A very easy, very special cookie

Lonnie is my cookie fan. This is not to say that he likes all cookies, but he certainly does enjoy most. When we met he discovered that he could ask me to make cookies and in the time it would take him to go to the store to grab three packages of the $1/per package cookies with creme in the center or a roll of cookie dough, I could whip up a batch of just-out-of-oven delights! His standard fare is tollhouse cookies but we have managed to come up with a few others that are regular requests. Lonnie and Randy are both Reese's Peanut Butter Cup lovers and I thought, "Well, let's combine a peanut butter cookie with chocolate!" This was several years ago and I have since seen similar cookies in bakeries. I combined my basic peanut butter cookie recipe with a chocolate dipping recipe and have since been baking "Peanut Butter Chocolate Dips" for home and to give away.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Dips

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup butter

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla

1 egg

1 3/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Cream sugars and butters. Add vanilla and egg. Add dry ingredients. Drop on ungreased baking sheet. I use a small ice cream scoop, but a tablespoon formed into a ball works. Use a fork and criss-cross the dough. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool for one minute on the pan and then transfer to a cooling rack.

Melt 8 ounces of semisweet chocolate and 1 tablespoon butter. You can do this in the microwave for 30 second intervals - stir after each interval. It only takes about a minute depending on your microwave. Be careful not to overcook the chocolate or it won't be smooth to dip. You can also melt the chocolate in a double boiler or heat proof bowl over a pot of water stirring constantly. Once the chocolate is the consistency of thick syrup, dip the cooled cookies halfway in the chocolate. Place on parchment paper to cool.