Description
These Buried Reeses Cookies are a chocolate lover’s dream, featuring a rich cocoa cookie base with a hidden mini Reese’s cup in the center, topped with a luscious chocolate-peanut butter frosting. Perfectly chewy and indulgent, these cookies combine classic flavors in every bite and are sure to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg (at room temperature)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
Add-ins
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 21 or 42 mini Reese’s cups (whole or halved, depending on preference)
Frosting
- 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
- 1-2 teaspoons creamy peanut butter
Instructions
- Prepare the Dough: In a large mixing bowl or using a stand mixer, beat the softened butter and sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy, approximately 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure even mixing.
- Add Leavening and Flavors: Mix in the baking powder, baking soda, and salt until combined. Then beat in the egg and vanilla extract thoroughly. Gradually add the cocoa powder and then the flour, mixing just until combined. For best texture, consider finishing mixing by hand if using an electric mixer.
- Chill the Dough: Cover the dough and place it in the refrigerator for about one hour to firm up and make it easier to handle.
- Preheat Oven: Set the oven to 350°F (175°C) to prepare for baking.
- Shape the Cookies: Roll the chilled dough into 1-inch balls. Place the balls evenly spaced about 2 inches apart on a Silpat or parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Use your thumb to press an indentation into the center of each dough ball.
- Add Reese’s Cup: Press a mini Reese’s cup (whole or halved) firmly into the indentation in each dough ball to bury it inside the cookie.
- Make the Frosting: In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, and creamy peanut butter. Stir continuously until the chocolate is fully melted and the mixture is smooth. Reduce heat to low to keep warm during the next step.
- Apply Frosting: Using two spoons, spoon about 1 teaspoon of the warm chocolate-peanut butter frosting over each Reese’s cup in the cookies, spreading gently to cover. Work quickly as the frosting will thicken as it cools.
- Bake the Cookies: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven at 350°F for 10 minutes or until the edges are firm to the touch.
- Cool the Cookies: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for one minute, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.
Notes
- You can use either 21 or 42 mini Reese’s cups depending on cookie size preference; using halves will yield smaller cookies.
- For easier frosting application, keep the frosting warm on the stove to prevent it from hardening.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days for the best texture and freshness.
- If you prefer a more intense peanut butter flavor, increase the peanut butter in the frosting by another teaspoon.
- Make sure to use unsalted butter to better control the salt content in the cookie dough.