Cookie Swap: Peanut Butter Cup cookies

A few weeks ago, Monogram Chick decided to host a cookie swap. I was matched with three other bloggers and we got our names right before Thanksgiving. My partners were quite on the ball. I got peanut butter cookies. With a fabulous recipe that I passed on to my friend whose daughter has to be gluten free. And then I got this wonderful tin of Andes candies chocolate cookies. Madalyn declared those hers. And then. Again. More cookies arrived. Pretty much a traditional toll house recipe - but with a box of instant vanilla pudding added. And. Oh wow. They were awesome. And finally. Last week. I finally decided to get my act together and make some cookies.

But what to make?

My favorite kind of cookie is chocolate chip. And I love to make toll house cookies. Without the chocolate chips. Scandalous. But delicious. Perhaps only to me. So, not that one. The kids and I always make these chocolate pretzel cookies. But part of the rules of the cookie swap was no kid fingers in the dough. I guess not that one if I am going to follow the rules. But wait - does it count if there is no dough? So. I decided to go with a tried and true favorite. Peanut butter cup cookies. Because who can go wrong with the combination of peanut butter. And chocolate.

Here is our cast of characters.

The recipe that I have says it will make 36 cookies. But it really doesn't. Maybe I make my cookies bigger than the recipe writer. I love big cookies. A doubled recipe - here at casa Sunshine and Lemonade - makes about 4 and a half dozen cookies. Your mileage may vary.

First thing to do - measure out the butter, peanut butter, and both kinds of sugar.

Cream them all together.

Please ignore all the spatters on my mixer. I keep trying to win one of those fancy Kitchen Aid mixers from Pioneer Woman. They come in all sorts of colors. Like pink. Or lime green. I want a red one. But out of the ten thousand or so entries, mine name has never been picked. I keep hoping that my contest giveaway mojo will rub off on my ability to win something one day. Have you entered my contest? Your odds are much better with me than with PW. Except that I am not giving away a Kitchen Aid mixer.

Where were we??

Oh. Yes. Beat in your eggs and vanilla.

This is the whole reason we are told to not lick the spoon. The beater. The bowl. All because of these eggs. Do you live life on the edge and lick anyway?

Add your flour. Gradually. Or else the mixer will send it all over your kitchen. Not that I know this from experience or anything.After all the flour is combined. Cover and put in the fridge. It will be easier to handle when it's a cold. Let it sit in there for about an hour. In the meantime. It's time to take the wrappers off of your peanut butter cups. I would like to suggest that you get extra packages of peanut butter cups. Because this process is sort of like going to a pick your own strawberry patch. Without the bugs. Heat. And bending over. You know. One for the bowl. One for you. And you keep doing this because no one is going to weigh you when you are done. And you just hope that no one notices the red dribbles going down your shirt from the berries. Or the smears of chocolate. Or is that peanut butter across your forehead? Not that I would ever do that. Or speak from experience.

Where were we?

Oh...okay. We are going to work with our hands here. Get some dough and roll it into a ball. Maybe 1 1/4 inches in diameter. I don't know. I don't cook with a ruler.Then press a peanut butter cup into the middle.

And roll into a ball again.

And bake. And when you pull these out of the oven. They are gorgeous.

Look at them. With their secret cache of peanut butter cup. Right in the middle.

Let them cool completely. And then you can make the drizzle.

Get your ingredients out. Put them in a bowl. Stick it in the microwave to melt. And stir. Then I scraped all the melted goodness into a baggie. Cut a small corner off. And drizzled the chocolate and peanut butter over the cookies.So pretty.But not too pretty to eat.Absolutely sinful.

Here is the recipe (I always double it. Except for the drizzle. You can keep those proportions the same):

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

13oz package of minature peanut butter cups

Drizzle:

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 Tbsp creamy peanut butter

1 tsp shortening

Cream the butter, peanut butter, and sugars.

Beat in egg and vanilla

Combine flour and baking soda - gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well.

Cover and refrigerate for about an hour

Roll into 1 1/4 inch balls. Press a peanut butter cup into each and reshape into a ball.

Place about 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake at 350º for 12-15 minutes or browned.

For drizzle, combine the chocolate, peanutbutter and shortening and melt in the microwave.

Stir until smooth

Drizzle over cooled cookies.

So...what about you? Do you have a signature cookie? Ever done a cookie swap? Do you lick the cookie dough from the spoon? What color Kitchen aid mixer would you want?

Theme song: Rolling Stones - Brown Sugar