Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Once again, I was preparing for a potluck.  Once again, I could not decide what to make.  My family suggested cookies.  Cookies?!  Really?  Do they still not know that cookies are not my favorite dessert?  I decided to look for a cookie recipe anyway, and I am SO glad that I did.

These chocolate peanut butter cup cookies are to-die-for!  They are thick and rich, sweet and salty.  It is a really good thing that I shared them at the potluck before I even tried them, because otherwise I might have kept them all for myself.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups plus 2 Tablespoons flour

6 Tablespoons cocoa

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons milk

2 cups coarsely chopped peanut butter cups (freeze peanut butter cups for at least 30 minutes before unwrapping and chopping)

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

2.  Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.

3.  Using an electric mixer, beat together butter, peanut butter, and sugars until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.

4.  Add in the egg, vanilla extract, and milk.  Beat until smooth.

5.  Gradually beat in dry ingredients on low speed until incorporated.

6.  Gently fold in 1-1/2 cups chopped peanut butter cups.

7.  Drop large rounds of dough (about 3 tablespoons) onto baking sheets.  Place a few pieces of remaining chopped peanut butter cups on top of each dough ball and gently flatten.

8.  Bake 12-14 minutes.  Rotate pans halfway through.  Do not overbake the cookies.  They will set as they cool.  

9.  After cooling on the pans for about 10 minutes, remove cookies to wire racks to finish cooling.

Source:  Annie's Eats