I have to make these every year for the holidays. My sisters and I grew up making these with my mom, and they quickly became a tradition for us. Hopefully once you see how amazing they are, they’ll become a tradition for you as well!

Makes 11 Cookies

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Bake Time: 10 Minutes

Total Time: 40 Minutes

For the Middle:

¾ Cup (190g) Creamy Peanut Butter

¾ Cup (90g) Confectioner’s Sugar

For the Cookies:

1 ½ Cups (180g) All Purpose Flour

½ Cup (48g) Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

½ Tsp (2g) Baking Soda

¼ Tsp (1g) Salt

½ Cup (100g) Granulated Sugar

½ Cup (120g) Light Brown Sugar, packed

½ Cup (113g) Unsalted Butter, softened

¼ Cup (65g) Creamy Peanut Butter

1 Tsp (4g) Vanilla Extract

1 Large Egg

Optional: Icing

½ Cup (60g) Confectioner’s Sugar

1 Tbs (10g) milk

Directions:

1.     Preheat your oven to 375 Degrees F and line a couple cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2.     In a large bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt and set aside.

3.     In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream together the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar for 1-2 minutes until well combined.

4.     Add the egg, peanut butter, and vanilla and mix until combined.

5.     On low speed, add the flour mixture and mix until just combined, do not overmix.

6.     For the filling, combine the peanut butter and confectioner’s sugar in a bowl until completely combined. The mixture will be thick like a dough.

7.     Using a 1” cookie scoop or a small spoon, scoop small amounts of the peanut butter and confectioners sugar mix and roll in to 1” balls and set aside on parchment paper.

8.     Using a larger spoon or 2” cookie scoop, scoop the cookie dough and roll in to 2” balls.

9.     Place one ball of cookie dough at a time underneath a small sheet of parchment paper, and using a glass, firmly press on the dough to flatten it into a disk.

10.  Place one of the smaller balls of the peanut butter filling in the center of the disk of chocolate dough and gently wrap the cookie dough around the peanut butter center, gently rolling in to a ball to completely encase the center.

11.  Place the cookies on the prepared cookie sheets, and using a glass, gently press down on each cookie to flatten it, but don’t press too hard. The cookie should be about 3” in diameter and hopefully won’t have any of the peanut butter filling showing.

12.  Bake for 9-11 minutes, do not over bake. The cookies should be just set and not too soft, but if they’re a little bit soft it’s ok to take them out as they will continue to set up as they cool.

13.  Cool completely on a wire rack. Enjoy as is, or you can top them with an optional icing.

14.  For the optional icing, just mix 1 cup confectioner’s sugar with the tablespoon of milk until smooth. If you want a thinner icing, just add a few drops more of milk and mix until it’s at your desired consistency. Drizzle the icing over the cookies and allow to set for a few minutes, then enjoy!

-You can make both the cookie dough and the peanut butter centers in advance, just keep them in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to a month. I love to assemble the cookies (scoop them and get the centers rolled into the cookies), then freeze them like this, so I only have to thaw the cookies and bake them!