I am due to have a baby any day. My fourth, actually. Fourth boy to be exact. Because of this and the amount of recipes I have to share with you, I’ve been torn about whether to rush and post them all now or spread them out to be posted after I have the baby, since I know not much cooking and baking will be done for a while once this baby arrives. I haven’t quite decided what to do but I have a feeling I’ll be posting more frequently for the next couple days in order to get the word out about some amazing recipes because I’m not sure I’ll have much time to even post for a while after the baby arrives.
In honor of that goal, here is a fabulous cookie recipe I have had bookmarked from King Arthur Flour for a while now. I made these a few months ago and they were phenomenal and since then I’ve seen several other bloggers post their great results, also. I love the chocolate peanut butter combo and the cookies came out perfectly soft with a yummy, warm peanut butter center. This has definitely made it on my favorite cookie list!
Magic in the Middle Cookies
Printable Version
Printable Version with Picture
INGREDIENTS:
Chocolate Dough
1 1/2 cups (6 3/8 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (1 1/2 ounces) unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar (plus extra for dredging)
1/2 cup (3 3/4 ) brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
Peanut butter filling
3/4 cup peanut butter, crunchy or smooth, your choice
3/4 cup (3 ounces) confectioners’ sugar
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets.
To make the dough: In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. In another medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together the sugars, butter, and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and the egg, beating to combine, then stir in the dry ingredients, blending well.
To make the filling: In a small bowl, stir together the peanut butter and confectioners sugar until smooth. With floured hands or a teaspoon scoop, roll the filling into 26 one-inch balls.
To shape the cookies: Scoop 1 tablespoon of the dough (a lump about the size of a walnut), make an indentation in the center with your finger and place one of the peanut butter balls into the indentation.
Bring the cookie dough up and over the filling, pressing the edges together cover the center; roll the cookie in the palms of your hand to smooth it out. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. Roll each rounded cookie in granulated sugar, and place on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between cookies. Grease the bottom of a drinking glass, and use it to flatten each cookie to about 1/2-inch thick. Bake the cookies for 7 to 9 minutes, or until they’re set and you can smell chocolate. Remove them from the oven, and cool on a rack.
Recipe Source: from King Arthur Flour Blog
{ 50 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Megan – what a bummer about your husband not liking peanut butter in cookies!! I’m glad you liked them, though and of course I don’t mind you linking back to them from your blog!
I just made these yesterday and they’re great! By the way – I’m the megan from whatmegansmaking who recently befriended you on tastykitchen. I’m back to try more of your wonderful recipes
Unfortunately i just found out that my husband doesn’t like peanut butter in cookies! Oh well – more for me 
I’ll be posting about them on my blog soon hopefully if that’s ok – of course I’ll link back to you! Thanks for another great recipe 
Suzi – I love to hear from commenters who have similar taste buds as mine! I’m glad you liked the hot hoagies and sweet and sour chicken. Thanks for letting me know!
Melanie,
I have been following your blog for a while. It seems many of your recipes make it into my rotation. We have made the hot hoagies and sweet and sour chicken as well loved each one!
Can’t wait to try more.
Emily – glad you liked them. Thanks for letting me know!
Good luck with the new baby! Congrats to you and your family! I can’t wait to make these cookies. I love a good surprise in the middle!
I just made these and wanted to tell you that they are just pure evil! One of the best peanut butter cookies I have ever had! I can’t make these very often or I won’t be able to fit in my computer chair.
Yum. Too bad Ian is deathly allergic to PB. Maybe there is a variation to the PB filling?
I made these over the weekend and loved them, thanks for posting the recipe!
i hope your last days as a pregnant lady (this go-round, anyway…will you be going for five?) are comfortable and enjoyable. bring on the goodies, especially if they’re all as fabulous as these cookies. indeed, peanut butter = magic.
Those look fantastic! Congratulations on your upcoming arrival!!
Congratulations on your new baby, Melanie!
I’ve seen a fair number of these type of cookies. They look addictive. Good luck with the birth! My advice – don’t worry too much about posting. We’ll be here when you get back.
Thanks for the mention. Glad to hear you are enjoying the cookies, now go and enjoy that baby. Happy Baking in 2009!MaryJane @ King Arthur Flour
Best wishes for the safe arrival of your latest dish.Keep the posts coming, however you do it.
Kara – so glad you made these and loved them! I agree that they are very addictive.
I made these last night for a friend’s birthday today and they were fabulous. Very easy to make. My girls even enjoyed helping me “roll” it all together. Thank you for sharing such a great recipe. I can’t wait to give them to my friend for her 50th year celebration!
Crazy Lady – (I love your username by the way – that’s how I feel most days!) – thanks for your sweet comment. I’m glad you tried the two recipes and they worked for you. Mostly I’m glad that your five year old liked the soup – that is an accomplishment, at least in my family. Thank you!
I don’t think there has ever been a more perfect combination than peanut butter and chocolate! These look fantastic! Good luck with your new arrival! What an exciting time for you! If you take a break from posting it will give me a chance to make some of the things I haven’t gotten around to making. So don’t worry and take some time for yourself and your new baby!
Mel! You’re my hero! I have been trying to find a good recipe with the chocolate / pb combo to send to my brother in Iraq that wasn’t just chocolate chips or something. He will love these!I really hope you are feeling well. I think of you often and hope that everything goes well from here. Hugs & Happy New Year!Holly
Emily – good tip on cutting down on the flour if it makes for a softer dough. I’ve often wondered how humidity and dry climates affect the amount of flour needed, too. Thanks for letting me know!
These look so yummy-thanks for posting. I hope all goes well with the birth of your new little bundle of boy!!!
Liana – it is always a plus if your kids enjoy helping out. My boys liked rolling these out, too. Glad these worked out!
these look so yummy. i found your website from taste and tell. tonite i made the bourbon chicken, and yesterday i made the broccoli cheese soup with the bread bowl recipes. my 5 year old was raving about it. you have a solid recommendation. thanks. good luck with the new baby. a fan in California
Love those cookies!Congratulations on adding another boy to your family!
The second time I made these I cut way back on the flour (down to just over 1 cup) and was much happier with how soft the dough was- it was a lot easier to add the filling with the softer dough. Thanks again for the fun recipe.
WOW! These look so stinkin good! I just made the vanilla pudding cinnamon rolls and they were amazing! So I’m sure these are going to be great as well. Good luck with your new bundle of joy! I would love to have all boys. I have two so far. Anyways thanks for the recipes and make sure to take advantage of your time off. SLEEP! hehe
These look great! I am due to have my 5th baby any day also!!! Wonderful birthing vibes to you my best recipe friend! I have used so many of your recipes to create a freezer full of meals to use after this baby is born! I just love you and your recipes and am so grateful to this site! I can’t wait to hear about your baby!!!Love- Jonelle
Hi Megan – thanks for checking in on these cookies. I need to make them again based on your rave reviews!! They are some of my favorites. I’m glad they worked out well for you.
Hey Melanie, just wanted to let you know I finally got a chance to post these cookies on my blog. Plus wanted to let you know that people I gave them to LOVED them – rave reviews. So thanks!
One word–YUM!!! A new family favorite. Thanks for posting these–Melanie S.
Melanie S. – glad you liked these (and especially glad you have such a great name!).
Making these tonight. thanks!
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I made them today and they were excellent!
Thanks, Lindsey!
These are what they claim! Pure MAGIC!!! My neice and I made them about a month ago for out sleepover. The first time they probably took more time then we had thought to make, but once we bit into one, we both looked at eachother and said MAGIC!!! We have made them three other times since then. The third being yesterday and then today she snuck into my house to have one after school and …so we had to make them again because I don’t know where the others could have gone!
I do have a two and a four year old at home, but… They probably ate 2.
When we have made them we get a little over 40 cookies. No I didn’t have 38, but pretty close. tee hee
Thanks for all the great recipes. I can’t what to see what you have next
Jennika – well, I’m glad I’m not the only mother who somehow realizes the entire batch of cookies is gone, when the kids only had one each. Ooops! I’m so happy that you and your niece love these cookies so much. They are definitely some of my favorites, too!
Yummy! I made these for my Physics class in the beginning of the year and they were a hit! check it out: http://cookteen.blogspot.com/2010/03/chocolate-peanutbutter-deliciousness.html
With love and cupcakes,
CookTeen
Cookteen – thanks for giving me the link to your blog! I’m so glad you liked these cookies and I’d say your classmates should be singing your praises. Heaven knows no one was making cookies in my high school physics class!
i finally made these last night. what do you know? they were awesome!!
i knew they would be! couldn’t put off the weight gain any longer and HAD to try them. 
Thanks, Kimberly…and sorry about the whole weight thing. I’m right there with you!
These were a HUGE hit. Thanks so much for the recipe. It took a little longer than most cookies, but wow, were they worth it!
SJ – yes, these do take a bit more time, but I agree that they are definitely worth it!
I JUST made these and took these out of the oven..and I had to try one right away! These are so GOOD! I love the “surprise” center…I can’t wait til my boyfriend comes home from work so I can surprise him with these. (He is a big peanut butter-chocolate lover, so I’m sure he will be thrilled when he discovers the peanut butter in the middle!) Thanks for the recipe, I will definitely keep this one!
Kimiko – I hope your boyfriend loved these (and appreciated all the work that went into them!).
I love your recipes! I have two quick questions, do you think I can substitute the peanut butter for nutella? Would I be able to freeze them after they’ve been stuffed and rolled smooth? I would like to make these for a cookie exchange for my job next Wednesday, and have a really busy schedule. I’m thinking that preparing them ahead might work.
Bianca – I think nutella would be delicious with these cookies. The only thing I don’t know is how nutella “melts” or bakes up in the oven. I’ve never prepared them ahead but don’t see why that wouldn’t work – just bake them from frozen and add a few minutes to the baking time. Good luck!
These are awesome. I made them a few years ago and decided they needed to be made for our trip this weekend. I do have a tip….don’t use natural peanut butter. I saw on the king Arthur blog that they won’t work well…and I remember when I made them a few years ago, they spread a lot. My cookies cracked on the sides which my husband likes, but I will try cutting back on the flour next time, or adding a little milk like the KA flour blog said. Thanks again for another winner, Mel. Congrats a couple of years ago on that new baby too!
I just made these, they are delicious. Just a note, I’m really uncoordinated so when it came to filling the cookies, instead of making an indent in the chocolate dough, I split each ball in half and flattened them, placed the peanut butter ball in the middle and just crimped the edges before rolling it back into a ball. (I explained the horribly, didn’t I?) It was much like making a Pirozkhi or dumpling, I found this method easier, but maybe because I have a lot of experience in making dumplings.
This is the recipe that brought me to your website more than a year ago. I’m so glad! I love your recipes, your philosophy, and even the way your website looks (I kind of miss the orange dots–I really liked that version too.) Anyway, I made these for a friend’s birthday back then with great success. I just sent them to my son in Guatemala for Christmas and they were a hit again and even stayed fresh on the long trip! Thank you for all your work!
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