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Peanut Butter Cup Candy Cookies Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.2 from 8 reviews
  • Author: Jessica
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 24 cookies
  • Category: Cookies
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Description

These Peanut Butter Cup Candy Cookies are a decadent twist on classic chocolate chip cookies, loaded with chopped Reese’s peanut butter cups and a blend of milk and dark chocolate chunks. With a rich, buttery dough and a touch of flaky sea salt on top, these cookies balance sweet and salty flavors perfectly. Chilling the dough before baking enhances their texture, resulting in soft, chewy centers and slightly crispy edges.

Ingredients

Dough

  • 225g Unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 170g Dark Brown or Muscovado Sugar
  • 100g Granulated / White Sugar
  • 50g Raw / Turbinado Sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
  • 300g All-purpose flour
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt

Chocolate and Candy Mix

  • 250g chopped peanut butter cups, plus a few extra for topping
  • 100g milk chocolate, coarsely chopped, plus more for finishing
  • 100g dark chocolate, coarsely chopped, plus more for finishing
  • Flaky Sea Salt such as Maldon for finishing

Instructions

  1. Cream Butter and Sugars: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using an electric mixer, cream together the room temperature unsalted butter and the three sugars (dark brown/muscovado, granulated, and raw/turbinado) on high speed for 5 minutes until the mixture becomes pale, light, and fluffy.
  2. Add Egg and Vanilla: Add the egg and vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract to the creamed butter and sugars. Mix to combine thoroughly, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl to incorporate all ingredients evenly.
  3. Sift Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, sift together all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add this dry mixture to the wet ingredients in the mixer bowl on low speed, mixing just until combined. It’s okay if a few flour streaks remain, as these will be blended later with the chocolate additions.
  4. Incorporate Chocolates and Peanut Butter Cups: Add the chopped peanut butter cups and coarsely chopped milk and dark chocolate pieces to the dough. Mix on low until just incorporated. Then, remove the bowl and gently fold the mixture with a flexible spatula to ensure even distribution of the candy and chocolate chunks.
  5. Scoop and Shape Dough: Using a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop, portion dough balls onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. They can be placed close together. If you desire large chocolate puddles on top of your cookies, flatten a ball of dough, press extra chopped peanut butter cups and chocolate on top, then roll back into a ball to ensure even chocolate distribution during baking. Otherwise, baking dough balls as scooped is fine.
  6. Chill Dough: Cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap and refrigerate the cookie dough balls for 1 hour. This step helps improve texture and flavor. If freezing some dough, do so now.
  7. Preheat Oven: Towards the end of chilling, preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Line 2-3 baking sheets with parchment paper to prepare for baking in batches.
  8. Bake Cookies: Arrange 6 dough balls per baking sheet, spacing them to allow spreading during baking. Bake in the preheated oven for 13 to 14 minutes. Bake 13 minutes for a softer cookie, 14 minutes for a slightly crispier texture. Remove from oven when lightly golden and edges just set.
  9. Shape and Garnish: Optionally, use a round cookie cutter slightly larger than the cookie to nudge cookies into perfect circles while warm. Add extra chopped peanut butter cup chunks to any bare spots on the cookie tops. Sprinkle generously with flaky sea salt to enhance flavor.
  10. Cool and Store: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet; they will deflate slightly as they cool, resulting in a tender texture. Repeat the baking process with remaining dough balls. Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container to maintain freshness.

Notes

  • Chilling the dough for at least an hour is recommended to improve the cookies’ texture and flavor.
  • If you want to freeze cookie dough balls, freeze them after scooping and before baking. Bake directly from frozen, adding a minute or two to baking time.
  • Using a mix of sugars (dark brown, granulated, and raw/turbinado) adds depth of flavor and texture.
  • The flaky sea salt topping is important to provide a flavorful contrast to the sweet peanut butter and chocolate.
  • Adjust bake time according to your preference for softness or crispness.

Find it online: https://dishrise.com/peanut-butter-cup-candy-cookies-recipe/