Did I really say these are better than Mom's? Oh no! These are piled with extra flavor. I love peanut butter cookies and these are definitely a few steps up from the traditional pb cookies of the 1950's. Sorry, Mom! I love your fork crisscrossed peanut butter cookies, but these cookies are truly for the Peanut Butter Cookie connoisseurs...for those of us who love more complex layers of that thick luscious peanut butter flavor along with milk chocolate.
These cookies are huge...and easy to share if you dare. But you can make the dough balls a little smaller to get more out of one recipe. That's okay, just adjust the cooking time a bit, baking one or two minutes less.
These cookies are so easy to bake. Just combine all ingredients, stir in the cut up Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and stir. Stir in the cut up cups. Then form into cookie dough balls and flatten to bake. I like to chill them for about 30 minutes after I've flattened them. Or, I freeze the balls for baking at a later. Sometimes I bake a few for snacking, then freeze the rest to bake a few weeks later. They are easy to keep in the freezer for a month or so.
While they're still warm, lay 4-5 of your candy melts on top. Wait for them to solidify a few minutes then add Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and pile on a few crumbled cups for ever more peanut butter flavor. If you don't care to add the cups, sub a small handful of colorful Reese's Pieces instead. Either way, they are piled with flavor! Yum!!
Get ready for full-on peanut butter flavors throughout this entire cookie, from top to bottom. Close your eyes and enjoy this cookie from the first bite to the last lick of the fingers.
You could even make your own family recipe and add all these toppings after they've baked. Enjoy all of them!
This recipe makes 20-24 Large Cookies. Make them smaller and you can get up to 3 dozen from this recipe.
Preheat your oven to 350F degrees.
Prep your baking pans:
Line your pans with parchment paper to help with cleanup and to keep your cookies from sticking to the pan.
Gather up your Ingredients:
1 C Butter, 2 sticks, softened
1 C Peanut Butter
1 C Brown sugar
2/3 C Sugar
2 Eggs, room temp
1 T Vanilla extract
2 1/2 C Flour
1 t Baking powder
1 t Baking Soda
1 ½ T Cornstarch
½ t Salt
1 C Chocolate chips, semi-sweet or Reese’s Pieces...
OR, 1 1/2 C Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, rough chopped
Gather up your Peanut Butter Topping Ingredients:
20-24 Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, any size, leave them whole or cut up
1 ½ Reese’s Pieces, cut up
1 1/2 C Ghirardelli candy melts, melted
Mix and bake the cookies:
-In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, at the butter, peanut butter and sugars together until well combined.
-Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract.
-Sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cornstarch and salt. Stir together until well combined. If the dough is a little sticky, add a couple more tablespoons of flour.
-Fold in the chocolate chips or Reese’s Pieces or rough chopped Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.
-Scoop 20-24 Cookies and form into balls. Make smaller balls for a larger quantity.
-Flatten to 3/4” thick.
-Chill for 30 minutes.
-Bake for 12-13 minutes. Do not overbake since they will continue to bake on the pan after you remove them from the oven.
-Remove from oven and allow to cool on the pan for 5-10 minutes.
Prepare and add the topping:
-Spread the melted chocolate onto the cookies, leaving a border of cookie around the edge.
-Sprinkle the rough chopped Reese’s peanut butter cups on top or place a whole RPB Cup on top of each cookie, or combine both. Don't sprinkle when the melted chocolate is too warm or the Reese's will dribble off the sides of the cookie.
-As an option, sprinkle Reese's Pieces on top of the melted chocolate.
-Chill in the refrigerator just to set the melted chocolate.
Options:
-After baking the cookies and adding the chocolate topping, add a few Reese’s Peanut Butter orange, brown and yellow candies on top instead of, or in addition to the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.
-If you prefer straight peanut butter, spread it on top in place of the melted chocolates. Then place the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup on top of the peanut butter. Chill to set the peanut butter.
-After baking the cookies and adding the topping, add a few Reese’s Pieces orange, brown and yellow candies on top instead of, or with the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.
-Sub some white candy melts for the chocolate. Then add the Reese's Pieces or Reese's Peanut Butter Cups on top.
Storage:
-These wonderful tasty baked cookies (with pb topping) can be refrigerated for 4-5 days. To enjoy them out of the frig, pop them in the microwave for just a few seconds to heat up…5 seconds or so, depending on how soft you like them. Add a whole Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup on top. Yum!
-How about freezing the cookie dough? They will last in the freezer, in an airtight container for up to a month. I like to form the cookie dough balls on the day I mix the cookie recipe. Then I bake 4 or 5. The rest I freeze on parchment paper in a cookie pan. After they are frozen solid (a couple of hours), Place them in a plastic sealable bag. Label them with the baking instructions. Then when you’re in the mood for a special treat, pull a few out, let thaw on a parchment paper lined baking pan. Follow the same baking instructions. Add the toppings. If you don’t want to take time to make the peanut butter topping for just a few cookies, bake the number you want to bake. Top them with a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup while the cookies are still warm so they can melt over the top. MMM…MMM…mmm…
I certainly do not mean to diminish my Mother's old-fashioned peanut butter recipe. It is the best! ONe day I'll make it again, adding the melted chocolate and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups on top. Nevertheless, I enjoy more layers of chocolate and peanut butter together in my Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cookies. However you enjoy yours loaded with toppings or not, share them with your besties and, "Bake your own Memories!"