Description
Decadent chocolate cookies filled with a rich and creamy peanut butter center. These double-layered treats combine the perfect balance of chocolate and peanut butter flavors, featuring a soft chocolate cookie exterior with a frozen peanut butter dollop inside, baked to perfection for an irresistible dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
Peanut Butter Filling
- 1 cup Peanut butter (creamy JIF or Skippy)
- 1/2 cup Powdered sugar (sifted)
- 1/2 tsp Ground cinnamon
Chocolate Cookies
- 2 1/4 cups All-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa powder
- 1 tsp Baking soda
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 cup Unsalted butter (melted)
- 1 1/4 cup Brown sugar (packed light or dark)
- 1/4 cup White granulated sugar
- 1 tsp Pure vanilla extract
- 2 Large eggs (room temperature)
- 1 1/2 cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Prepare Peanut Butter Filling: Prepare a cookie sheet with wax paper. Place peanut butter in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 30 seconds until softened. Add sifted powdered sugar and ground cinnamon. Mix until smooth and combined.
- Form Peanut Butter Drops: Spoon 1/2 tablespoon dollops of the peanut butter mixture onto the prepared wax paper, making 20 drops. Freeze these drops for 1 hour to firm up.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a mixing bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, Dutch process cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together melted unsalted butter, brown sugar, white sugar, vanilla extract, and eggs until fully combined.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Use a rubber spatula to fold the ingredients together gently until a dough forms. Stir in semi-sweet chocolate chips evenly.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Let the cookie dough rest for 10 minutes; this helps prevent excessive spreading during baking.
- Scoop and Fill Dough: Using a 2 tablespoon or 1 oz cookie scoop, portion out cookie dough. Press your thumb halfway into each dough ball to create an indentation. Insert a frozen peanut butter drop into the indentation, then cover and seal it with additional dough pushed back over.
- Bake Cookies: Place 6 cookie dough balls on each prepared cookie sheet. Bake inside the preheated oven for 13 to 15 minutes. Only scoop the next batch once the previous batch has finished baking to ensure the peanut butter stays as cold as possible during assembly.
- Cool Cookies: Allow baked cookies to rest on the hot cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Using frozen peanut butter drops helps ensure the filling stays intact during baking.
- Resting the dough before baking minimizes spreading and helps maintain cookie shape.
- You can substitute creamy peanut butter with natural peanut butter, but consistency may vary.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or freeze for longer storage.
- For a richer chocolate flavor, use Dutch process cocoa powder as recommended.
