Man Catchin' Chocolate PB Cookies

 I tell no lies.

These are truly the man-catchin-est cookies I've ever seen. Fail-proof, I swear it.

My roommates and I discovered this recipe in college. And the catching of certain men was an obsession interest of ours, and we devoted countless hours a perfectly normal and healthy amount of time plotting the ensnarement befriending of said men. Our weapon of choice: COOKIES. Chocolate cookies with a peanut butter surprise center.

And it worked. The guys flocked to our kitchen for the cookies by the apartment-full! Tall men, short men, muscular, smart, athletic, funny... it doesn't matter the type, MEN LOVE THIS COOKIE.

They've even been known to marry for this cookie. Seriously.

{not that I'm speaking from personal experience there. ahem.}

I once asked my husband why he liked them so much. I mean, they're delicious, but what made him so crazy about these cookies? I loved his answer:

1. It's peanut butter and chocolate.
2. It an utter and complete mystery as to how on earth the peanut butter gets inside the cookie.
3. It must have been a grueling and time consuming effort to get the peanut butter inside of the cookie, which means I must really, really, really love him if I take the time to make them for him.

That, ladies, is the answer to all men. Consider the mystery solved.

Would you like that in recipe form?  Done. It's a gift from me to you :)

Peanut Butter-Filled Chocolate Cookies
Recipe adapted from: BHG Biggest Books of Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups AP flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp. milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• sugar for coating

Directions:

1. In a stand mixer, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, butter, 1/2 c. sugar, brown sugar, 1/4 c. peanut butter, egg, milk, and vanilla.
2. In a small bowl, using a fork, combine the powdered sugar and 1/2 c. peanut butter (and I like to add a tsp. vanilla).
3. Flatten a tablespoon of the chocolate dough in your hand. Roll a teaspoon of the peanut butter mixture into a ball in place in the center of the chocolate dough. 
4. Wrap dough around the peanut butter filling and place onto a parchment lined cookie sheet.
5. Flatten the cookies with the bottom of a glass and gently press one side of each cookie into a small bowl of sugar.
6. Bake, sugar side up, at 350º for 8 minutes.

**Optional: drizzle with melted chocolate or frosting!

my cookie co-discoverers

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