PEANUT BUTTER MUNCHIES

My friend found this recipe in Better Homes and Gardens a few years ago and they really satisfy that "Reese's Peanut Butter cup craving" that I get from time to time.  I have tweaked them a bit, increasing the quantities used for the peanut butter filling to get a better ratio, and rolling the balls of dough in sugar to give them a crispier outside.  They're fun to make and disappear quickly around here.

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup double dutch cocoa powder (or any good cocoa powder)

½ teaspoons baking soda

½ teaspoons salt

½ cup butter, softened

½ cup sugar

½ cup light brown sugar

¼ cup smooth peanut butter

1 egg

1 Tablespoon milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup sifted powder sugar

¾ cup peanut butter

Granulated sugar

Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt together into a medium mixing bowl and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl beat together butter, the ½ cup of granulated sugar, brown sugar, and the ¼ cup of peanut butter until well combined.

Add egg, milk, and vanilla; beat well.  

Beat in as much of the dry ingredients as you can with the mixer.

Stir in remaining dry ingredients by hand with a wooden spoon.  Form chocolate dough into 26 balls about 1 ¼ inch in diameter (I used a #40 cookie scoop).

For peanut butter filling, in a medium bowl sift powdered sugar onto the ¾ cup peanut butter and stir until smooth

Shape mixture into 26 ¾-inch balls (I used a #100 cookie scoop).

Slightly flatten a chocolate dough ball and top with a peanut butter ball.

Shape the chocolate dough over the peanut butter filling, completely covering the filling.  Roll the dough into a ball.  Repeat with the remaining chocolate dough and peanut butter balls.

Roll the dough into a ball and roll in sugar.  Repeat with the remaining chocolate dough and peanut butter balls.  Place balls 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.  Lightly flatten with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar to keep it from sticking to the cookies.

Bake in preheated oven for 9 or 10 minutes or until they’re set and surface is slightly cracked.  Let cookies stand for 1 minute.  Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool.

Makes 26 cookies.