These cookies are a delicious peanut butter cookies surrounding a core of peanut butter chocolate cup!
I came across the idea of putting Reese’s peanut butter cup inside of peanut butter cookies and I was overly excited about this idea. It’s a combination of two of my favorite things! What could be better thana peanut butter cup cookie? Plus, it seemed like an interesting take on a cookie since it’s not the standard drop a ball on a tray.
One thing that I needed specifically for this recipe is a mini-muffin tin. Cause you need to fix the cookies around the peanut butter cups. The mini-muffin tray proved to be the perfect holder for the process although my method causes the cookies to puff up a bit around the top.
Check out the Make section of MCG for more fun recipes like desserts and savory dishes. Leave a comment below and let me know what you think and how the recipe works for you!
Ingredients
I had a long internal debate about using a sugar cookie or a peanut butter cookie for this recipe. In the end, I decided to use a peanut butter cookie because I wanted to double down on the peanut butter in the recipe.
There aren’t many “exotic” ingredients needed for this recipe. Most of the ingredients can be found in your kitchen. I had to check for Peanut butter, brown sugar, and the miniature peanut butter cups. I am quite disappointed that miniature peanut butter cups are not a staple in my kitchen. But that’s probably a good thing.
Process
Making the Dough
The main part of this recipe is making the cookie dough. It’s one of the major parts of a peanut butter cup cookie. Mainly the cookie part.
I started by whisking together the dry ingredients in a small bowl. This included the flour salt, and baking soda. I know that whisking of dry ingredients produce the most exciting photos of this whole process. (No, I know it’s just a bowl of powders, but I like putting it in for completeness)
Then, in a large bowl, I creamed together the butter, peanut butter, sugar, and brown sugar. I found it fascinating that the peanut butter acts so similarly to butter when being whisked. I’m assuming it is because they are both fats, so they have similar properties.
Once the butter and sugar mixture has become smooth and fluffy, I added in an egg, vanilla extract, and milk. The mixture started to take on a more liquid shape. I like to scrape down the sides of the bowl during this step. The butter shouldn’t stick against the sides too much!
Then I added the flour mixture into the wet mixture and let the dough really come together. This dough should be on the more solid side. It should be rollable with your hands and easy to manipulate.
Assembling the Cookie
I discovered there are two ways to assemble this cookie. One is to assemble before baking and the other is to assemble after. I opted for the assemble before baking step because I am not great at working quickly with hot materials. A lesson I have learned repeatedly (I’m a bit of a slow learner).
I decided to drop a ball of cookie dough (using a cookie scoop) into each cavity of the mini-muffin tin. Then I pressed a miniature peanut butter cup into each ball of dough to make the peanut butter cup cookie
The cookie outside and the tin wall really prevent the peanut butter cup from melting while the cookies are cooking in the oven. But the cookies do need to fully cool in the tin before being turned out otherwise they feel too fragile to work with.
Assembling after the cookie are baked mean the pushing the peanut butter cup into the softened cookie. Which means that the cookies need to be softened to assemble. Which means working very fast!
Reflections
I kind of love how these cookies exploded out of the top of the tin to create a little muffin like top. And these cookies were absolutely delicious. I love the almost excessive amount of peanut butter flavor that runs throughout this cookie. There is so much peanut butter! And I’m still craving more. 10/10 would bake again!
Lessons
Limiting Bakes
When baking inside of a constrained tin, remember if the final baked good wants to grow. Almost always, they will want to grow. Even when constrained they will find a place to expand. That’s why muffin tins try to control that expansion into growing upwards.
If they are unable to grow, two things can happen. One, it will explode. It wanted to grow and not even the constraints can stop it. Two, it will become very dense (and possibly stogey) from the inability to rise.
recipe
Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ Cup All-Purpose Flour
- ½ Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ Cup Unsalted Butter softened
- ½ Cup Peanut Butter
- ½ Cup Granulated Sugar
- ½ Cup Light Brown Sugar packed
- 1 Egg beaten
- 2 Tablespoon Whole Milk
- 40 Miniature Peanut Butter Cups
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375° Fahrenheit. Prep a miniature muffin tin.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream the butter, sugar, brown sugar, and peanut butter until the mixture is smooth and fluffy.
- Slowly beat in the egg, vanilla, and milk. Add in the flour mixture and mix well until the ingredients are just combined.
- Using a cookie scoop or spoon, distribute into 40 balls in a mini muffin pan.
- Press a mini peanut butter cup into each cookie ball. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Allow to cool and carefully remove from pan.
- Enjoy!!
These look so decadent.I can almost taste them! I may “borrow” these for Christmas cookies.