Chocolate Peanut Butter M&M Surprise Cookies

Sometimes I just get these ideas in my head to try recipes with a little twist to them.  This is the case with these cookies.  Although I'm not a huge fan of peanut butter cookies, I wanted to try them in a different way.  So I looked at chocolate peanut butter recipes.  Then as luck would have it, I was wandering through the store yesterday and happened upon the holiday M&M shelf.  They make every flavor in the holiday red/green colors.  When I saw the peanut butter M&M's I decided to pick those up and use those in this recipe.  Then I thought I'd put another twist on the cookies, by hiding the peanut butter M&M's on the inside of the cookie.  So that's exactly what I did.  When you bite into the cookie you'll get the chocolate peanut butter flavor, but also an additional treat with the peanut butter M&M in the middle.  I really like the idea.

You can find the original Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie recipe here from allrecipes.com

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER M&M SURPRISE COOKIES

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup chunky peanut butter

1/4 cup canola oil

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup baking cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips (I completely omitted these)

PLUS: 1 package of Peanut Butter M&M's

Makes 4 dozen cookies

DIRECTIONS:

In a large mixing bowl, combine peanut butter and oil. Add brown sugar and sugar; mix well. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add to peanut butter mixture; mix until blended (dough will be sticky).                

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Flatten slightly with a glass. Bake at 350 degrees F for 8-10 minutes or until set and tops are cracked. Cool for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks. 

PERSONAL NOTES:

As I mentioned above, I left out the chocolate chips and added the peanut butter M&M's instead. 

I found the dough to be very sticky to handle so I added a little more flour and let it sit in the fridge for about an hour.

Once the dough was firm enough to handle, I used my little ice cream scooper (1 tablespoon) and pressed an M&M into the middle before pressing it on the cookie pan (which was lined with parchment). I didn't bother using glass to flatten it out.  I didn't think it needed it.  I like the rounded shape it has.  Plus, it's a bit more fluffier :)