Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies

Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies

These cookies are like a baked reeses! I guess its not much of a peanut butter surprise when you can see the peanut butter peeking out as in the photo below though...

I have a obsession with peanut butter. During the UCSB swim and dive training camp, I managed to consume a 4 pound jar of peanut butter in 2 1/2 weeks. Needless to say I put peanut butter on everything during those weeks. 

These are so good. The peanut butter filling inside stays creamy even after baked. 

They are very simple to make. You start out with two doughs.

One for the peanut butter filling...

And a separate dough for the chocolate cookie. 

The assembly is very simple. Just take a tablespoon sized piece of chocolate dough, flatten it in the palm of your hand, and place a 1/2 tablespoon sized chunk of peanut butter dough. 

Wrap it up and seal the edges then roll the cookie dough ball in powdered sugar...

After a quick trip to the oven they are ready to be eaten! The dough doesn't spread much in the oven. If you want a flatter cookie, simply flatten the balls of dough with the bottom of a glass before baking.

Recipe:

1 1/2 C flour

1/2 C cocoa powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 C granulated sugar

1/2 C brown sugar

1/2 C butter (softened)

1 C creamy peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla extract 

1 egg

3/4 C powdered sugar

1/8 C granulated sugar for dipping (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with non-stick spray.
1. Cream the butter and sugars together. Then add 1/4 C of peanut butter
2. After the mixtures is light and fluffy, add in the egg and vanilla extract.
3. Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Add this mixture to the wet mixture
4. In a separate bowl mix the powdered sugar and 3/4 C of peanut butter until a dough forms
5. Assemble the cookies- take a tablespoon of chocolate cookie dough and flatten it in the palm of your hand. Take a 1/2 tablespoon full of peanut butter dough and place it on the chocolate dough. Wrap the chocolate dough around the peanut butter and seal the edges shut.
6. Roll the ball to shape it and roll it in the set aside sugar for dipping. Place the ball on the baking sheet and flatten it with the bottom of a glass until it is about 1/2 a inch thick.
7. Bake for 7-10 minutes or until set.

Note: We forgot to flatten our cookies with the bottom of a glass. They do not spread so they baked in the ball shape.