These cookies take a little bit of time to make, but they’re great for a special occasion. Make sure to chill the dough a good long time so they maintain their shape, otherwise they’ll just look like oval cookies. Recipe and photo courtesy of cookiesandcups.com.

Cookies:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• approx 1/3 cup extra sugar for rolling

Filling:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 2-3 tablespoons milk

Cookies:

In a large bowl, beat butter, peanut butter, and sugars until light and fluffy, about 30 seconds on high speed. Lower mixer to medium and add eggs and vanilla, continuing to mix until combined.  Turn mixer to low and add flour, baking soda and baking powder.  Mix until combined. Refrigerate dough for 1 hour.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees. From chilled dough 1 inch balls, then form into a log shape.  Roll the log shape in the extra granulated sugar and place on baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Use a fork to make the criss-cross pattern, then pinch the center to make the peanut shape.  Bake for 6-8 minutes until edges are lightly golden.  Cool for 2 minutes then transfer to wire rack to finish cooling.

Filling:

In a large bowl beat butter and peanut butter together til smooth. Slowly add in the powdered sugar and beat until smooth.  Add the milk, one tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached. Spread a heaping tablespoon of filling on the bottom of one cookie, and top with another to make a sandwich.

*If your cookies spread too much during baking, just re-pinch them the minute they get out of the oven.

 

This cookie is in my top 5 all time favorite cookies.  They are perfectly chewy, with yummy bits of Butterfinger throughout.  The dough is very simple and I have yet to meet someone who didn’t love them. Be sure to stock up on candy after all the major holidays. Recipe and photo courtesy of cookiesandcups.com.

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg, plus 1 yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 1/4 cup flour
• 2 cups chopped Butterfinger (approx. 10-12 fun sized bars)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Cream together butter and sugar for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.  Add in egg, yolk, and vanilla.  Mix until combined. Beat in baking soda, and salt, then add in flour.  Finally mix in the chopped Butterfinger. Using a cookie scoop, drop tablespoons of dough about 2 inches apart. Bake for 8-9 minutes until edges are lightly golden. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 3 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.

 I really liked these cookies, partly because they didn’t have any flour. The options to add in to these cookies are pretty limitless. They also make really good freezer cookies. Recipe and photo courtesy of recipegirl.com.

• 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 4 1/2 cups quick cooking oats
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 cup M&M’s or Reese’s pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray or line cookie sheets.  In a large bowl, combine the peanut butter with the sugars and butter and mix until well combined. Add in the eggs and vanilla, mixing well, then add the oats and baking soda.  Finally add in the chocolate chips and M&M’s. Drop by tablespoons onto the prepared cookie sheets. If desired, dot a few extra toppings on the tops of the cookies to make them look pretty.  Bake 10-12 minutes, being carefully not to overbake. Cool for 5 minutes on the sheet, then transfer to wire racks to finish cooling.

These cookies were a huge hit at my husband’s work. Even better is the fact that they are no-bake. I added about 1/2 a cup more of the Rice Krispies, so use your own discretion. Recipe and photo courtesy of cookiesandcups.com.

• 2 cups Rice Krispies
• 1 cup mini marshmallows
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 lb white chocolate

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.  Mix cereal and marshmallows in a large bowl. Melt white chocolate and peanut butter together in the microwave or double broiler.  If you melt them in the microwave, use 30 sec increments and stir frequently.  Once melted, pour over the cereal mixture and stir until completely coated. Drop using a tablespoon onto lined sheets. Chill in the refrigerator until chocolate is set. To store, keep in a cool place for up to 5 days.  I kept mine in the fridge until ready to eat.

These cookies are pretty amazing.  While softer than Oreos, the dark chocolate cookie and peanut butter filling are very reminiscent of their store bought counterparts. The filling makes a lot, but it freezes really well, so I would recommend either doubling the cookie recipe, or freezing any leftover frosting. Recipe and photo courtesy of crazyforcrust.com.

Cookies:

• 1/3 cup Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 large egg

Filling:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line two cookies sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.  In a medium bowl, whisk together cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and flour.  Set aside.  Cream together butter and both sugars, then add in egg and vanilla, mixing until smooth.  Add dry ingredients and mix until combined.  Scoop 2 tablespoon sized balls onto cookie sheets and bake for about 8 minutes.  (I used a 1 tablespoon scoop so I could get more cookies, and decreased baking time to about 6-7 minutes.) You basically want to cook them til they lose their shine, but if you are worried, under-baking is preferred to over-baking. Let them cool completely before assembling the sandwiches.

To make the filling: beat butter and peanut butter together until smooth.  Mix in salt; then slowly beat in powdered sugar. Add vanilla, then 2 tablespoons of cream.  Add a third tablespoon if needed for consistency. Once cookies are cooled, frost one cookie and top with another. I cut off the tip of a ziplock bag and used it to pipe the frosting onto the cookies.

 

This brownie cookie is a great alternative to the traditional brownie in bar form.  Still chewy, but with the great crunchy edges, they are so good.  They are also a great base for adding in other ingredients, like peanut butter chips or M&M’s. Courtesy of Pinterest.

• 1 family size box of fudge brownie mix
• 3/4 cup of flour
• 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup chips (optional)

Mix all the ingredients together, then bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.  Do not overbake.  Store in an airtight container.

This recipe is courtesy of the blog The Kitchen is My Playground.  They are very pretty, and pretty easy to make.

Cookie

• 1 cup flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa
• 1/4  teaspoon salt
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 large egg, separated, plus one extra egg white
• 2  tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/4 cup pecans, finely chopped

Caramel Filling

• 14 soft caramel candies (I used Kraft)
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream

Begin by combining the flour, cocoa and salt; set aside. With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg yolk, milk and vanilla, mix until just incorporated.  Reduce speed to low and mix in flour mixture.  Wrap dough in saran wrap and refrigerate about an hour.  Whisk egg whites until frothy, placing chopped pecans in a separate bowl.  Roll chilled dough into 1″ balls, then coat in egg whites, then roll in the pecans. Place the balls approximately 2″ apart on a baking sheet, then use a 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon to make an indention in the top.  Bake at 350 until set, or about 12 minutes.

To make the caramel filling, melt the caramels and heavy cream in the microwave at 30 sec intervals until smooth.  Once the cookies come out of the oven, gently re-press the indentions, and fill the indentations with about a 1/2 a teaspoon of caramel.  If desired, melt some semi-sweet chocolate to drizzle on top.

 

I got this recipe from the blog yumsugar.com via Pinterest. As someone who is not a huge pecan fan, I have to admit that these were really yummy.

These are very similar to the previous entry, peanut butter cornflake balls. But they have Reese’s peanut butter cups. Yum.

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup corn syrup
• 11⁄3 cup peanut butter
• 41⁄2 cups rice krispies
• 12 Bite sized reese’s peanut butter cups
• pinch of salt
• handful of chocolate chips

Combine sugar, corn syrup and peanut butter in a medium saucepan. Place over medium-high heat and stir until the mixture is smooth and evenly combined. Remove from heat. Quickly add salt and cereal and stir to combine. Add chocolate chips and stir again. Wait about a minute, then add candy, quickly folding the mixture together so as not to smash the candy. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and drop rounded tablespoons onto the sheet. Makes about 30 good sized balls.