Betty Gets Her Bake On: Peanut Butter Munchies

As promised, I have some easy confections for you to try this holiday season. Today's recipe will not drive you insane, take lots of time or require a trip to a gourmet baking supply store-scout's honor.

cookie ingredients

In fact, here's the ingredient list:
In the mixing bowl, add
1 stick of unsalted butter, soften to room temp
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter (don't use natural or low fat for baking please)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar

In a small bowl, add
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbs milk

In a third bowl, whisk together these dry ingredients:
1 1/2 cup AP flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 tsp baking soda

cookie dough

Tell the elves to preheat the oven to 350 and prepare 3 baking sheets.

filling ingredients

Blend the butter/sugar together before adding the egg/milk mixture. When this is uniformly mixed, add in the dry ingredients.

Remove this dough to one of the bowls you just used and set it aside. DON'T CHILL THE DOUGH.

 Clean out the mixing bowl and add to it
3/4 cup of powdered sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter

filling, see-clumpy

Blend this together. It will look clumpy when it is fully mixed.

dough to the left of me,
filling to the right
here I am, stuck in the
middle with you...

Pinch off about a ping-pong-ball (or walnut) amount of dough and roll it in your hands. Repeat until you have 32 balls. Make sure each is the same size as the rest or they won't bake evenly.
On a separate sheet, pinch off a gumball size ball of the peanut butter filling mixture and roll into a small ball. Again, you want 32 of these.

Now you see me...

Flatten the chocolate ball in your hand a little and place the peanut butter ball in the center. Now wrap the chocolate dough over it, until it is completely covered and roll it in your hands until it is a ball again.

...now you don't

I was worried that this dough would become sticky from all the handling but it was really easy to work with. And-start to finish-the process of making and baking these cookies took less than an hour.

flattened and ready
to bake

Have a small bowl ready with 2 tbs of sugar in it and roll each filled ball in this before placing on a bake sheet, 2 inches apart from one another.

Lastly, using the bottom of a glass, a measuring cup or your hand, slightly flatten the ball.

Bake for 8 minutes, allowing the cookies to cool on the bake sheet.

make sure you "test" one

When the cookies are completely cooled, you can put them in an airtight container, layering them between waxed paper. The cookies will keep for 3 days at room temperature or can be frozen for up to 3 months.