Day Three: Fudge Filled Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe

Readers, you are in luck!  Because I loved this dessert treat so much, Pamela has allowed me, her husband Bill, to be her guest blogger on day 3 of the Pammicakes 12 Days of Christmas Indulgences.  These Fudge Filled Peanut Butter Cookies are unbelievable.  Pamela baked this amazing stack of cookies that our families were fortunate enough to get to enjoy during this holiday season.  In about 4 days, I probably had 15 of these in 3 different houses.  Mmmmmmm!

As you would expect, the combination of the peanut butter and the chocolate are perfect.  The sweet and rich tastes are complimented well by the soft texture.  Although the pictures Pamela took illustrate a striking resemblance to hamburgers, they certainly are not!  You’d be foolish not to start baking these cookies immediately!

Fudge Filled Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe
Recipe adapted from Host A Cookie Party
Makes 48 sandwich cookies
Preheat oven to 350^o

Cookies
1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
1 cup butter, unsalted
2 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
3 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Fudge Filling
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cover baking sheets with parchment paper or no-stick cooking spray. 

First beat the peanut butter, butter, brown sugar, milk and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs. Beat just until blended.

Then, combine flour, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Add to creamed mixture on low speed, mixing just until blended. Drop by level tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheets. 

Bake the cookies for 6 to 7 minutes or until set and just beginning to brown. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet. Remove to wire rack to cool completely.

For the filling, microwave the sweetened condensed milk and chocolate chips in medium microwave-safe bowl on high for 1 1/2 minutes or until melted and smooth when stirred. Stir in vanilla. Let cool 15 minutes. Spread generously on flat side of half the cookies. Top with remaining cookies, flat side down, to form sandwich cookies.

Day Three: Peanut Butter Bars Recipe

For Day 3 of the PammiCakes 12 Days of Christmas Indulgences I wanted to give you all a super easy, very delicious dessert recipe; Peanut Butter Bars.  These bars only have 4 ingredients!  It can’t get much easier than that.

I love buckeyes {peanut butter chocolate balls}.  They are always a party favorite, but I never seem to have the time to roll out each of the peanut butter balls and then dip each one in chocolate.  But this recipe gives you all those flavors in a one step bar form.   

Peanut Butter Bars Recipe

Preheat Oven 350^o

2 egg whites

1 cup sugar

2 cups chunky peanut butter

3 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg whites and sugar.  Then, blend in the peanut butter and 1 cup of chocolate chips.  {Here I actually used mini-chocolate chips}. 

In a square 8 X 8 baking pan, line it with a piece of parchment paper with the paper overflowing out of the pan.  The paper overflowing out of the pan will later be your handles to pull out the bars, making it easier to cut. 

Pour the peanut butter mixture into the baking pan on top of the parchment paper.  Use a small, flat bottomed spatula to smooth out the top.   Evening pour 2 1/4 cups chocolate chips on the top.  Place the pan in the oven for 25 minutes. 

Remove the bars from the oven and immediately smooth the melted chocolate chips with a small spatula.  Let this set up at room temperature for at least 2 hours, before cutting.  To speed it up, you can place it in the refrigerator for an hour. 

To cut the bars, I found it easier to place the chocolate side down on my cutting board.  This gave me a cleaner cut and piece. 

Enjoy!

Tips:

1)      If you don’t have chunky peanut butter, smooth would work fine.

2)      To make these festive for the holiday, I added some Christmas themed sprinkles.