I mentioned this cookie recipe in a blog post a couple of weeks ago, but didn’t include the recipe directly on my blog. Since I’ve made this recipe a grand total of FIVE times (yep — the fifth batch is currently in the oven) since discovering it, I’d say it’s a keeper. I wanted to make it more official by adding it to the Curiouser and Curiouser database.
At this point, several people have tried these cookies, and they’ve received rave reviews. They’re honestly the best peanut butter cookies I’ve ever had. Hands down.
Okay, enough talking about these cookies. Let’s look at them, shall we?
Drooling yet?
The secret to the recipe is the peanut butter cup baked inside each cookie. I’ve used both Reese’s cups and Trader Joe’s dark chocolate peanut butter cups, and both are equally delicious.
Before you embark on baking these for yourself, I wanted to be sure to mention that you need to plan ahead. After mixing up this cookie dough, you’ll need to refrigerate it for at least an hour before baking the cookies. (It’s kind of like my pretzel butterscotch chocolate chip cookie recipe in that way, and equally worth waiting for.) Also, as far as what type of peanut butter to use, I’ve been going with the Harris Teeter store brand creamy peanut butter, and that’s working quite well.
Reese’s Cup Stuffed Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- About 18 miniature peanut butter cups, unwrapped (if I’m using the TJ’s dark chocolate cups, I use two of the small bags)
- Mini chocolate chips (for topping)
Directions
- Don’t preheat your oven yet! (Remember, you have to wait at least an hour after making the dough before baking.)
- In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt, and set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together butter and both sugars on medium speed until combined.
- Add in the peanut butter, egg, and vanilla, then turn the mixer to high and beat until the dough becomes light in color and nice and smooth.
- Turn the mixer speed to low and slowly incorporate the dry ingredients.
- Mix until combined.
- Cover the dough and chill it for at least an hour. (You can make the dough well in advance, though. It can be refrigerated for up to three days or frozen for up to two months before baking if needed.)
- Once you’re ready to bake your cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line cookie sheets with Silpats or parchment paper.
- Roll dough into Tablespoon-sized balls, sticking a peanut butter cup between two balls of dough and sealing it inside the dough. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
- Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until they become VERY lightly browned on the sides. (These are cookies you definitely want on the under-baked side so they stay nice and gooey, so watch them carefully.)
- Immediately after removing the cookies from the oven, top each cookie with a few mini chocolate chips, pressing in very slightly to hold them in place.
- Remove cookies from baking sheet and cool completely on a wire rack. (The mini chocolate chips will take a while to set.)
