Sailors' Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie

These aren’t your standard chocolate chip cookies. A generous amount of peanut butter goes into the dough alongside shortening, which gives the cookies a chewier, sturdier texture that holds up better than an all-butter version. That peanut butter flavor comes through clearly without overpowering the chocolate.

Creaming the peanut butter and shortening with sugar until light and fluffy is where the texture gets built. Don’t rush it. Adding the eggs one at a time keeps the dough emulsified and smooth. A splash of milk loosens the batter just enough so the cookies spread evenly in the oven rather than baking up into dense pucks.

Drop by teaspoon for smaller, snackable cookies. They’ll look slightly underdone when you pull them, but they firm up on the sheet as they cool.

Chef Tips

• Don’t overbake: Pull them when the edges are golden but the centers still look soft. They’ll set up as they cool on the pan.
• Chill the dough for 30 minutes if it feels too soft to scoop. Cold dough spreads less and bakes thicker.
• Use natural peanut butter for a more pronounced peanut flavor, or commercial creamy for a sweeter, milder cookie.
• Storage: Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days. They freeze well for up to two months.

Variations

• Double chocolate: Use dark chocolate chips and add a few tablespoons of cocoa powder to the flour.
• Peanut butter cup style: Press a mini peanut butter cup into the top of each cookie right after baking.