Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

Okay, it's November, and with the holidays rapidly approaching (according to the stores), holiday baking is on my mind.  I have some solid cookies in my arsenal, but there is always room for tasty additions!

I've been wanting to find a solid chocolate peanut butter cookie recipe, and something beyond a peanut butter dough with chocolate chips.  Good, sure, but predictable.

This recipe is meant to be a cookie equivalent of a buckeye.  A favorite holiday treat of mine!  This is a popular recipe on food blogs, and I did add a little twist of my own by adding in chocolate chips in the peanut butter filling for an extra punch of chocolate.  (Is that ever a bad thing?  I thought not.)

I brought these cookies into work, and to say they were well-received would be the understatement of the decade.  I love them as well and this is now my go-to chocolate peanut butter cookie recipe!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
(adapted from Brown-Eyed Baker)
Makes 24-30 cookies

Cookie
1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup granulated sugar (plus more for rolling)
½ cup light brown sugar
¼ cup creamy peanut butter
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Filling
¾ cup creamy peanut butter
¾ cup powdered sugar
Semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.

3. With an electric mixer on medium speed, cream together the butter, sugars and peanut butter until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat to combine. Reduce the speed to low, add the flour mixture and mix until combined.

4. In a separate medium bowl, mix together the peanut butter and powdered sugar for the filling until smooth.  Place bowl in fridge to chill so it's easier to work with.

5. Set aside roughly 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips to put inside with filling.

6. In a small bowl, put some extra granulated sugar for rolling the cookies.

7. Prepare cookie sheets with parchment papers. Use a medium cookie scoop (or heaping tablespoon) of cookie dough and roll it into a ball, place on cookie sheet. Do this with all of the cookie dough and place cookie sheet into fridge to chill a bit.

8. Take about 1 teaspoon of the peanut butter filling (or a small cookie scoop) and roll into a ball Do this with all of the filling and place cookie sheet into the fridge anytime it gets too soft and difficult to work with.

9. Take cookie dough ball and flatten it with your hands, and place ball of peanut butter filling in the center of the chocolate dough. Add a few chocolate chips in the filling. Wrap the chocolate dough around the peanut butter center, pressing to seal. Roll the cookie into a ball and roll in the sugar. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Flatten each cookie slightly with the palm of your hand or a glass.

10. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.


Enjoy!