Fry's P'Nutty Chocolate Cookies

These chocolate cookies go all in on the peanut combination. The dough is built on a heavy ⅔ cup of cocoa powder for deep chocolate flavor, then packed with two full cups of peanut butter chips and a cup of chopped peanuts. You’re getting peanut in three forms: the creamy melt of the chips, the crunch of the nuts, and that roasted aroma that fills the kitchen while they bake.

The fat blend of butter plus shortening is what gives these cookies their texture. Butter brings flavor, shortening brings structure. Together they produce a cookie that’s chewy in the center with a slight crispness at the edges without going flat and greasy.

These bake fast at just 7 to 8 minutes. Pull them when they still look slightly underdone on top. The cocoa makes it hard to judge doneness by color, so go by time and touch. They should feel soft and barely set when you press the edge. They firm up significantly as they cool on the sheet.

Pro Tips

• Flatten the dough mounds slightly with the back of a spoon before baking. The dense dough won’t spread much on its own, and you’ll end up with thick lumps instead of cookies if you skip this step.
• Let them cool on the baking sheet for a full 1 to 2 minutes before moving. They’re fragile when hot and will crack apart if transferred too early.
• Use Dutch-process cocoa for a smoother, less bitter chocolate flavor if you have it. Natural cocoa works fine but tastes sharper.

Variations

• Swap peanut butter chips for white chocolate chips for a sweeter contrast against the dark cocoa dough.
• Add a pinch of cayenne pepper to the dry ingredients for a subtle chocolate-chili heat.
• Roll the dough balls in powdered sugar before baking for a chocolate crinkle cookie look.