Sunflower Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and line a few baking pans with parchment paper unless preparing the dough beforehand- see #6! Set aside.
2. Cream the butter and sugars for several minutes in a large bowl or the bowl of a standing mixer.
3. Add the peanut butter, eggs, and vanilla to the butter and sugar and beat until thoroughly combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to make sure you don't leave anyone behind.
4. Add the dry ingredients into the bowl and beat/stir until everything comes together in one cohesive dough.
5. Stir in the chocolate chunks.
6. Here's the big moment in your Choose Your Own Adventure story. You can bake the cookies now or make a materially better decision resulting in a much happier ending by curing your dough overnight in the fridge. I often cure my dough for several days, to be a complete downer. It helps ripen the dough producing more complexity and a more profound depth of flavors.
7. Whether you proceed now or it's a day later, use your hands, a large spoon, an ice cream scoop, or whatever new fad on the market, and portion into individual cookies. I use a green 3 1/4 oz-Winco ice cream scoop for those who care.
8. Sprinkle the tops of the cookies with Maldon salt or another large, flaky salt you may have. Bake the cookies for 18-20 minutes until they turn golden brown on top and darker brown around the edges. Remove and let cool on the pan for a few minutes before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely.