• I know the last thing we all need is another cookie recipe. Actually, I am always in the mood for a new cookie recipe. Always! My kids had been running a bake sale to earn spending money for our Disney vacation, and we were all a little tired of chocolate chip cookies. I tell you, that’s saying something for this cookie loving gal. So we began perusing my cookbooks and browsing our pantry. That’s when I spied the peanut butter and the cocoa powder. My mind immediately went to Reese’s peanut butter cups. I thought out loud to my kids, we must make a peanut butter cup cookie. They assumed I meant that we would use small peanut butter cups in lieu of chocolate chips or something in a cookie. But no. I planned to make a cookie that was a peanut butter cup.

    That is how these cookies were born.

    To make the cookies:
    1/2 cup butter
    1 1/4 cup sugar
    1 egg
    1 tablespoon vanilla
    1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
    1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons Dutch process cocoa powder
    1 teaspoon salt
    1 teaspoon baking powder

    Cream the first four ingredients in your stand mixer with your paddle attachment. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt together in another bowl. Slowly sift the flour mixture into the wet mixture. Mix until a dough forms.

    Use a cookie scoop to portion out 32 balls of dough. Use the palm of your hand to flatten each ball. Set aside.

    Make the filling:
    3/4 cup peanut butter (I used creamy, but I imagine that chunky would also be amazing)
    2/3 cup confectioners sugar
    3 tablespoons milk
    1 teaspoon vanilla

    Blend all ingredients until smooth.

    Using the same cookie scoop that you used to portion the cookies, scoop the peanut butter mixture and place on 16 of the cookie rounds. Top those with the remaining cookies. Gently press the sides together. Don’t be afraid if the top cookie cracks a little. It will still taste and look scrumptious! Also, don’t worry if some of the peanut butter mixture is seeping out the sides. All will be okay.

    Bake these bad boys at 350 degrees for 11 minutes. Allow them to cool on your cookie sheet for about 3-5 minutes before removing. Enjoy warm, with a huge glass of milk!