Today seemed like a peanut butter day to me. Actually, everyday is a peanut butter day at our house. It's not uncommon for certain persons (I'm absolutely not talking about myself of course), to wander into the kitchen...and eat a spoonful of plain peanut butter every now and then.

And if you happen across an embarassing pile of peanut butter coated spoons, hiding out in the bottom of my sink, please don't judge. I'm and addict.

So is my son.

He has really mastered the art of screeching a dining room table chair across the kitchen floor, to use it in his sneaky attempt to raid the pantry. Of course, I try to teach him what is healthy, what is not, and what should be a "sometimes treat". But he's always finding new ways to con me into eating more of the latter.

While I was baking these today, my son asks me, "Mommy, is peanut butter healthy?" To which I replied, "Yes, in moderation." (Of course, that rule doesn't apply to me.)

So, with head cocked and a triumphant gleam in his eye, his 5-year old logic spits out, "So then, if the cookies have peanut butter in them, they're a liiiiiiittle bit healthy, right?"

Five year old trickery has worked a number on dear ol' mommy, and looks like this round goes to him. Well played my son.

These treats are a variation of my Malted Milk Ball Chewies. I just swapped out the whopper candy with peanut butter chips. Yum!


Yield: 32   Printable Recipe

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 cups butter, softened
3/4 cups brown sugar, firmly packed
3/4 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups peanut butter chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a medium bowl combine the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt. In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugars together at medium speed until creamy.  Add the eggs and vanilla, mixing until blended. 

Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, mixing well. 

Stir in the peanut butter chips.  Drop by tablespoons onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake 8-12 minutes, depending on how crisp you like your cookies.  Let cool for 1 minute, then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.