Chocolate Cookies with Peanut Butter Filling

Since we all made it through Monday, I thought we all deserved a little treat! A visual treat, at least. ;)

I've made these cookies before and lost the recipe until I recently saw it on Pinterest. I was so excited to find it again! There are several variations, but this one is extremely close to what I've made in the past. I did use this exact recipe a few weeks ago for Cowboy's birthday. We took the extras to friends and family at the lake that weekend and they were a big hit (i.e. I left with an empty jar = success)! The recipe I used comes from Pennies on a Platter. These photos also belong to her, so go tell her how much you love her and her recipe!

Here's how she does it:

Yield: 2-3 dozen cookies 

1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
½ cup granulated sugar (plus more for dipping)
½ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter, divided
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
¾ cup powdered sugar 

Preheat oven to 375˚F. 

Stir together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Set aside. 

In a large mixing bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the sugar, butter and 1/4 cup of the peanut butter until light and smooth. Add in the vanilla and egg, beating one at a time to combine. Gradually stir in the flour mixture. Set dough aside. 

To make the filling, cream together the powdered sugar and remaining 3/4 cup of peanut butter until smooth. 

To assemble the cookies, spoon a generous tablespoon of chocolate cookie dough and flatten into a circle with your hands. Scoop a small amount of peanut butter filling mixture and place in the center of the chocolate dough. Wrap the chocolate dough around the peanut butter filling, pinching ends together to seal. Roll the cookie in between hands to smooth into a ball. Roll into a bowl of sugar and place on the cookie sheet. 

Use the bottom of a glass to slightly flatten the cookies. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes. Do not over bake. Let cool on wire rack.

My note: it is extremely important that you use your dough quickly and do not overbake. These guys will dry out quickly! Just a personal preference, but I actually almost always under-bake my cookies (any kind). I like a soft, chewy cookie, so I take them out of the oven a couple of minutes early (since they continue to bake a little bit even after they've been removed from the oven). Once they're cool, they're the perfect amount of "done"!

Enjoy!