Buckeye Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Okay, you all know that the marriage of peanut butter and chocolate is one of my favorite things ever. So we won't go over that.

But have you ever had a buckeye? Not the actual nut, but the delectable candy made to resemble it?

Someday I need to make them myself and post the recipe here because ohmygoodness they are so yummy! A beautiful expression of the aforementioned perfect pairing.

So, these cookies.

Buckeye cookies!! Peanut butter cup cookies!! Whatever you want to call them, with a fudgy chocolate outside, concealing a creamy, sweet, peanut buttery filling, seriously, how could you go wrong?

Oh, and you want a confession? I actually was short on peanut butter when I made these, and I substituted Nutella for the peanut butter in the chocolate dough!

Buckeye Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

(printable version)

by Brown Eyed Baker

makes about 2 dozen cookies

Cookies:

1 1/2  cups flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp

1/2 cup sugar (plus more for rolling)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

Filling:

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

3/4 powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 375.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Set aside. Set aside a dish of sugar for rolling.

With an electric mixer on medium speed, cream together butter, sugars and peanut butter until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla and beat to combine. Reduce speed to low, add flour mixture and mix until combined.

In a separate bowl, mix together peanut butter and powdered sugar until smooth.

Take about a heaping TB of cookie dough and flatten in with your hands. Take about a tsp of peanut butter filling and place it in the center of the chocolate dough. Wrap the chocolate dough around the peanut butter center, pressing to seal. Roll the cookie into a ball and roll in sugar to coat. Place on baking sheet about 2 in. apart. Flatten each cookie slightly with the palm of your hand.

Bake 7 to 9 min. Let cool on the baking sheet for 2 min., then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.