Cookie Extravaganza! Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies

You didn't really think our cookie extravaganza was only two kinds of cookies did you?  After I posted that picture of us sitting on top of a giant mountain of ingredients but then only followed up with two blog posts, did you wonder if we just posed like that for fun? And to tease you with the possibility of cookies?  Well fear not, castle farm cookbook blog readers, we have more cookies up our sleeves (if we had sleeves there would ALWAYS be cookies in them). 

We found this recipe in Taste of Home Best Loved Cookies magazine.  They are a peanut butter cookie with a surprise inside as you might have guessed by the name "peanut butter surprise cookies".  Although we like to keep surprises secret, it would be difficult to tell you how to bake these without telling you the surprise.  We would have to come up with some sort of elaborate plan where you tell us you are baking them and we sneak to your kitchen and add in the surprise ourselves.  

But since we are but two small farm animals, it seems much easier to just give away the surprise.  As long as you promise not to tell other people before they eat it.  Then, wait for them to take a bite, and yell "surprise!".  

So, do you promise to do this?

You can't read anymore if you don't promise.  

It's not nice to lie to pigs!

OK.... the surprise is a milk dud. You know, those chocolate caramel candy balls.  

This makes for a delicious surprise if you like milk duds.  And if you don't like milk duds, you will not like these cookies.  

Enough with the nonsense.  Here is your recipe.

ingredients (makes 4 dozen)

3/4 c butter flavored shortening 

3/4 c peanut butter (and don't use that low fat stuff)

1 c. sugar, divided

3/4 c packed brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 c flour

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 5-oz package milk duds

instructions

1. Cream the shortening, peanut butter, 3/4 c sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.

2.  Add eggs, one at a time, scraping and beating after each.  Add vanilla.  

3. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Gradually add to the wet mixture and mix well.

4. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least an hour. 

5.  Shape a heaping tablespoon of dough around a milk dud so it is completely covered.  Roll balls in remaining sugar.

Cornelius' tip: we tried this other method of shaping the cookies.  It did not work.  Do not do it this way.  Listen to step #5.  But it's a good picture of me, the lighting makes me extra pink, so I've included the picture anyway.

6. Place 2" apart on parchment lined baking sheet.  

Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes.  Cool 5 minutes before moving to wire rack.

This ended up being a very pretty cookie (well, the ones where we followed the directions anyway).  The peanut butter taste was nice, and the surprise was, well, a surprise!

pig, out!