inside-out peanut butter cups

When I found this recipe on Baking Bites, I was excited by the simple and easily available ingredients that results in a unique peanut butter/chocolate treat. In making it, I found the instructions difficult, especially because I haven’t followed them exactly. I do not have mini-muffin pans so I used my silicone muffin cups. I also found I preferred less cookie coating and more chocolate filling. Lastly, my peanut butter cups didn’t brown well on the bottom and sides, so I inverted them onto a cookie sheet and baked for a few additional minutes. This recipe is thus slightly altered.

INSIDE-OUT PEANUT BUTTER CUPS
altered from Baking Bites

for the cookie dough
1 1/3 cups flour
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ cup butter, softened
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup peanut butter, smooth or crunchy

for the chocolate center
6 oz milk or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 Tbsp heavy cream

CREAM butter and sugars. Beat in egg and vanilla, followed by peanut butter. Slowly add mixture of flour, baking soda, and salt, until dough comes together. Place on wax paper and shape into a rough, large log. Wrap with waxed paper and chill for at least 2 hours. Combine cream and chocolate in a small, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on medium for 20-30 seconds, then stir well. Repeat until chocolate has completely melted. Chill for 20 minutes, until firm but still easy to scoop. Shape into 20 flattened balls (short cylinder, like a stack of a few quarters---mine were .45 oz each). Chill until ready to use.

REMOVE cookie dough from fridge. Cut the log in half lengthwise, then make 10 horizontal cuts to slice the dough into 20 even pieces. Each piece should be semi-circle in shape. Press each piece into a silicone muffin cup, molding around the outside to create a thin layer of cookie along the bottom and sides. Place one chocolate in the center, then push the dough around it to completely cover the chocolate. Cookie will only fill the cup half or two-thirds full.

BAKE at 350°F for about 18 minutes, until the top begins to brown lightly. Remove from oven. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then remove from silicone and invert onto a cookie sheet. Bake again, upside, for an additional 3-8 minutes, until bottom and sides are slightly browned.