Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

My most favorite cookie EVER! I've been making these for years!

You can find the recipe on the back of some of the miniature Reese's Peanut Butter Cup bags but I use a slightly different version that is posted at AllRecipes. Even with that recipe I do a couple of things differently. 

First off, to keep the peanut butter cup from melting and losing it's shape I freeze them ahead of time. I also recommend using a medium sized cookie scoop (measures about 1.75" across) - when you use the scoop the cookies end up being the same size and they bake evenly. Instead of ending up with 40 cookies (as the recipe states) in my version you end up with approximately 28.  However, since mini-muffin pans have only 24 cups you could save some time and add a tad bit more dough to each cookie.....

Here's the recipe: 

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1 egg, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons milk

28 miniature Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (frozen - put in freezer for at least 30 minutes)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Sift together the flour, salt and baking soda; set aside.
2. Cream together the butter, sugar, peanut butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla and milk. Add the flour mixture; mix well. 
3. Scoop cookie dough using the medium sized cookie shape dough into 28 balls and place each into an ungreased mini muffin pan.
4. Bake at 375 degrees for about 9 minutes. While the cookies are baking remove the wrappers from the miniature Reese's Peanut Butter cups.
5. When cookies are done baking remove them from the oven and immediately press a mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cup into each cookie. Cool and carefully remove from pan (I use a small spoon to help lift them it out.)

Cooling in the pan....

This baby's got some height and weight to it!

Wrapped and ready for a cookie exchange!