Choco-Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

I love making cookies, and do so entirely too often. Nowadays, I try to only make them when I have a reason. Meaning, an excuse. I'm always trying to find excuses to make cookies!

I made these ones when my daughter had a friend over for a play-date. They were a success! I sent some of them home with her friend, but the leftovers were eaten very quickly, and mostly by me. (Red-faced emotie here!). This is why I need to cut back on my baking. For my own health's sake!! In this recipe, you can use unsalted butter as long as your peanut butter is salted (some of the natural kinds aren't, but it should state it clearly on the label). If you can't get to a Trader Joe's to find mini peanut-butter cups, Hershey's (scroll down to bottom of the page) offers a similar product, but I think I've only seen them in stores around the Holidays. These cookies retain their shape very well in the oven... too well! If you don't slightly flatten them, you'll end up with little cookies balls.

Choco-Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup natural style creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup white sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 12-ounce package Trader Joe's mini peanut butter cups

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream together the butter, peanut butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flours, cocoa, and baking soda; stir into the peanut butter mixture. Mix in the mini peanut butter cups with a large wooden spoon or silicone spatula. Using a medium cookie scoop, drop by tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten slightly with the bottom of a drinking glass.

3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Let cool about 5 minutes on the baking sheets before removing to cooling racks.

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