It’s about the only way I can describe these cookies.  I love peanut butter and these give you a double whammy with a peanut butter cookie topped with a melty mini Reese’s peanut butter cup.  Hello.  The cookie is small and delicate and chewy, as long as you don’t overbake them. Very cute and delightful and you really can’t have just one, you have to have a few.   An easy dough that comes together fast.

Peanut Butter Buds 

adapted from The Brown Eyed Baker

makes approximately 48 cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

3/4 cup smooth peanut butter (regular, not pure peanut butter with no additives)

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar, packed

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp nutmeg (freshly grated preferred)

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 cup granulated sugar (to roll cookie dough balls in)

Directions:

Preheat oven  to 350 F.  Prepare baking sheets with parchment paper or silpats or silicone liners. Set aside.

In bowl of stand mixer, cream together butter and peanut butter. Add white and brown sugar and mix until well combined.

Add eggs and vanilla and continue to mix on medium speed until well incorporated.

In separate bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, nutmeg and salt. On low speed, gradually add to peanut butter mixture. When just combined, remove mixing things and finish combining all the flour with a spatula.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour or so, until firm.

Place remaining 1/3 cup sugar in wide shallow bowl. Using a spoon or small cookie dough scoop, make 3/4 inch balls,, fairly small- about 1 1/2 tsp to 2 tsp of dough), roll in sugar and place on cookie sheet.

Bake for 7 minutes, or until puffed.  They turn out beautifully chewy and delicate if you take them out before they brown.  Remove from oven and press Reese’s mini peanut butter cup into center of each cookie. Cool 5 minutes, then remove to wire rack to cool completely.  Try to eat just one! It’s not possible. So good.

Combine flour mixture into butter/peanut/egg mixture

Do you know what this is? Whole nutmeg! Tastes great, looks like brains.

Scoop balls of dough into sugar, roll, place on baking sheet.

The product I used for the centers.

Press peanut cup into cookies when they come out of oven. YUM