Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 (2 oz.) squares unsweetened chocolate
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter or shortening
2 eggs
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. plus 2 T. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
For the garnish:
3/4 c. finely chopped peanuts
36 miniature Peanut Butter Cups, frozen and unwrapped
1 c. peanut butter baking chips
1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine chocolate in bowl and microwave at 50 percent for
about 2 minutes; stir and repeat until smooth and melted. Cool slightly. Combine
sugar and butter or shortening in large bowl. Beat at medium speed with electric
mixer until blended and crumbly. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then salt and
vanilla.
Reduce speed to low. Add chocolate slowly. Mix until well
blended. Stir in flour and soda with spoon until well blended. Shape dough into
1 1/4 inch balls. Roll in chopped peanuts.
Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for
8-10 minutes or until set. Press a frozen peanut butter cup into the center of
each cookie immediately upon removing them from the oven.
Press cookies up against peanut butter cup if desired for
appearance, but do not touch the peanut butter cup again because it is now
melted and must remain intact. Cool completely. Melt the peanut butter chips and
drizzle back and forth over the cookies using a parchment pouch or plastic bag
with a little snip off the corner. Repeat with the chocolate, only drizzling at
another angle from the peanut drizzle.