Just sitting at the computer thinking of some recipes I came across recently. This is one that has two of my favorite flavors – peanut butter and chocolate. But this isn’t any ordinary cookie, this one has a center of soft peanut butter surrounded by chocolate. If it weren’t for the telltale cracks in my version of the cookie, you would never know that beneath that dark chocolate exterior lies a surprise center of peanut butter. This cookie is making the rounds on the popular websites, this is adapted from the popular Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie.

It is a bit fiddly – and you know how I like fiddly, but the end result is so worth it. It’s not difficult to make, but you need patience because the peanut butter centers – once shaped, turn gooey very quickly. They are much easier to handle if you freeze them for about 15 minutes after shaping them and then work quickly with the dough. If you have warm hands – well it will be just fiddlier! This applies to the chocolate dough as well, as there is a fair amount of butter (both dairy and peanut) for the quantity of flour. Using unsweetened peanut butter then adding icing sugar makes the peanut butter easier to handle – not to mention delicious centers.

If you have not used natural peanut butter before, it separates and all the oil floats to the top- that’s normal. Give it a good stir before using. Once you use natural peanut butter, it’s difficult to switch back to the salted, sweetened kind. I stir mine well once opened and then store in the fridge. It’s the kind of snack that when I come home after work, one heaping tablespoon of peanut butter from this jar satisfies my snack craving.  

I made a batch of these cookies for my wife – who am I kidding, everything I bake, I bake it for her (sung to Bryan Adams song). Enough of that! Use your stand or hand mixer for the whole process, or use your muscles, a little more difficult – but certainly doable! This makes for a big cookie as it does spread and you will get about 24 – 26 cookies depending on how much dough you use to encase each peanut butter ball. I used a purple handle scoop and got 26. I recommend using the purple scoop if you have one or a large teaspoon, just put a little butter on your finger and rub inside the bowl of the scoop/spoon the first time. Make these today. As always – enjoy!

Peanut butter filling:
¾ cup unsweetened, salted peanut butter
¾ cup powdered sugar

Chocolate cookie:
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
¼ cup unsweetened, salted peanut butter
½ cup sugar, plus more for rolling
½ cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup cocoa powder
1 cup plus 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Flaky salt, for sprinkling

Heat the oven to 350f
Make the filling by combining the peanut butter and powdered sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment – start on low then increase to medium high until smooth
Scrape onto a plate and freeze for 15 minutes – this makes the next step so much easier
Remove from the freezer and using a teaspoon, make 26 – 28 scoops – round them if you can without touching too much – place back in the freezer for 15 minutes
Make the cookie dough by combining the butter, peanut butter, and sugars in the bowl of the standing mixer (no need to clean it out) – cream until light and fluffy, scraping down the bowl as needed
Add the egg and vanilla – continue creaming until fluffy, scraping as needed
Add the salt and baking soda – mix on low
Sift the cocoa powder into the flour and add to the mixer – mix until fully incorporated and smooth
Fill a small bowl with white sugar, remove the peanut butter scoops from the freezer
Use your purple handled cookie scoop or a spoon to scoop up 1 tablespoon of chocolate dough
Flatten into a thin patty in your palm, place 1 peanut butter ball in the center and wrap the chocolate dough around it
Using your fingers, shape this into a round – you could also use your palm, but you might find the dough softening too much from the heat of your hands
Roll the ball in the sugar, place on a parchment lined baking sheet repeat until finished – leave about 2” around each cookie ball
Using a flat bottomed glass, press down on the ball to flatten – about ¼” thick
Sprinkle with sea salt – press lightly into the surface
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through—they’ll puff up and will most likely crack, that’s okay, nothing will come oozing out – although if it did, I’d still enjoy the cookie and whatever oozed out onto my baking sheet
Cool slightly, then transfer to a rack to cool completely