Chocolate Peanut Butter Blobs

With Valentine's Day just around the corner, here is the perfect treat to ring in this important Hallmark holiday: Ina Garten's Chocolate Peanut Butter Blobs.  While the blobs' name isn't the sexiest one in the book, they are the perfect reminder to never judge a book (or cookie) by its cover.   These cookies are crunchy yet tender and the peanut butter chips and walnuts are the perfect complement to the velvety chocolate. Happy V Day friends. 

Recipe after the jump

PC: Ina Garten

Ingredients:

6 tbsp (3/4 stick) unsalted butter

12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, divided

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate

2 extra-large eggs

1 tbsp instant espresso powder (I didn't use this)

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

3/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1 cup whole walnut halves (not chopped)

1 cup whole pecans halves (not chopped)-I left these out

2/3 cup peanut butter chips, such as Reese's

Directions: 

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a few sheet pans with parchment paper.  In a bowl set over simmering water, melt the butter, 6 ounces of chocolate chip, and the unsweetened chocolate, stirring occasionally, until just melted.  Remove from the heat and cool for 15 minutes. 

In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs, espresso powder (if using), and vanilla until combined.  Add the sugar, raise the speed to medium-high and beat for 2 minutes, until the batter is thick and falls back on itself in a ribbon.  Set aside. 

With the mixer on low, slowly add the chocolate mixture to the egg mixture.  Combine the 1/3 cup of flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl and fold it into the chocolate mixture with a rubber spatula.  In another bowl, combine the walnuts, pecans (if using), peanut butter chips, the remaining 6 ounces of chocolate chips, and the tablespoon of flour and fold it into the chocolate mixture.  With 2 soup spoons (or a small cookie scoop like I used) drop rounded mounds of batter 1 inch apart onto prepared sheet pans. Bake for 15 minutes exactly. Cool on the baking sheets.