gluten-free peanut butter chocolate chunk cookies

Ya'll.

I'm not gonna lie.
I'm a little sad Valentine's Day is over.
My boy really spoiled me this year!
Not to mention, the chocolates, cupcakes, and cookies that were flowing all day long.

I may have gained a pound or two in the process, but I'd say V-day this year was a total success.

And how do you top off a day that includes not one but two dates with your lover, complete with a surprise chocolate and dozen roses delivery?

Well, with the most amazing gluten-free cookies I've ever baked.
Of course.

These cookies are nothing short of amazing.
If you're into the whole chewy-gooey-have-to-eat-them-over-a-plate-so-the-chocolate-doesn't-get-on-your-clothes thing.

Which I totally am.

I found this recipe via Pinterest {of course}, and I think it's the one recipe I've ever found there that I haven't had to tweak.

Is it just me, or are Pinterest recipes always just a tad bit off?

I followed this one verbatim {aside from adding a tiny bit more vanilla...vanilla extract and I have an ongoing love affair - don't tell Mexican food!} and they turned out exactly the way I was hoping they would.
Thus ending Valentine's Day with the chocolate-y bang it deserved.

original recipe via

Things you'll need:

1 cup creamy peanut butter {I used reduced fat Great Value creamy, and it worked like a charm! Read the original recipe for her thoughts on why using natural peanut butter isn't necessarily ideal}

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 large egg

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1 tsp baking soda

6 oz. Baker's chocolate, chopped {I used semi-sweet - feel free to use dark, bittersweet, or even white if you're feeling crazy! - also, you can sub 1 cup of chocolate chips if you're not into the chopping, although I do recommend it...there's nothing better than huge chunks of chocolate, am I right?}

Add peanut butter, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla extract in a medium-sized mixing bowl, and beat with electric hand mixer until well blended.

Add baking soda, and mix.

Roughly chop your chocolate of choice, and stir gently to incorporate.

I forgot to take a picture of this because, let's be honest, chocolate gets me excited.

But I will say this - 6 ounces of roughly chopped chunks looks like a lot for this small batch of dough.

And some of the chunks may fall out when you're spooning out your cookies.

So the best thing to do is roll the cookie balls in your hand to force the chunks to stay in.

It's totally worth it.

Lightly spray pan with cooking spray, and form cookie balls {however large you want! I went on the medium to large size - go big or go home, ya know}.

Bake for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees.

I did mine for 7 minutes because my oven gets really hot, and they were absolutely perfect.

Let them cool on the pan for 5-10 minutes before you try to move them.

You want the edges to be just done enough to hold the cookie in place.

The middles of mine were still doughy, which {after cooled} made for a gooey, delicious center.

These spread out while baking, as most cookies do.

However, the original baker recommends chilling the dough for at least two hours if you want a thicker, puffier cookie.

So, naturally, I saved half the dough, wrapped it in clear plastic wrap, and stuck in the fridge for this weekend.

I just know Joe and I are going to want more peanut butter chocolate-y goodness to go with our usual Shark Tank and wine Friday night.

I know, we sound crazy fun.

What did you all do for Valentine's Day?

Tell me everything!