Peanut-Butter Surprises

Source: Martha Stewart “Holiday Cookies” Magazine, special issue (Winter, 2001)

Ingredients

• 2 cups Flour
• ½ cup Dutch-Process Cocoa Powder
• ½ teaspoon Baking Powder
• ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
• ¼ lb. Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
• ½ cup Solid Vegetable Shortening
• ½ cup Granulated Sugar
• 1¼ cups Light-Brown Sugar, Firmly Packed
• 2 large Eggs
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 cup Semisweet Chocolate Chips
• ½ cup Creamy Peanut Butter *see Note

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with Silpats (French nonstick baking mats). ??? Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and baking soda, and set aside.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, vegetable shortening, granulated sugar, and 1 cup brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing until fully combined between additions. Add vanilla; beat to combine. Gradually add dry ingredients; mix on low speed until fully combined. Add chocolate chips; mix on low just until combine. Cover bowl with plastic wrap; chill until firm, about 1 hour.

3. In a small bowl using a rubber spatula, stir together peanut butter and remaining ¼ cup brown sugar.

4. Drop 1 tbsp dough at a time onto baking sheets, spacing cookies about 2 inches apart. Make a thumbprint in the center of each cookie. Fill thumbprint with 2 tsp peanut-butter mixture. Top with a second tbsp of flatten dough. Carefully mold dough to cover “surprise”.

5. Bake until firm, about 12 minutes, rotating halfway through. Transfer baking sheets to wire racks to cool for 5 minutes. Remove cookies from baking sheets, and let cool completely on wire racks.

Notes

Frank would like twice as much peanut-butter per cookie.