Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Peanut Butter Cups

I know, right?

My cousin Michelle sent me this recipe.  They looked so yummy, but I had to wait for a block of time to be able to make them.  And especially so I could sit and watch talk shows with my bon-bons (picture the Cookie Monster meets Bridget Jones).  Because that is what I do all day.  Sit, watch talk shows and stuff my face. Uh-huh.  And I live in Neverland for part of the year.

Yeah, all that, plus these had more of those stages I am so terrible at.  Waiting, chilling, chilling more...  BAH!!  Anyway, these little things took a fair amount of time, though really quite easy.  And the result is wonderful.  They are kinda like Reese's peanut butter cups, or maybe a bit like buckeye's.  The kids love them and even my husband, who is not a fan of Reese's (I know, unbelieveable and insane) said he likes them.

Were these little suckers worth the effort?  Why, thanks for asking.  Sure were!


CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE DOUGH PEANUT BUTTER CUPS 
adapted from howsweeteats

INGREDIENTS:
makes 24 cups

• 2 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips
• 1 tsp crisco, divided
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:
In a small saucepan, heat butter until melted. Whisk in brown sugar, bring to a boil and let it bubble for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in peanut butter. The mixture will be runny. Whisk in vanilla. Let sit and cool completely, about 20 minutes.

Line a mini muffin with with liners (the silicone ones works really well). Melt 1 1/4 cups of chocolate chips with 1/2 tsp crisco (I do mine in the microwave, heating on full power for 20 seconds, stir, 30 seconds again, and stir until melted). Drop 1/2-1 teaspoon of chocolate into each liner, then use a pastry brush to brush chocolate up the sides of the liner. Place in the freezer for 20 minutes. By this point the butter/sugar mix should be cool. Whisk in powdered sugar and flour, until combine and few lumps remain. Fold in mini chocolate chips. The dough will be wet, but pop it in the fridge for 15 minutes to harden.

 Remove muffin tin and cookie dough, then place 1 teaspoon of cookie dough (I mashed mine) into the chocolate cups. Melt the remaining chocolate chips with 1/2 tsp of crisco, then cover each cookie dough top with chocolate, smoothing with a spoon. Freeze again for 15-20 minutes. These are fine out in room temperature for a few hours (they may soften a bit) but are great out of the fridge.