Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies {Guest Post}

In the midst of my crazy life, I am so thankful for other food bloggers!  It never ceases to amaze me how many of you there are that are willing to lend a hand when things get crazy.  A couple of weeks ago, a few wonderful bloggers volunteered to guest post on Keep It Sweet and I can’t wait to share their delicious recipes with you.  The first post is from Samantha at The Little Ferraro Kitchen.  Her blog is pretty new, but she already has some delicious looking recipes like her recent Fresh Raspberry & Apple Crumble and Chicken Pot Pie!  These cookies are no different.

Hello everyone! I am Samantha from The Little Ferraro Kitchen and I am soo excited to guest post for the beautiful Lauren from Keep It Sweet!

When she asked for fellow guest-posters recently, I jumped at the chance! See…I am a pretty “new” blogger and have only been blogging for a few months now. Keep It Sweetwas one of the first blogs I started to enjoy and I just knew this was the perfect start!

So because this is officially my first guest post ever! (wow!)…I present to you…Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies!

This is the best batter I have ever worked with. The combination of the creamy peanut-butter and butter creates the softest cookie. Mini peanut-butter-cups (need I say more?) snuggle their little cute sweet selves into their peanut butter pillows of perfection. If you have the patience to wait the few minutes until these cuties are done, take a messy bite and allow all that melting chocolate to ooze out of the center from it’s cozy home and just enjoy. I promise you, this will be your absolute favorite cookie.

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Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies

Makes about 3 dozen

Adapted from Martha Stewart

Ingredients:

1/2 C creamy peanut-butter

4 TB unsalted butter, room temperature

1 C brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 c all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/3 c granulated sugar (for rolling dough)

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Cream peanut butter and butter until well combined.

3. Add brown sugar and beat until well combined, scraping down bowl as needed.

4. Add eggs (one at a time), vanilla and beat until well incorporated.

5. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. I’ve gotten in the habit of using a sifter to get any “lumps” out.

6. With mixer on low, add flour mixture in 2 batches.

* At this point I’ll use my spatula and do one last “mix” with the spatula and make sure everything is incorporated, but not to over mix.

7. Take the mixture out of bowl and wrap in plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for 30min.

* I do this for all my cookie dough.

8. When dough is ready, unwrap from plastic wrap and scoop dough by the tablespoon, rolling into balls. A melon-baller is perfect for this!

9. Roll balls in granulated sugar and place on non-stick baking sheet.

10. Bake cookies until just about to puff up, about 5-7 minutes. (My oven is pretty fickle and is done at 5 min.)

11. When times up, take trays out of oven and work quickly! Place each peanut-butter cup in the center of each cookie and return to oven.

12. Bake for about 6 minutes more (again, my oven is no more than 5min), until cookies are golden brown and chocolate has begun to melt.

13. When done, let cool on baking sheet for at least 10 minutes before transferring to wire wrack to cool.

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Thanks for having me, Lauren! I had so much fun making these fabulous cookies and I hope all of you do too!

Enjoy!