Reese's Pieces Cookies & Cookie Cake Mutation!

In the early days of mankind, humans discovered a way to reach near god-like levels by combining peanut butter and chocolate. Then a genius (who I can only assume is named Reese) created the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. But man was lazy, and preferred to eat things in handfuls without getting melted chocolate all over, so Reese's Pieces were created and humanity reached its zenith (a level managed again only with the creation of cookie dough ice cream).

I knew I was going to need one ridiculous cookie to compete with the Lemon Ricotta Blackberry Muffins for my Office bake-athon and care package assembly. As a result, I called upon these peanut butter and chocolate discs for help.  Plus, I figured this would be an awesome way to trick people with peanut allergies into thinking they were having safe, unassuming M&M cookies.

Reese's Pieces Cookies
Adapted from Emeril's Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 2 dozen cookies

1 cup butter, room temp
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 cups plus 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips
Loads of Reese's Pieces

I find I'm quite liberal with my interpretation of cookie dough sizes.

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Cream the butter and sugars together with a stand mixer until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.
4. Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt together in a separate bowl.
5. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture until incorporated.
6. Stir in the chocolate chips and Reese's pieces with a rubber spatula. 
7. Realize that even an absurd looking amount of Reese's pieces is not nearly enough and pour more in.
8. Place ~ tbsp sized drops onto the lined baking sheets.
9. Bake for 8-12 minutes until they start to brown.
10. Let rest on the cookie sheets for 5 minutes to crisp up the bottoms then transfer to wire racks to finish cooling.

Somehow, I managed to create the best of both worlds with these cookies and generate both chewy and crunchy varieties thanks to what I will refer to as the magical oven of mystery and wonder (sadly, walking in to it does not lead to a Narnia like world). It's important to make sure that you load these up with as many chocolate chips and Reese's Pieces while still adhering to the laws of physics (more specifically, the law of conservation of mass). Essentially, you have an amazing chocolate chip cookie stuffed with all the peanut buttery goodness you could have ever hoped for as a child. In the eternal battle for cookie supremacy, these managed to even outdo the fabled M&M variety.

The Super Bowl Cookie Cake Mutation

Sure, it looks tasty, but it could use more unnecessary sugar.

These cookies were actually inspired by the pure, utter perfection I experienced during this past Super Bowl with my Reese's Pieces Cookie Cake. Everyone knows the following facts: Cookies are awesome; Cake is awesome; and Combining two awesome things can only lead to a dangerous state known as super awesome. Therefore, it can easily be concluded that combining a cookie and a cake is the greatest level of deliciousness that one can hope to achieve.

Indeed, this proved to be the case, as this cookie cake easily swept the floor with the spectacular cookies. The cake form allowed for a gooier center that was highly addictive. Plus, cheap icing in a chez whiz like bottle has always been a favorite of mine. In order to transform this recipe into a proper cookie cake, simply pour the batter into a round baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes until browned.

One day, I will blow the world's collective mind by creating the world's first combination ice cream cookie cake (no, cookies and cream doesn't count).

Check back soon for the thrilling finale to our Office Marathon Bakeathon: Eggless Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Raisin Cookies.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Some combinations are just so monumentally Earth shatteringly brilliant like cookie dough and ice cream or chocolate combined with peanut butter that one's life cannot be labeled complete until their mind has been blown by the flavor pairings. This year for Halloween, I did a lot of soul searching and tried to figure out how I could possibly make the grandaddy of chocolate/peanut butter permutations, a Reese's, even more delicious (Did anyone else just get a mental image of a Rhesus monkey at a BBQ? No, just me? Good.). After countless hours and much cursing of the stars, it finally popped in my head. I could surround them with even more chocolate and peanut butter! It was just crazy enough to work.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Modified from Food.com

Servings: 24 cupcakes

Time: 45 minutes

3 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup cocoa powder

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 cups milk

10 tbsp vegetable oil

2 tbsp cider vinegar

2 tbsp vanilla extract

24 Reese's peanut butter cup miniatures, frozen

48 Reese's minis (yeah there's a difference)

Peanut butter frosting (recipe follows)

Inspiration for filling these with a frozen peanut butter cup courtesy of Cadbury Creme Egg Cupcakes. 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. Whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl.
3. Stir the milk, vegetable oil, vinegar and vanilla together in a stand mixer at medium speed.
4. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ones at low speed until just incorporated.
5. Fill lined cupcake tins 2/3 full with batter. Place one frozen Reese's miniatures in each cupcake.
6. Bake for 16-22 minutes or until the toothpick test comes back clean (be careful of the peanut butter cup). Make sure to rotate once halfway through.
7. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.
8. Cover in peanut butter frosting and garnish with two Reese's minis.

This is my go-to chocolate cupcake recipe with the added twist of having a frozen Reese's peanut butter cup inside of it (freezing it keeps it from melting while baking). The cupcake itself is wonderfully moist and bouncy with just the right hit of chocolate (while also being eggless!). But who are we kidding. Even if it was a terrible cake, it would be completely redeemed by the awesome inner peanut butter cup filling.

This recipe was inspired by my friend Alex who loves her some Reese's peanut butter cups, but hates her some egg allergy.

Peanut Butter Frosting

Adapted from the Brown Eyed Baker

2 cups confectioner's sugar

2 cups creamy peanut butter

10 tbsp unsalted butter, room temp

 2-3 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp kosher salt

2/3 cup heavy cream

The results will look shockingly like peanut butter but be 10x as bad for year!

1. Beat the peanut butter, butter, vanilla and salt together with an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-low speed until creamy.
2. Slowly add the confectioner's sugar until smooth.
3. Add in the cream and beat at high speed until light.

Not surprisingly, the frosting is like a creamier, sweeter peanut butter that brings home that peanut butter taste without giving you unfortunate peanut butter mouth (note to self: go as "unfortunate peanut butter mouth" for Halloween next year and just wait for the ladies to come rushing over)

Rich doesn't even begin to describe these.

Our second cupcake of Halloween was a far prettier delicious morsel with swirly frosting and additional Reese's minis toppings. These chocolatey peanut butter powerhouses fittingly encapsulated the spirit of the almighty Reese's (ok now all I can see are Rhesus monkeys wearing crowns and holding scepters) with each bite incorporating multiple, seemingly never-ending layers of chocolate on peanut butter (or is it peanut butter on chocolate). This debaucherous cupcake will surely stand out at any Halloween gathering with its unforgettable combination of tastes. However, I find myself having to declare the salty, sweet Salted Caramel Apple Cupcakes the victor of my self-imposed Halloween Cupcake Wars. Fortunately, both were absolutely amazing, so I didn't have to soak my slutty Einstein costume in tears. Check back later in the week for the final entry in my Halloween Bakeathon- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies.