Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Balls

My friend Melissa shared some of these yummy cookies balls with us. My girls actually got a sample a while back from her husband, our manager. I was busy paying rent, and when we were at the office window, he shared a couple cookies with them. Now, they beg me to take them to the office for cookies... they think it's like the dum-dums or Fruities at the bank. I'm not sure how to break this trend, but now that I have the yummy recipe, I can just pack down my own cookies or they can get their "fix" beforehand. :) ...And I can too, of course. :)

Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Balls
(I got this from Melissa, who found it on Peasandthankyou.com, and she was inspired by Annie the Baker’s Cookie Dough Balls, just to give credit where credit is due. :)
Makes 12-18 dough balls
1/2 c. non-dairy margarine (i.e. Earth Balance)
3/4 c. natural peanut butter
1/2 c. organic brown sugar
3/4 c. organic powdered sugar
1/2 t. vanilla extract
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
3/4 t. salt
1 c. whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 c. unbleached organic flour
1/2 c. natural peanut butter chips
1/2 c. non-dairy chocolate chips

Using a stand mixer, beat margarine, peanut butter, sugars and vanilla until fully incorporated.
In a separate bowl, combine baking powder, baking soda, salt and flours.
Add dry mixture to the mixer bowl a little at a time.
Mix until a dough forms.
Add your chips. There’s no need for exact measurements here. I won’t tell.
Combine and chill dough for 30 minutes.
***Edited to add: your dough may seem a little dry based on the type of peanut butter used (I used Skippy natural). If you cannot get it to come together by mixing or packing it into your scoop tightly, you can try adding an additional tablespoon of peanut butter or non-dairy milk.

You could just eat the dough at this point, then click on the “Contact Me” button and propose marriage. If you want the full Cookie Dough Ball experience though, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Scoop dough with a mini ice cream scoop (or your fingers) and place balls on a cookie sheet.

Bake for 10-12 minutes. They’ll still be soft and look much like they did going in, but don’t overbake. Let the dough balls rest on the pan for a minute before transferring to a cooling rack.