Peanut Butter Brownie Cookies

The inspiration for this cookie comes from one of our local ice cream chains here in Austin. Lick ice cream creates their flavors from in season, locally sourced ingredients, so the flavors are ever changing and are super fresh. The milk comes from pasture raised cows from local farms and their flavors are super inventive. From goat cheese and thyme to tres leches and chocolate olive oil sea salt. The last time we went there they had a peanut butter fudge ice cream, which at first sounds pretty plain. Something you’d find in a grocery store freezer. But the flavor was phenomenal. The peanut wasn’t too overpowering, just enough to get that fresh peanut flavor surrounded by a swirl of deep dark fudge that wasn’t too sweet. It’s the way peanut butter fudge was meant to be! It hit an inspirational nerve with me - I was planning on baking up a batch of Smitten Kitchen’s Cut Out Brownie cookies…why not swirl it together with a great natural peanut butter cookie!?

Since I wanted a less pungent peanut flavor, I opted for a natural, unsalted peanut butter instead of the jarred kind which I find very overpowering in a cookie. Peanut butter cookies and desserts usually feel heavy to me and I wanted this cookie to taste delicious but keep me coming back for more. The natural peanut butter that you can grind up in the supermarket works great. The end results are a cookie that’s soft, melts in your mouth and as my son’s friend’s proclaimed…”it tastes like hot chocolate!” I’ll take it!

I tested a bunch of different ways to bake these up and the smash, roll and flatten method is by far the best one! I took a scoop of each cookie dough, split each scoop in half and then smashed a peanut and chocolate half together, smooshing a bit to swirl it together. Then I rolled it in my hand and flattened it out to about 1/2” thick before placing it on the parchment. I tested the baking times and found that a shorter bake yielded a softer, less dry cookie so about 9-10 minutes will do it at 350F!

The best part about this smash method of cookie shaping is that you can play with the proportions anyway you want. Want more chocolate than peanut butter…done! You son likes peanut butter with just a little bit of chocolate? Done! All in one batch! It’s great with a cold glass of milk or a hot cup of coffee! Make a personalized batch today!

Peanut Butter Brownie Cookies

Yields 3 dozen cookies *depending on size

Ingredients

For the Brownie cookies

• 3 cup flour

• 2/3 cup cocoa (I love Droste)

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 2 sticks salted butter, room temp

• 1 cup sugar

• 2 large eggs

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Peanut butter cookie

• 2 sticks salted butter, room temp

• 1 cup sugar

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 egg yolk

• 1 large egg

• 1/2 cup natural, unsalted peanut butter

• 2 tsp vanila

• 2 3/4 cup flour

Method

1. Make the brownie cookie dough: Whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder).

2. In a bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, and sugar until light and fluffy, approx 3-4 min

3. Add in the eggs and vanilla and beat until combined, scraping down the sides when needed.

4. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add in the whisked dry ingredients until a cohesive dough forms.

5. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour or overnight.

6. Make the peanut butter dough: Cream together the butter, sugar and salt. Beat in the egg yolk and the peanut butter until combined.

7. Scrape down the sides and add in the whole egg and vanilla extract. Beat until mixed.

8. Lower the mixer speed to low and slowly add in the flour. Mix until a cohesive dough forms.

9. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.

10. Preheat the oven to 350F. Place parchment in 2 cookie sheets and set aside.

11. Using a medium cookie scoop, scoop one ball of each dough and cut each in half. Take the two halves (one chocolate and one peanut) and smash them together.

12. Roll the ball in the palm of your hand and flatten to about 1/2”. Place on prepared cookie sheet and repeat with remaining dough.

13. Bake for 9-10 minutes. Cookies will be just set. Cool on pan for 2 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely