Triple Peanut Butter Cookies

This cookie story started when a sweet kid told me about a pie he wanted to make...a pie filled with Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs topped with Reese's Pieces. I think he definitely has a future in recipe development.

My mind immediately went to these Peanut Butter Egg-Stuffed Cookies. I'm pretty sure the consequence of those cookies still lives on my thighs. I regret nothing.

I decided to make a cookie version of my young friend's pie idea...soft peanut butter cookies stuffed with mini peanut butter cups and studded with Reese's Pieces.

Peanut Butter Lovers, you'll also want to bookmark these peanut butter recipes:

(...to name a few.)

Anyhoo...I know these cookies visually scream FALL, but it's not my fault that Reese's Pieces only come in brown, orange, and yellow. For more colorful cookies, you could make these with Peanut Butter M&M's instead. I was holding true to the original inspiration.

Let's make Triple Peanut Butter Cookies...

The peanut butter cookie dough is soooooooo simple. Literally, it's peanut butter, sugar, baking soda, vanilla, and eggs. That's it.

Before starting with the dough, unwrap all of those mini peanut butter cups and pop them into the freezer.

Line cookie sheets with parchment paper and whip up your peanut butter cookie dough. NOTE: measuring peanut butter is a great excuse to bust out that plunger-style measuring cup!

Next, grab the peanut butter cups from the freezer. Portion the cookie dough using a #40 cookie scoop, or about 2 tablespoons. Wrap each peanut butter cup in the dough, rolling in your hands to cover completely and form a ball.

Press several Reese's Pieces onto the top of each ball. Bake!

Let the cookies cool completely before eating or storing.

Triple Peanut Butter Cookies

YIELD: about 30 cookies

2 cups peanut butter

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

Reese's Pieces

Unwrap peanut butter cups and pop them in the freezer while getting everything else ready. Preheat oven to 375. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Beat peanut butter, sugar, and baking soda until combined. Mix in eggs and vanilla until incorporated. Scrape down sides and bottom of the bowl.

Use a #40 cookie scoop to portion dough, or measure out about 2 tablespoons dough per cookie. Press chilled peanut butter cup into the portioned dough. Cover completely and roll into a ball. Place on prepared cookie sheet and press Reese's pieces on top.

Bake for 10 minutes. The cookies will appear soft but will firm up on the cookie sheet. Let rest on the cookie sheet for 3-5 minutes, then remove to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Peanut Butter Heaven!