Magic In the Middle Cookies

Here is the last of the Six Sisters’ Stuff recipes I got from my mother in law. This is pretty much right off their website. I found it a bit tricky to roll the chocolate dough around the filling. I was working on a warm day and found it  easier when I refrigerated the dough and filling for a while.

As far as chunky vs. creamy peanut butter, I can’t imagine it makes any difference. When Shari and I got married, she came from a crunchy family and I came from a creamy family. I was not interested in converting and recommended that we just have both kinds. Rather than do that, Shari converted and we raised our kids in a creamy family so all is well with the world.

Recipe By:

Six Sister’s Stuff

Yield:

30

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½  teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup granulated sugar,  plus extra for dredging
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup butter, softened
¼ cup smooth peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
¾ cup peanut butter, crunchy or smooth, your choice
¾ cup confectioners’ sugar

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375°F.

2. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets.

3. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

4. In another medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together sugars, butter, and ¼ cup peanut butter until light and fluffy.

5. Add vanilla, egg and egg yolk. Beat to combine.

6. Stir in dry ingredients, blending well. Set aside.

7. Make the filling in a small bowl by stirring together ¾ cup peanut butter and confectioners sugar until smooth.

8. With floured hands or a small cookie scoop, form the filling into 26 one-inch balls.

9. Scoop 2 tablespoons of dough (a lump about the size of a walnut), make an indentation in the center with your finger and place one of the peanut butter balls into the indentation. Bring the cookie dough up and over the filling, pressing the edges together to cover the center. Roll the dough ball in the palms of your hand to smooth it out. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.

10. Roll each rounded cookie in granulated sugar. Place on prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between cookies. Grease the bottom of a drinking glass and use it to flatten each cookie to about ½ -inch thick.

11. Bake 7 to 9 minutes, or until they’re set and you can smell chocolate. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack.