Cookie of the Month: February 2024
“Reese’s cups have always held a special place in my heart. It’s one of those things that when I eat them, they teleport me through many happy memories. One of which involved my grandmother giving me my first one when I was a child. Since then, they have always made me think of her. This is where my love for peanut butter and chocolate are able to come together, as I’ve created a peanut butter press cookie with a Reese’s cup melted in the center. Who doesn’t love these two ingredients together? And as she would say, ‘bless your heart’.” - Dyriek Shaw
Peanut Butter Heart Cookie Recipe
Dyriek Shaw, Sous Chef at Treyburn Country Club
Ingredients:
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup granulated sugar, divided
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
12-ounce package Reese's Peanut Butter Hearts
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a mixing bowl; cream together butter, shortening, peanut butter, ½ cup granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Add in eggs, mixing after each addition. Mix in the vanilla.
In a separate bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.
Stir dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix gently to combine. Don’t over-mix. The dough will be very soft.
Pour remaining 1/2 cup of granulated sugar into a small bowl. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Scoop dough into balls and then roll in sugar.
Bake for 7-10 minutes, just until set. They will be pale, and look just barely set. Don’t over-bake them or they will be hard once cooled.
Remove from oven and allow to cool on baking sheet for 2-3 minutes, and then transfer to cooling rack.
Press an unwrapped Reese’s heart to the center of each warm cookie. Allow cookies to cool completely.
Store leftover cookies in a container at room temperature, or they freeze very well.