Choco-Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

A big part of Christmastime in our house is holiday baking! I love baking Christmas cookies! The smell of cookies fresh from the oven compares to nothing else. I make a combination of old traditional recipes and some new ones. The cookies that I will show you how to make in this Instructable takes me back to 2006, the year I went to Orlando, Florida to compete in what used to be the $1,000,000 baking cook off. It was a thrill to win my category, and the recipe is still featured on their website. You can hardly ever find the roll of peanut butter cookie dough in the dairy case any more, so I rewrote the recipe to include a wonderfully chewy from-scratch peanut butter cookie dough. These cookies are easy to make and always impress everyone who tastes them. Who doesn't love the combination of chocolate and peanut butter, right??? Here is how you can easily make them for your cookie trays this Christmas!

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 tablespoon milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Stand or hand mixer

mini muffin pan

silicone spatula

cookie scoop

In the bowl of a standing mixer, or in a large bowl with a hand-held mixer, cream together butter and peanut butter until smooth.

Add granulated sugar and brown sugar. Beat until combined.

Add egg, vanilla and milk and beat for 30-60 seconds on medium-high speed until the mixture is light in color and sugar is dissolved.

Add the flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder. Mix on low speed until combined.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray 24 mini muffin cups with no stick cooking spray.

Using the cookie scoop or a spoon, scoop the dough into the prepared mini muffin cups, filling each cup.

Using moistened fingertips, press in bottom and up side of the dough in each mini muffin cup, forming a 1/4-inch rim above top of each cup.

Bake 8 to 12 minutes or until edges are deep golden brown.

Leave the baked cookie cups in the pan. With end of the handle of the spatula, press and make an indentation in center of each cup to make room for the filling. Set aside.

1 cup (6-ounces) white baking chips

1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter, divided

1 cup (6-ounces) semi-sweet baking chips

2 pouches (from 8.9-oz box) oats and honey crunchy granola bars

2-quart saucepan

silicone spatula

knife

In the saucepan, melt the white chips and 3/4 cup of the peanut butter over low heat, stirring constantly until mixture stirs smooth.

Spoon the mixture evenly into the cookie cups. It should almost fill each cup.

Spoon and scrape out any white mixture from the saucepan. Add the chocolate chips and remaining 3/4 cup peanut butter to the same saucepan.

Cook and stir over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth. Spoon chocolate mixture evenly on top of white chocolate-peanut butter mixture in each cup, mounding on the chocolate.

Using the end of a knife or rolling pin, hit and crush the granola bars in the original packaging. Tear packages open.

Sprinkle crushed granola bars over the top of each cookie cup. Refrigerate the entire pan until the filling is set, about 30 minutes.

Remove each cookie cup by using pointed knife and twisting the top to remove from mini muffin cups. Serve them immediately, or cover and refrigerate.

This recipe makes 24 cookie cups. The combination of the creamy filling, chewy cookie and the crunchy topping makes them so very tasty. I hope you give this recipe a try. These cookies are always a big hit with my friends and family. Merry Christmas to all!!!