Chocolate Chunk Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Since we don't have central air, I have an unofficial rule that I won't use the oven from June until September.  It's hot enough without adding to the heat on purpose.  We can grill, eat out or binge all night on cereal and toast.  This has been well established and Hubby knows his summertime dinner options are grim if the grill isn't on.

But now the weather is cooler and I can handle standing in front of an oven.  And this past weekend, I baked up some Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cup Cookies.

To say they were delightful would be an understatement of epic proportions.  They were utterly divine, and ingested in the blink of an eye.

 Ingredients:

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, soft
3/4 cup dark brown sugar (light brown works too, I prefer dark)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp cornstarch (this makes a delightfully chewy cookie)
1 tsp baking soda
dash salt
1 bag chocolate chunks (about 2 cups)
8-10 bite sized Reese's peanut butter cups

Preheat oven to 350.

In small bowl, combine dry ingredients (flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt).  In mixer, beat butter on low speed until smooth, add sugars.  Beat medium high until creamy, about 2 minutes.  Scrape down bowl, add egg and vanilla.  Beat medium high about 2-3 minutes, until well blended and fluffy.  Set mixer to SLOW, slowly incorporate flour mixture until JUST combined.

Using wood spoon or spatula, fold in chocolate chunks.

Chill dough about 10-15 minutes.

Unwrap peanut butter cups, and slice each cup in halves or quarters.  Set aside.  Remove dough from freezer, use cookie scoop to drop heaping mounds onto cookie sheet (2-3 tablespoons).  Space cookies at least 3 inches apart.

Add peanut butter cup pieces onto top of each cookie, and bake 10-12 minutes until edges are lightly brown.  I like to remove cookies from oven when centers are still a bit gooey.  Leave cookies on pan a few minutes and centers will set.

Transfer to wire rack, cool.

Enjoy!