Chocolate Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies

Last Friday I made Chocolate Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies for a friend's birthday...here's the recipe!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flower

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup granulated sugar (plus more for rolling)

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup creamy peanut butter (divided into 1/4 and 3/4)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg

3/4 cup powdered sugar 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prep a cooking sheet (either with parchment paper or with baking spray/butter).

For the chocolate dough:

Whisk flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt together in medium bowl. Set aside

In a large bowl, beat together sugars, butter, and 1/4 cup peanut butter until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and egg, beating to combine. 

Stir in dry mixture, blending well. Set aside.

For the peanut butter filling:

In a medium bowl, mix together powdered sugar and remaining 3/4 cup of peanut butter until smooth. 

*For this, I ended up just using my hands because it was too difficult to get a good blend otherwise.

To combine:

Pull off a heaping tablespoon of cookie dough and flatten with your hands. Take about 1 tsp of peanut butter filling and place it in the center of the chocolate dough. Wrap the dough around the filling. Roll the cookie into a ball and then roll the cookie into the sugar.

Place cookies on the prepared baking sheet 2 inches apart.

Bake for 7-9 minutes. Let stand on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack.

 

**The recipe calls for flattening the cookies with a glass until each is about 1/2 inch in thickness before baking. I did not do this for this batch, although I did in a previous batch. I actually preferred the cookies left as is - they wound up being more filling and enjoyable to eat.

Here is the original recipe:

http://www.bigflavorstinykitchen.com/2010/12/supper-club-chocolate-peanut-butter-surprise-cookies.html

Enjoy!

Back in Action: NH & Camping!

I haven't posted in a few weeks - my spring semester ended, I went to NH for a week of much needed R&R, Seth and I took out the pop-up for its maiden voyage, and then my summer semester started up again. Here is a brief recap:

 Dad's BBQ on Mother's Day...doesn't get much more delicious than this.

Finished up with an incredible cake from my sister who will hopefully write a guest post soon!

 I got this while I was in NH...my favorite Snapchat of all time....and yes, I did break the unwritten rules to take a screen shot.

 First night in our camper. We didn't get to the campground until nearly 10 pm and had to set up the camper in the dark - it was all worth it though. Although, we did wake up in the middle of the night by a shrill, blood-curdling beeping, indicating a dead camper battery. THAT was fun. Luckily Seth had the wherewithal to unplug the source of the noise, the carbon monoxide meter, while I lethargically waved a pillow in the air, attempting to wave out the non-existant smoke I thought was in the camper.

 First night, drinks and dinner by the fire...

Potatoes and steaks at 12am...

Paper Bag Eggs! 

I found this camping recipe and had to try it our first morning in the camper... 

You need thick cut bacon, eggs, salt and pepper, paper bags, and cheese if you want it.

Cut your bacon to size...

Line the bottom of the bag with the bacon...

*The recipe didn't call for bacon lattice work...I just wanted to try it out for fun :) 

Crack 2 eggs over top of the bacon...

 Place the eggs over the fire - this is a bit of an art - too close to the flame and you'll lose your eggs in the fire, too far and they won't cook! This took some experimenting...

A view of our campsite with breakfast cookin'!

The finished product!

Seth requested some cheese on his.

*I think next time I would use thinner bacon to allow it to cook through better

Here is the  original recipe: http://realfamilycamping.blogspot.com/2011/08/paper-bag-eggs-classic-camping-recipe.html

YUM.

Our new percolator for camping...have to say, percolator coffee has to be some of the most delicious coffee in the world! 

The next day we had dinner with Seth's family.

It was filled with infinite cuteness...

Seth's little cousins were so excited to be "camping"... and eating s'mores!

They also LOVED the camper - we couldn't get them out! 

 Once I got home my little Henry didn't leave my side...here he is sleeping with his little kitty face resting on my arm...

That's all for now!