Peanut Butter Ninja Cookies (Or Peanut Butter Baby Bump Cookies)

So good! Cocoa-y and peanut butter-y. They're like the cookie version of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, but there's peanut butter in the chocolate part and in the filling. You could cover these with sugar before baking them, but I wanted to try something different and just dipped the tops in sugar, which made them look like truffles. Anyway, I love these because they taste good, they're interesting, and there's a surprise in the middle. I called these "baby bump cookies" because I gave them to a family that is expecting! I can't say who just yet, but it's pretty exciting.

I made these before for a research and behavior therapy place in Fresno on my last day, and people seemed to like them. I know Blake likes them.

RECIPE

Peanut Butter Ninjas
32-36 cookies
(found here - adapted from Pittsburgh P.A. post-gazette)
*printer friendly Recipe*

Cookie ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt
1/2 cup of unsalted butter, at room temp.
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup of smooth peanut butter
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Filling ingredients
3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon of espresso powder (I left this out)
1/4 of a teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 cup peanut butter
1-2 Tablespoons of cream or milk (I used a mixture of both)

1/2 cup (or less) of granulated sugar for rolling

(1) Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper
FOR THE CHOCOLATE COOKIE PART

(2) In medium bowl stir together flour, cocoa powder and baking soda & salt. Set aside.

(3) In a large bowl beat together butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, & the 1/4 cup peanut butter until combined. Add egg, milk, vanilla; beat well.

(4) Beat in as much of the flour mixture as you can. Stir in remaining flour mixture.

(5) Form the chocolate dough into 32-36 balls about 1 1/4 inches in diameter. Set aside.
FOR THE FILLING

(6) Put the peanut butter into a large bowl.

(7) Add the confectioners sugar, espresso powder (optional), & cinnamon. Mix with a large spatula or wooden spoon until well combined (should be crumbly).

(8) Add only as much cream as you need to bring the mixture together so that it can be rolled without breaking apart.

(9) Roll the filling into the same number of balls as you have made from the cookie dough (Should be smaller - about 3/4-inches)

PUTTING IT TOGETHER

(10) On a work surface, slightly flatten a chocolate dough ball

(11) Top with peanut butter ball

(12) For each cookie, shape chocolate dough over the peanut butter filling, completely covering the filling & roll dough into a ball

(13) Pour the 1/2 cup of granulated sugar into a large, shallow bowl. Roll the balls through the sugar until they are coated (or half-coated, like I did)

(14) Place balls 2 inches apart on the cookie sheets. Lightly flatten.

(15) Bake cookies in preheated oven for 7-8 minutes or until just set & surface slightly cracks.

(16) Let stand 1 minute & then transfer to wire racks to cool