Peanut Butter Cup...Cookies!

Out of no where the chocolate craving hit me last night...what could I make that would satisfy?  I was contemplating making a batch of brownies, while they are delicious, I just made a batch a couple weeks ago.  I needed something new...maybe something peanut-buttery too.  There are few things better than peanut butter and chocolate together (chocolate covered pretzels are a very close 2nd!)

So off to the kitchen I went to make up some chocolate cookie dough.  How would I get the peanut butter inside though?  I browsed the internet for some ideas.  The easiest method looked to be making up chocolate cookie balls and smaller sized peanut butter balls, put them together and work the chocolate dough around the PB ball.
Here, I have my chocolate cookie dough, PB cream (peanut butter and powdered sugar mixed together) and I've started to make my chocolate dough balls.

As you can see I couldn't get the PB cream to a 'creamy' consistency.  It ended up working out fine, the dough was just a little harder to work into balls without crumbling apart.  I may have to play around with this...I did hand mix it.  I'll try using the mixer next time, see if that helps.




A kitchen table full of balls!!!  hehe..

Next step was to plop one PB ball on top of each chocolate ball.  Then, work the chocolate dough around the PB ball so that none of the PB is showing...

Before baking, you need to slightly flatten them and add some sugar sprinkle to them at the same time.  I used the bottom of a glass pressed into some white sugar to flatten the cookies prior to baking







Throw them in an oven preheated to 350 degrees and cook for 8 minutes.  After removing from the oven, cool about a minute on cookie sheet before transferring to wire racks.






These were really tasty...a perfect cookie version of a peanut butter cup.  These may seem like a lot of work but if you prep well, it goes really easy.  One bite and you'll know it was totally worth it!

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

1 1/2c. all purpose flour

3/4c. unsweetened cocoa

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2c. butter, softened

1/2c. sugar

1/2c. brown sugar, packed

1/4c. peanut butter

1 egg

1T. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

3/4c. powdered sugar, sifted

1/2c. peanut butter

2T. sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a medium bowl, add your flour, cocoa, and baking soda.  Sift using a wire whisk.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat together the 1/2c sugar, brown sugar, butter and 1/4c peanut butter, until combined.

Add the egg, milk and vanilla.  Beat well.

Beat in as much of the flour/cocoa mix as you can with the mixer.  Hand stir any remaining flour/cocoa mix.

Form chocolate dough into 32 balls, about 1 1/2 inch in diameter.  Set aside.

For PB filling, in medium bowl, combine (mixer?) 3/4c. powdered sugar and 1/2c. peanut butter, until smooth.  (My mixture never got to 'smooth', I will try using the mixer next time...)

Shape PB mixture into 32 smaller balls, about 3/4 inch.

Slightly flatten chocolate balls and top each with a PB ball.

Shape chocolate dough over PB filling, completely covering PB.  Roll into a ball and place on a cookie sheet. Repeat for all 32 balls.

Lightly flatten each ball with a glass dipped in 2T. sugar.

Bake for 8 minutes, or until just set and surface is slightly cracked.  Let stand 1 minute on cookie sheet before removing to wire racks to cool completely.