Cookie Recipe #5

Magic-in-the-Middles

It’s a peanut butter cup, but it’s a cookie. Endlessly fascinating. Also far more satisfying than a normal peanut butter cup. You will probably be ready for a glass of milk and a nap after this beast.

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups flour

½ cup unsweetened cocoa

½ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

½ cup sugar

½ cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 stick (½ cup) softened butter

1 cup creamy peanut butter, divided

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 egg

¾ powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk together first 4 ingredients in a medium-size mixing bowl in a separate bowl, beat together sugars, butter, and ½ cup peanut butter until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and egg, beating to combine. Stir in dry ingredients, blending well. Set dough aside.

2. Stir together remaining ½ cup peanut butter and powdered sugar until smooth. With floured hands, roll mixture into 26 1-inch balls. 

3. Break off about 1 tbs. cookie dough. Make an indentation in center with thumb, and press 1 peanut butter ball into indentation. Wrap dough up and over filling, pressing to seal; roll cookie to smooth it out. Repeat for each cookie. 

4. Dip top of each cookie in granulated sugar and place 2 inches apart on lightly greased baking sheets (or use parchment paper). Flatten each cookie to about ½ inch thick.

5. Bake cookies for 7-9 minutes or until set. Let cool on wire rack.

(recipe via old magazine clipping)