SRC: Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Cookies

The Secret Recipe Club took the month of December off in order to allow everyone to enjoy the Christmas season and time with family and friends.  As much as I needed that down time I must say, I couldn’t wait for reveal day to come.  I received my January assignment in November, so I’ve been checking out page after page of delicious recipes over at The Spiffy Cookie.  Do you know how many times one can change their mind in a month?  A lot!

Erin is the genius behind The Spiffy Cookie.  She just recently completed her PhD in microbiology, so along with being spiffy, she’s also one smart cookie!  When she’s not hard at it in the books or labs, she’s busy in the kitchen.  Food is her love, passion and outlet.  And like me, her favorite foods are baked goods!  I’ve been in love with Erin’s blog for quite some time now, so when I found out I had it for this month’s exchange I was beyond ecstatic.  Now came the hard part; trying to determine exactly what to make to share with you all.  Meyer lemon curd cupcakes, peanut butter cup oatmeal cookies, Nutella chunk cookies, german chocolate brownies, strawberry-banana colada smoothie, and the list goes on and on…those are just a tiny glimpse into what she’s got on her blog and this doesn’t even begin to cover the savory and main dishes.  I’m telling you folks, she’s got it all which made my decision quite difficult.

After looking through numerous recipes I decided to get my boys to weigh in on the options.  With Tucker, it was a no brainer, he wanted sweet.  So I named off a few and when I said peanut butter cookies loaded with Reese’s Pieces; well Spencer was sold.  He’s a lover of peanut butter anything, so give him a fresh peanut butter cookie straight from the oven and he’ll be in heaven.

These cookies not only met our expectations, they exceeded them.  These cookies are definitely whoppers.  They are huge, I mean we’re talking about 1/4 of a cup of dough for each cookie.  Now that’s a cookie folks.  Cookies of this magnitude won’t leave you feeling then need for one or two more; one will be more than enough.  And these, well they’re not your typical peanut butter cookie.  They are cookies with a base of butter, sugars and the “magic ingredient” a peanut butter spread mixture.  Then that perfectly peanut buttery dough is loaded with even more peanut butter in the form of Reese’s Pieces candies.  I mean, a true peanut butter lover’s dream, right?  I had a taste, or two, of the dough before I decided I needed to plop it on the pan in order to avoid getting spoon and finishing the entire bowl!  These cookies bake up to be thick, chewy, full of peanut butter flavor with Reese’s candies in each bite.  These cookies would definitely make your kids happy if they found one or two packed in their lunch box.  But let’s face it, they’d bring a smile to anyone’s face. So bake up some smiles!

Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

3 Cups flour
1 Tsp baking powder
1/2 Tsp baking soda
1/2 Tsp salt
1 Cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 Cup granulated sugar
1 Cup packed brown sugar
2 Eggs
1 Tsp vanilla
Peanut butter spread, recipe follows
2 Cups Reese’s Pieces

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.  Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or spray with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and whisk to combine.  Set aside.

Place butter and both sugars in the bowl and beat on high until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.  Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Add the vanilla and peanut butter spread and mix to incorporate.  Add the flour mixture, one cup at a time, and mix on low to combine.  Add the Reese’s and fold in with a wooden spoon or spatula until evenly distributed. 

Using a cookie scoop that is about 1/4 cup, or using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop the dough and place it on the prepared cookie sheet, leaving about 2 1/2 inches between each cookie.  Place the cookies in the preheated oven and bake for 11 minutes, being sure not to over bake.  Allow to cool on the pan for about 3 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.

For the peanut butter spread-
1 Cup crunchy peanut butter, creamy can be used if desired
1/2 Stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 Cup honey

Directions:
Place peanut butter, butter and honey in a medium bowl and beat on high until all ingredients are well combined.  Set aside.

Recipe source: slightly adapted from The Spiffy Cookie who adapted it from Elle’s New England Kitchen

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