Happy Halloween! Halloween Peanut Butter Cookies

These cookies are easy to make, delicious, and fun.  I saw the idea on Facebook, but then lost the recipe. I googled it and found a similar recipe/method, but decided to go with Smitten Kitchen's recipe for flourless peanut butter cookies.  They use an entire jar of smooth Skippy, which is convenient, and they make more than most recipes.  I skipped the salted top because I was already topping them with something else.  These cookies were gone in no time around here!

Halloween Peanut Butter Cookies

Idea from I Heart Natptime; cookie recipe from Smitten Kitchen

1 3/4 cups (335 grams) packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups (450 grams) smooth peanut butter (a 16.3-ounce jar of Skippy is perfect)

Peanut butter cups (Reese's), unwrapped

Candy eyes (white or red)

Nutella

1.  Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

2.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the light brown sugar and eggs until smooth. Whisk in the vanilla extract, then the peanut butter until smooth and completely incorporated; you shouldn’t be able to see any ribbons of peanut butter. 

3.  You can chill the dough here for 15 minutes in the freezer to get better-formed cookies (or the fridge for 30), or you can bake them right away.   Scoop the dough into balls using a cookie scoop. Place on prepared pan.

4.  Bake cookies for 8 to 10 minutes. When finished, cookies should be golden at edges. They’ll need to set on the sheet for a minute or two before they can be lifted intact to a cooling sheet.

5.  A few minutes after they come out of the oven, set an unwrapped Reeses into the middle of each cookie, upside-down.  Place eyes into the Reeses; it will melt slightly so you can stick them on.  After the cookies cool completely, use a small ziplock bag with a tiny corner snipped off and spoon some nutella into the bag. Pipe 4 spider "legs" on each side of the spider body (the Reese candy).  

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Easter Egg Nests

These were a cute little fun project for right before Easter.  They came together super quickly and are pretty tasty, too.  They're really sweet- I think making them in mini muffin tins would be a better serving size, but then you'd have to find mini-mini Cadbury eggs (maybe they exist, in the US?)  I did find the metallic eggs which looked really nice.  

Easter Egg Nests

adapted from Dixie Crystals

1 package (11 oz) white chocolate chips (or chopped white chocolate)
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 can (8 oz) chow mein noodles
Cadbury Easter Candy Coated Mini Eggs (about 48)

1.  Spray two standard size muffin tins with non-stick spray. Set aside.  (I got only about 16 from this recipe).

2.  In a heavy saucepan, melt white chocolate chips and peanut butter together over low heat.  Alternatively, you can microwave in a large, uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on medium high power for 1 minute; stirring until smooth. If necessary, microwave at additional 10- to 15-second intervals, stirring just until chips are fully melted.

3.  Stir in powdered sugar until well blended and smooth. Fold in chow mein noodles and fold until all ingredients are coated.

4.  Drop by rounded tablespoon into muffin tin and press down gently in center to make a “nest.”  Place 3 chocolate eggs in center of nest.  Refrigerate until hardened, about 20 minutes, then pop out of muffin tins and serve. Can store for up to a week in an air tight container.

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Christmas Peanut Butter Balls

I have a few other Peanut Butter Ball recipes on my site, but I like this one with the use of crunchy cereal.  We didn't have Rice Krispies so we just crushed Rice Chex and used that. We made these on Christmas Eve.  I was so tired; I made the "dough" with my daughter, and then she and my husband dipped them in chocolate.  They turned out well, and of course are so tasty.  I didn't want to make them because we were making other things already, (fudge and caramels), but I'm glad we did.  They only lasted a few days too; they're gone now. Lol.  

Note: This calls for melting the pb and butter together first.  I did it, but I'm not sure it's necessary, and it made this recipe take forever to make since it had to then cool for a few hours in the fridge until we could even work with it.  Next time, I'd just use softened butter and mix with a mixer.  I can't think of any benefit of melting them together vs. mixing with a mixer.  

Christmas Peanut Butter Balls

adapted from Spend with Pennies

2 cups peanut butter creamy or chunky
½ cup butter
2 cups powdered sugar
2 cups Rice Krispie cereal
⅓ cup graham crumbs
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon coconut oil

1.  Combine peanut butter and butter in a saucepan and melt over medium heat. (Note: if you do this, you'll have to let the mixture cool before forming balls.  I'd just let the butter soften and then mix from there.) 

2.  Stir in powdered sugar, Rice Krispies and graham crumbs.  Roll into 1" balls and place on a baking sheet. Refrigerate at least 2 hours. (Before rolling, I had to refrigerate for 2 hours since the mixture was way too soft, then stuck in the fridge another few hours before dipping.) 

3.  Melt chocolate chips at 50% power in the microwave until almost smooth. Stir in coconut oil.  (I always use a double boiler to melt chocolate; I find this works better than microwaving.  Or, use a heavy saucepan over super low heat.)  Dip peanut butter balls into the chocolate mixture allowing excess to drip off. Place on a parchment lined pan and cool completely.

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Homemade Churros

These were so much fun to make!  We made them back during our "Spring Break" while we were locked down.  We ended up making three batches that first day, lol!  Then I had to make them again, since we ate them so fast that first time that I never got a pic.  We did use a churro maker for this.  Supposedly one can use a pastry bag, but I didn't want it to burst everywhere, so I got a "Star Blue" churro maker from Amazon. It works very well!  And has a lot of different tip designs for the nozzle.  If you choose to use a pastry bag, I'd view some Youtube videos first to get the gist of what to do.  

These were easier to make than I thought.  You cook together a simple dough on the stove and then pipe it out.  We didn't pipe these out right into hot oil, but rather piped them onto a sheet of parchment paper (a few pics down) so we could lift them up and into the oil when we were ready.  It worked out well; they didn't stick to the paper at all.  The hardest part of these is cleaning up any mess you might make from deep-frying.  (Not my fave thing at all, but worth it every once in a while... like once or twice a year.  Lol.)

We coated these in just sugar, like in Spain (no cinnamon there), or ate them plain; my fave way to eat them when I was a kid in Spain.  We served these with thick Italian hot chocolate; similar to the Spanish version.

Homemade Churros

adapted from Star Blue's Churro Cookbook

1 cup water

2 1/2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons canola, sunflower, or vegetable oil

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 quarts (more or less, depending on what pan you use) oil for frying

1/2 cup white sugar, to taste

1 teaspoon cinnamon, to taste (optional; we left it off)

1.  In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine water, 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar, salt, and 2 tablespoons oil.  Bring to a boil and remove from heat.  Stir in flour until mixture forms a ball.  

2.  Heat oil for frying in deep-fryer or deep skillet or saucepan to 375 F.  (190 C).  Pipe strips of dough onto sheets of parchment paper and lift into oil when ready, OR pipe directly into hot oil using a churros maker or piping bag.  Fry until golden; drain onto paper towels.  

3.  Place sugar (and optional cinnamon) in a shallow bowl.  Roll drained churros in sugar and serve.  

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Gnocchi Ricotta with Sage Butter

These lumpy bumpy shapes were some of the best things I've ever eaten!!  Ricotta gnocchi- where have you been all my life??!  They were incredibly delicious and so easy to make!  So much easier than potato gnocchi.  You just quickly stir ricotta, eggs, flour and parmesan together and drop little scoops into salted, boiling water.  When they float to the top, scoop them out and deposit them right into a skillet with butter and fried sage leaves.  SO GOOD!!!  (I'm wondering if I could use my smallest cookie scoop next time instead of two spoons....)  I even accidentally cooked some of the gnocchi too long in the butter, and they turned crusty on the bottom.  Those were good too! Lol- I thought I had ruined them.  Try these- such an easy alternative to potato gnocchi.  I made these with my daughter and I think they're easy enough for teens to make by themselves. 

Gnocchi Ricotta with Sage Butter
adapted from the NY Times, via Seattle Times

One 15-ounce container ricotta cheese, preferably whole milk (I used 16 oz- it was fine)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
Freshly ground black pepper
3/4 to 1 cup flour
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
10 or more sage leaves.

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Combine the ricotta, eggs and Parmesan in a large bowl, along with some salt and pepper. Add about 1/2 cup flour and stir; add more flour until the mixture forms a very sticky dough. Scoop up a spoonful of dough and boil it to make sure it will hold its shape; if it does not, stir in a bit more flour.

2. Place the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. When it melts and turns a nutty brown color, add the sage. While it fries, drop the ricotta mixture by the rounded tablespoon into the boiling water, working in batches of six or so at a time so as not to overload the pot.

3. When the gnocchi rise to the surface, remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to the skillet. When all the gnocchi are done, toss, taste and adjust the seasoning, and serve immediately.

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Butterbeer

I actually didn't make this myself- lol.  My husband and daughter made it together for our Harry Potter a few months ago during our Covid lockdown.  It was very tasty! I've never had it before.  It was very sweet too, but that's to be expected.  I waited too long to take the pics, and the whipped cream started to break down, but one can imagine it with mounds of fluffy whipped cream- lol. Note- the drink does start to separate as it sits. 

Butterbeer
adapted from Tablespoon

1 cup light or dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons water
6 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar
3/4 cup heavy cream, divided
1/2 teaspoon rum extract
4 (12 oz) bottles cream soda

1.  In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the brown sugar and water. Bring to a gentle boil and cook, stirring often, until the mixture reads 240°F on a candy thermometer.

2.  Stir in the butter, salt, vinegar and 1/4 of the heavy cream. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

3.  Once the mixture has cooled, stir in the rum extract.

4.  In a medium bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar mixture and the remaining 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Use an electric mixer to beat until just thickened, but not completely whipped, about 2 to 3 minutes.

5.  To serve: divide the brown sugar mixture between 4 tall glasses (about 1/4 cup for each glass). Add 1/4 cup of cream soda to each glass, then stir to combine. Fill each glass nearly to the top with additional cream soda, then spoon the whipped topping over each.

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Focaccia Bread Art

 

I've seen Bread Art pics floating around the internet ever since Covid Quarantine started, and my daughter and I finally made this together last week.  We made a Focaccia recipe I've made before, put it in my big white 9x13, and decorated it.   Then we let it rise for over an hour, until nice and puffy, and baked it.  We used small yellow and orange bell peppers, red onions, grape (Datterino, here) tomatoes, and one little carrot piece.  Lol.  We also used chive blossoms, basil, sage, rosemary and parsley.  (The herbs are all growing in our yard or patio.)

Focaccia Bread Art
Bread adapted from Lucas ; veggie idea from around the Web

2 cups of bread flour
1 cup of warm water

1 tablet of fresh yeast (or one satchel of dry yeast- 2 1/4 teaspoons)

1 tablespoon of sugar

1/4 cup of olive oil, plus more for topping
1/2 tablespoon of fine salt
1/2 tablespoon of Kosher salt (or to taste- I used less)

Assorted fresh veggies

Assorted fresh herbs

1. In a big bowl, dissolve the yeast with the sugar and warm water. Let it sit a few minutes to activate. 

2. Sift 1&1/2 cups of flour into the bowl. With a strong wooden spoon, (or use a stand mixer) mix the water into the flour. Add the salt and mix with the spoon for about 1-2 minutes. Add the olive oil.

3. Add the another 1/2 cup of flour and knead the focaccia dough for about 3 minutes, mixing very well, right in the bowl. (The dough will be very sticky- don't add more flour!)

4. Take the dough, and put the dough into an oiled baking sheet. (I used a deep, large 9x13 pan).  You can also use parchment if you want. I prefer this without. Press the dough into the baking sheet. When the dough is spread out, drizzle a little olive oil on the top.  Sprinkle with a bit of Kosher salt, and then decorate with fresh veggies  and herbs in any design you want. 

5. Let the focaccia rise for about an hour in a warm place. Bake at 350F/180C for about 20 minutes. Keep your eye on the bread so it doesn't over bake. Enjoy!!

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Merry Christmas!

My daughter really wanted to make cut-out sugar cookies for Christmas, so we made these yesterday on Christmas Eve.  Then the whole fam got involved in frosting and decorating them.  It was a good time! This is a recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe.  I just used a regular buttercream for the frosting.  One thing Mel mentioned was to make sure you don't roll these out too thin or they won't be very good.  I rolled some out thicker than I thought I should and those were the best.  These are so good with frosting! It's been years since I made roll-out cookies but these weren't as hard as I thought they'd be. 

Roll-Out Sugar Cookies
adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe
Makes: a lot!! 

Cookies:

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks, 12 ounces) butter, softened to cool room temperature
1 1/2 cups (11.25 ounces) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (2 ounces) powdered sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
5 cups (25 ounces) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Buttercream Frosting:

1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter

2 pounds powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

milk, to taste

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees (if baking right away).  In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars for 3-4 minutes, until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla extract, and almond extract; mix. Add two cups flour, baking powder and salt. Mix. Add remaining flour and mix just until flour is incorporated and the dough is smooth and soft.

2.  The dough can be wrapped in plastic wrap and kept in the refrigerator for up to a week or it can be rolled out right away (if it seems too sticky add another 1/4 cup flour or refrigerate for an hour or so-I opted to refrigerate). Dust a counter with powdered sugar or flour and roll the dough to desired thickness (1/4-inch, maybe even slightly thicker than that). Cut the dough into shapes. (Re-rolling the scraps is fine.) Place the cookies on a lined or lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for 6-8 minutes.  The cookies won’t appear browned on top (or on bottom) when they are done baking so don’t let them overbake! If the first batch is even slightly browned on the top or bottom, decrease the bake time by 30-60 seconds. 

3.  Cool the cookies completely on a wire rack before frosting. The baked cookies (unfrosted) can be stored in a tupperware or ziploc bag in the freezer for up to a month. (There are more freezing instructions on the original recipe. I've never frozen these.)

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Oreo Rice Krispie Treats

These were so good, and simple to make.  They're just simple Rice Krispie treats, but with the addition of browned butter and chopped Oreos, they turn out a little fancier.  I made them twice for groups, and they were very popular with everyone.

Oreo Rice Krispie Treats
adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) butter
20 ounces marshmallows, large or mini
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of coarse, kosher salt
7 cups (7 ounces) rice krispies (or other brand) cereal
20-24 Oreo cookies (about 8-10 ounces), coarsely chopped or crushed

1.  Butter the bottom and sides of a 9X13-inch pan. Set aside.

2.  In a large saucepan (you'll be making the whole recipe in here- use a big soup pot), melt the butter on low or medium-low heat and let it cook until the solids start to turn golden brown and it smells caramelly and fragrant, 3-4 minutes.

3.  Add the marshmallows and cook on low, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until mostly melted, a few small lumps here and there are ok. Add the vanilla and salt and stir to combine.

4.  Remove the pan from the heat and add the rice krispies and Oreos. Stir until evenly combined; scrape up the bottom of the pan really well to make sure to incorporate all the marshmallows.

5.  Scoop the mixture into the prepared pan and press the mixture into the pan with lightly greased hands (smashing them down too hard will result in firm rice krispie treats - so use a gentle hand if you want them chewy). Let cool before slicing into squares.

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No-Bake Berry Cheesecake

 I was skeptical about this recipe, but it's so, so good! My daughter and her friend wanted to make an easy dessert, so they picked this recipe and made it by themselves.  It's amazing that a few simple ingredients can make such a good cheesecake.  To make it even easier, I didn't puree raspberries like the original recipe; I opted for homemade strawberry freezer jam and just garnished with raspberries.  Use any kind of jam you want. 

The original recipe calls for crushed graham crackers, but I had a box of crumbs on hand, so they just used my scale to measure out what the amount would be. You can use Neufchatel cream cheese for this.

A few days after my daughter made this the first time, she made it again with her brother.  It's a great recipe for teens or pre-teens to make by themselves.  No baking, and you only have to use the stove to melt butter (unless you're a butter microwaver).  So, I've actually not made this myself, lol.... but it was so good I have to put it on here!

No-Bake Berry Cheesecake
adapted from Blonde Kitchen

Graham Cracker Crust
157 grams graham cracker crumbs (9 regular crackers)
1/4 cup (32 g) confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup (113 g or 1 stick) regular (salted) butter,

Cheesecake Layer
16 ounces (170 g) cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup (125 g) confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

about 1/3 cup berry freezer jam or homemade jam

1. Graham Cracker Crust: In a large bowl, combine graham crackers, 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, and melted butter, stirring until the mixture is the texture of wet sand. (Or, melt the butter in a big enough saucepan and mix the crust in there.) Dump the graham cracker mixture into a 8×8 baking dish. Press the mixture down with your hands to create an even layer. Freeze for 10 minutes.

2. Cheesecake: In a separate bowl, combine cream cheese, confectioner’s sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla, stirring until smooth. (A hand mixture works well for this.)  Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly on top of the graham cracker crust.

3. Dollop spoonfuls of the jam on top of the cheesecake. Use a skewer or knife to make swirls. Freeze uncovered for 1-2 hours or until set.  When no longer soft, cut with a sharp knife or brownie cutter.  Store in the fridge.  

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White Chocolate Buckeyes

These candies are controversial Buckeyes, I think.  Comments on the original recipe (which doesn't even use white chocolate) seemed mad that cream cheese and graham crackers crumbs were included in the sacred Buckeyes recipe.  But guess what? The cream cheese and graham crackers are wonderful in this; cutting the sweetness and adding something interesting.  So I'm proud to put these on here; they taste super amazing, still melt in your mouth, and aren't that hard to make, either.  I wanted to try white chocolate this time, and I loved that.....I realized it makes it even worse to Buckeye purists, but oh well.  I got two bars of Italian cooking white chocolate... it worked beautifully when melted in a double boiler with some coconut oil.  It was real white chocolate with cocoa butter and no hydrogenated oils.  I meant to post these before Christmas but I didn't get around to it, so here they are now.  (Regular buckeye recipe from the Joy the Baker is here.)

White Chocolate Buckeyes
adapted from the Kitchn

1 pound powdered sugar (about 3 and 3/4 cups)
1 (16.3-ounce) jar creamy peanut butter (not natural), such as Skippy (about 2 cups)
10 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature (can use Neufchatel)
1 cup graham cracker crumbs (from about 8 graham crackers)
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
12-16 ounces chopped good-quality white chocolate (not chocolate chips)
1 tablespoon refined coconut oil

1.  Place the powdered sugar, peanut butter, butter, cream cheese, graham cracker crumbs, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. (Alternatively, use an electric hand mixer and large bowl.)

2.  Beat on low speed until just combined, then increase speed to medium and beat, stopping often to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, until the mixture is smooth and holds together when squeezed in the palm of your hand, 2 to 3 minutes. (If using a stand mixer- pay attention to the bottom of the bowl.  There may be dry crumbs down there.  Use a rubber spatula to make sure everything is combined.)

3.  Form into balls- line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Form the mixture into tablespoon-sized balls (you should get about 72 (1/2-ounce) balls) and place in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate until very cold and firm, at least 2 hours.

4.  Melt the chocolate with the coconut oil in a double boiler, stirring until smooth.  Let cool 5 minutes. (I didn't let it cool.... and it was fine.  Use your judgment.)

5.  Dip the balls- line a second rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Transfer 12 of the chilled peanut butter balls onto it. (Keep the rest in the refrigerator to keep them chilled and firm.) Insert a toothpick into the center of one of the peanut butter balls (don’t let it poke all the way through) and dip it into the chocolate, leaving a small opening (about 1-inch across) at the top of the buckeye.

6.  Shake off the excess chocolate- lift the buckeye out of the chocolate and turn the toothpick horizontally so that you are holding it at a 90° angle to the bowl. Gently shake your hand up and down so that any excess chocolate drips off the buckeye and back into the bowl. (You want to remove as much excess chocolate as possible so that it doesn’t pool around the bottoms of the buckeyes.) When the dripping has stopped, twirl the toothpick so that that very last drip wraps around the buckeye and blends in with the rest of the chocolate. (I was tired and didn't dip them quite this well... but if you have a lot of patience this would be a good idea.  Lol.)

7.  Remove the toothpick- turn the buckeye upright and place back onto the baking sheet. Use your finger or a second toothpick to gently push the buckeye off the toothpick (you’ll cover up the hole it leaves later). Repeat dipping with the remaining buckeyes.  If, at any point, the peanut butter balls begin twirling around on the toothpick as you dip, making it difficult to control, return to the refrigerator until chilled.

8.  Smooth over the toothpick holes (optional... lol) -use your thumb and forefinger to gently pinch the peanut butter filling where the toothpick has left a hole, then use your finger to smooth it out. (You want to wait until the chocolate is set up enough to do this so the buckeye doesn’t slide around.)  Refrigerate until the chocolate is set. Refrigerate until the chocolate is hardened, at least 10 minutes.

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Happy Halloween 2018!!

Yesterday school was cancelled here because of bad weather.  I finally got a chance to make these Halloween treats with the kids- we never have time to do stuff like this anymore.  It was fun and we had a great day.  We made ghost pretzels and white chocolate Reeses's chocolate PB cookies. 

White Chocolate Ghost Pretzels
adapted from Dessert now Dinner Later

30 (or so) pretzels
10 oz. bag white chocolate chips (I used Trader Joe's)
1 tsp coconut oil or shortening, for thinning the chocolate
1 (.88oz/25g) pkg Wilton Candy Eyeballs

1.  Line a baking sheet with wax paper, parchment paper, or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.

2.  Melt the white chocolate and coconut oil (or shortening) in a glass bowl in the microwave, for short 10-20 second bursts, until melted.  You can also use a double boiler.  I always do this for white chocolate because it seizes so easily.

3.  Immediately dip pretzels, one at a time, in the bowl, using a fork to turn the pretzel over. Shake off excess chocolate from the pretzel with the fork. Be sure to shake the chocolate out of the bottom hole, so it looks like an open mouth -- screaming. Place chocolate dipped pretzels on the prepared baking sheet.

4.  Immediately press two eyeballs into the top two holes for eyes -- add a little extra chocolate if needed.
Repeat with remaining pretzels. Work quickly. Heating the chocolate again only once, if needed.
Allow pretzels to rest and harden. Place in freezer for 10 minutes to speed up the process. Peel pretzels off the baking sheet and enjoy!

White Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

adapted from Allrecipes via here 

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (I used 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup chocolate creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk
40 miniature white chocolate Reeses's peanut butter cups, unwrapped and stuck in freezer for 30 min.
sprinkles for decoration, if desired

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Sift together the flour, salt and baking soda; set aside.

2. Cream together the butter, sugar, chocolate peanut butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla and milk. Add the flour mixture; mix well. Shape into 40 balls (I just used my smallest cookie scoop- it's probably about 1 teaspoon) and place each into an ungreased mini muffin pan.

3. Bake at 375 degrees for about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately press a mini white peanut butter cup into each ball. Cool and carefully remove from pan. 

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