and mix till evening distributed. Butter two baking sheets. If you desire a chewy, bite sized cookie, form the down into small balls using a tablespoon. Place on baking sheet 1 inch apart (about 12 a pan). If you desire a crunchier, larger cookie form the dough into larger balls then slightly flatten out (See pictures above).  
Bake for 14-18 minutes (14 was my sweet spot with one pan and 18 with another).
Let cool on pan then use a spatula to scrape off. Then... Enjoy!