Reese’s Stuffed Peanut Butter “Lovers” Cookies
To skip the post and step-by-step instructions and go straight to recipe, click here.Hello again, baker friends! This is my first recipe post in a while, as things around here have been a bit chaotic. Right after the chaos of the holidays, my husband and I traveled across the country from the pacific northwest to the midwest for my darling friend Kelly’s wedding. I had the honor of making her wedding cakes as well as a spread of unique macarons for her big day, all from my mama’s kitchen! It was quite the event, and the hard work and travel left my husband and I exhausted.
But with all that stress past, I’m totally psyched to be back developing recipes in my own kitchen! And you know what else I’m totally psyched about? VALENTINE’S DAY. I feel like with everything going on, I wasn’t able to really enjoy Christmas and New Year’s to their fullest like I usually do, so I’m incredibly looking forward to a cozy and planned-out Valentine’s with Dan at home. And that’s where these freaking delicious cookies come in.
As both myself and Dan are huge peanut butter lovers, it only makes sense to incorporate peanut butter into the most love-focused day of the year. These peanut butter cookies are soft and chewy and stuffed with one of our favorite candies - Reese’s of course (duh). However, I specifically chose Reese’s Thins for these cookies. They’re like your typical Reese’s cup, only thinner. They allow for the soft, chewy, homemade peanut butter cookie to shine and remain the star, while still giving you a hint of chocolate and peanut butter filling in every bite without becoming overwhelming.
If your Valentine is a peanut butter lover too, give these a try! They make a lovely gift, party snack, after-dinner treat, or can even be mailed to a loved one.
Recipe Notes:
Filling substitutes: If you’re having trouble finding Reese’s Thins at your store, or just prefer to experiment with a different filling or no filling at all, please do! I think regular Reese’s cups would work all right, but might be a little harder to shape the cookie dough around. I think a sprinkle of M&Ms or Reese’s Pieces would be dynamite and add a nice crunchy texture to the cookie as well. Even just a few chocolate chips inside each one would be delicious!
Sprinkle types: I like to use jimmies (the hot dog shaped ones) or sequin sprinkles (the flat round or shaped ones) for these cookies. These types of sprinkles tend to be a little softer on the teeth, depending on the brand. Any kind of sprinkles would be ok, but I personally may not go for nonpariels (the tiny spherical sprinkles) as they could provide a little too much crunch. Colored sanding sugars, while providing a tasty texture, may be difficult to get an even border around the heart-shaped cookies, making them look a little funny. But if flavor is more important than aesthetics in your cookie endeavors, go for it!
Egg yolks: Some people might be a little taken aback by the fact that there are 4 egg yolks and no egg whites in this recipe, so let me explain. Egg yolks provide fat in a baked good recipe, whereas egg whites typically are used for aeration or structure. With little to no need for extra aeration in peanut butter cookies (in my opinion), adding only the yolks makes for a very short-textured, buttery, soft, melt-in-your-mouth cookie. And who doesn’t like that? I like to use my leftover egg whites in scrambled eggs the next morning. Adding an extra egg white makes your scrambled eggs big and fluffy (because of the extra aeration)!
Step-By-Step Walk-Through
If you’re feeling confident in your cooking skills and want to skip the walk-through, click here.
Step 1:
Beat Wet Ingredients
In a large bowl, combine ½ cup softened salted butter, ½ cup smooth peanut butter, ¾ cup brown sugar, and ¼ cup granulated sugar.
Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes until light and creamy.
Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste and 4 egg yolks.
Beat until well combined.
Scrape the bowl.
Step 2:
Add Dry Ingredients
To the mixture, add 1 teaspoon of baking soda, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 ½ cups of all-purpose flour.
Stir with a mixing spoon until well combined.
Step 3:
Chill Dough
Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour.
Step 4:
Shape Cookies
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
Lightly flour a working surface. Pour Valentine-themed sprinkles of your choice into a shallow bowl or plate. Unwrap 18-20 Reese’s Thins and place on a plate for easy access.
If you have one, grab a heart shaped cookie cutter to help with shaping. One that just fits a Reese’s Thin inside of it is the perfect size.
Working with one cookie at a time, start by placing one tablespoon of chilled cookie dough inside your heart cutter and pressing it into an even layer (or, if you don’t have a cutter, just shaping it into a heart just big enough to fit a Reese’s Thin).
Place one Reese’s Thin on top of the layer of dough and press down slightly.
Add another tablespoon of dough on top and press it down until it covers all sides of the Reese’s Thin and is even on top.
If using a cutter for shaping, gently ease the cookie out of the cutter.
Roll the edges of your cookie in sprinkles.
Repeat until all cookies have been formed.
Step 5:
Bake Cookies
Place cookies at least an inch apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. I would recommend baking in batches, as not all cookies will fit on one pan or one oven rack.
Bake the cookies for 7-8 minutes. They may seem too soft at first, but if baked any longer, they will be crispy and crunchy after cooling rather than soft and chewy. Immediately upon removing from the oven, sprinkle tops with coarse sea salt.
Let cool slightly, then enjoy! These will keep for up to a week in a sealed container or cookie jar at room temperature.
Reese’s Stuffed Peanut Butter “Lovers” Cookies
Servings: 18-20 Time: 70-80 minutes (30 minutes active, 40 minutes chilling and baking)
Difficulty: Medium
Ingredients
½ cup softened salted butter
½ cup smooth peanut butter
¾ cup brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract OR vanilla bean paste
4 egg yolks
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
18-20 Reese’s Thins of your choice
Valentine’s themed sprinkles
Coarse sea salt for sprinkling
Directions
Step 1: Beat Wet Ingredients
In a large bowl, combine the butter, peanut butter, and both sugars. Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes until light and creamy. Add vanilla and egg yolks. Beat until well combined. Scrape the bowl before proceeding to the second step.
Step 2: Add Dry Ingredients
To the mixture, add baking soda, salt, and flour. Stir with a mixing spoon until well combined.
Step 3: Chill Dough
Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour.
Step 4: Shape Cookies
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Lightly flour a working surface. Pour Valentine-themed sprinkles of your choice into a shallow bowl or plate. Unwrap Reese’s Thins and place them on a plate for easy access. If you have one, grab a heart shaped cookie cutter to help with shaping. One that just fits a Reese’s Thin inside of it is the perfect size. Working one cookie at a time, start by placing one tablespoon of chilled cookie dough inside your heart cutter and pressing it into an even layer (or, if you don’t have a cutter, just shaping it into a heart just big enough to fit a Reese’s Thin). Place one Reese’s Thin on top of the layer of dough and press down slightly. Add another tablespoon of dough on top and press it down until it covers all sides of the Reese’s Thin and is even on top. If using a cutter for shaping, gently ease the cookie out of the cutter. Roll the edges of your cookie in sprinkles. Repeat until all cookies have been formed.
Step 5: Bake Cookies
Place cookies at least an inch apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. I would recommend baking in batches, as not all cookies will fit on one pan or one oven rack. Bake the cookies for 7-8 minutes. They may seem too soft at first, but if baked any longer, they will be crispy and crunchy after cooling rather than soft and chewy. Immediately upon removing from the oven, sprinkle tops with coarse sea salt. Let cool slightly, then enjoy! These will keep for up to a week in a sealed container or cookie jar at room temperature.