Magic in the Middle Cookies

This recipe is from melskitchencafe.com.  Rebecca told me about it awhile ago and I finally tried it and wish I would have sooner!  Chocolate and peanut butter is the best combination (sorry to those who are allergic to peanut butter)!  These take a little longer to make but are so worth it!  They remind me of the peanut butter blossom cookies but reversed.

INGREDIENTS

Chocolate Dough:
1 1/2 c flour
1/2 c cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c sugar (plus extra for covering)
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c butter, softened
1/4 c peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 large egg and 1 large egg yolk

Peanut Butter Filling:
3/4 c peanut butter, crunchy or smooth
3/4 c powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Dough: Mix flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl.  In another bowl beat sugars, butter, and p until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs and beat to combine.  Add dry mixture to sugar mixture and blend well.

Filling: In a small bowl mix peanut butter and powdered sugar until smooth.  Flour hands and roll filling into 26 balls.

To make cookies: take 1 Tbsp of dough and make an indent with your thumb.  Place peanut butter ball into indentation and bring cookie dough up over it and press edges together.  Roll the cookie in hands to smooth out.  Repeat with the rest of the dough.  Roll cookies in granulated sugar and place on baking sheet leaving 2 inches between cookies.  With the bottom of a greased drinking glass flatten each cookie to 1/2 inch thick.  Bake for 7-9 minutes, remove from oven, and cool on a rack.
–Melanie