Inside-Out Peanut Butter Cups (Chocolate-Stuffed PB Cookies)

Reese's knew what they were doing when they came up with their classic peanut butter cup candies because, as the results of my recent poll show, chocolate and peanut butter are people's favorite flavors.

I've done a Peanut Butter Cup cookie before, but this guy is a new twist--literally--on an old favorite by turning the cookie inside out. In this iteration, there's a peanut butter "shell" stuffed with chocolate. Yummy!

For the cookie's exterior, I used my signature peanut butter recipe--the same one I used for my PB & J(onnie), a jelly-stuffed peanut butter cookie. Regular readers know by know that I squeeze as much flavor into my cookies as possible by using as many flavor sources as possible. For my PB cookie recipe, I took some advice from Cook's Country magazine and used ground-up Peanut Butter Cap'n Crunch cereal. I also used smooth peanut butter and peanut butter chips. The ground-up cereal adds a rich peanuty flavor without drying out the cookie, which is what happens when you use a lot of peanut butter straight out of the jar.

The stuffing recipe, however, was a little more complicated. Originally, I was going to stuff each dough ball with a rectangle from a Hereshey bar. But I have enough experience making stuffed cookies to know that the chocolate would likely melt quickly in the oven and "bleed out," completely defeating the purpose of stuffing these guys to begin with. And I figured that even if the cookies didn't leak during the baking process the chocolate would be too hard/crunchy once any nonleaking cookies had cooled off completely. My solution: use cream cheese as a "stabilizer" to make the chocolate thick enough not "bleed out" while baking and soft enough to enjoy at room temperature. I think I owe myself a pat on the back for that one!

My stuffed cookies are among my tasters' and readers' favorites. (See here and here.) The process of making one of these cookies is a little complicated, but believe me: It's so worth the effort. Check out this step-by-step video and these step-by-step instructions.

Filling	3 ounces cream cheese 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips 1/4 cup cocoa powder 1/4 cup milk 1/4 teaspoon salt
Creamables	2 sticks butter 2 cups dark brown sugar 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter 1/4 cup white sugar
Wet Ingredients	2 eggs 1/4 cup milk 1 teaspoon vanilla
Dry Ingredients	2 cups ground Peanut Cap'n Crunch cereal 2 1/2 cups oatmeal 2 cups peanut butter chips 1 1/2 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Put the semisweet chocolate chips and milk in a small bowl and microwave for 30-40 seconds. Stir together so that the chips are evenly melted.
2. Add the rest of the filling ingredients to the melted chocolate/milk mixture and stir until there are no lumps. Let the mixture cool and solidify in the freezer until step 8.
3. Preheat oven to 350º.
4. In your Kitchen Aid or a large mixing bowl, cream together the creamables.
5. In a small bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients and then add to the creamables. Mix together until smooth.
6. In another large mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients. Using a spatula, fold together until evenly distributed. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the creamables and wet ingredients. Mix until evenly combined.
7. Shape dough into balls—about 2 tablespoons each.
8. Remove the filling mixture from the freezer and stuff each dough ball with 1 teaspoon of the mixture. Put the stuffed dough balls in the freezer for 5 minutes to firm up.
9. Place chilled dough balls about 2 inches apart on Silpat- or parchment paper-lined cookie sheets.
10. Bake at 350º for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and let stand for 2 minutes. Then place cookies on wire racks to cool.

Comments

[Nick]

Hey now, that's a badass looking cookie. I'll need to try this myself. Although maybe a peanut butter stuffed peanut butter cookie? How bout that!

[Jonnazz]

These were the best - peanut butter (and oatmeal) cookies that didn't dry out...and with a chocolate surprise in the middle!

[Oatmeal Cookie Guy]

Hey, Nick. Wow...a peanut butter cookie stuffed with peanut butter. That's a LOT of peanut butter. But, I think I have the way to do it: use the PB cookie shell from this recipe and stuff it with the peanut butter filling from my Peanut Butter Cup cookies. These would definitely require a glass of milk!

[jen]

My daughter praised your stuffed peanut butter cookies for about 30 minutes. She's 7 years old. She said it was the best cookie, she's ever had....Ariana ate it crumb for crumb not wanting the last crumb to be eaten...she is TOTALLY in love with your stuffed peanut butter cookies!

thanks, Greg!

[Laurel]

Hi. I would love to try this recipe, but I live in Belgium and Cap'n Crunch is nonexistent here. Any suggestions for a substitute?

[Oatmeal Cookie Guy]

Thanks, Jen! I posted your "blog-love" at the top of the page. My aim is to come up with recipes that get that kind of reaction all the time.

[Oatmeal Cookie Guy]

Hi, Laurel. I'll do some investigating to see what other, more readily available peanut-flavored product you can use in place of the Cap'n Crunch cereal. I'll add a "product placement" post for you as soon as I can. Wow...Belgium. How cool is that!

[kristin @ the fairmount bride]

Just discovered your blog. I can't wait to try some of these recipes, they look amazing!

[Oatmeal Cookie Guy]

Thanks, Kristin!

[Amanda K.]

I've had your blog bookmarked for a few months now and keep forgetting to comment: your peanut butter cookie recipe is AMAZING!!! The combination of the cereal, peanut butter and peanut butter chips is delicious and they stay so soft! I haven't tried the stuffed ones (I usually just add some chocolate chips) but as far as I'm concerned you're a cookie genius!! Thanks for sharing your creations!

[Oatmeal Cookie Guy]

Thanks, Amanda! :-)

[Tracey Neault]

Well Greg, another Sunday and another cookie recipe under my belt! These were a bit more time consuming, and a little fussy, but, man are these delicious! Absolutely tasty and perfect! Thanks, yet again, my friend! Thanks for the recipe and great cookie advice!
-Tracey

[Oatmeal Cookie Guy]

Thanks, Tracey! I love the blog-love you're giving. :-) Before you know it, you'll have *all* my recipes under your belt.