Peanut Madness Chunks

ingredients

Eighteen (.6 oz each) snack size milk chocolate peanut butter cups (Reese’s Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups), each cup cut into 1/2" chunks
1 1/2 cups unsifted all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
9 tablespoons (1 stick plus 1 tablespoon) unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons shortening
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar, sieved if lumpy
1 tablespoon creamy (smooth) peanut butter
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup whole roasted unsalted peanuts

directions

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1. Chill the peanut butter candy chunks: Place the cut-up candy in a bowl and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Refrigerating the chunks of candy will help to keep them intact as they are worked into the cookie dough.
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2. Whisk the flour, cream of tartar and salt in a small mixing bowl.
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3. Cream the butter and shortening in the large bowl of a free-standing electric mixer on low speed for 2 minutes. Add the granulated sugar and beat for 1 minute on moderate speed. Add the light brown sugar and beat for a minute longer. Beat in the peanut butter and egg. Blend in the vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl frequently with a rubber spatula to keep the dough even-textured. On low speed, add the sifted mixture in two additions, beating just until the particles of flour are absorbed. Work in the candy chunks and peanuts, using a wooden spoon or flat wooden paddle. The cookie dough will be stiff and chunky with candy and nuts.
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4. Cover the bowl with a sheet of plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 to 20 minutes.
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5. Preheat the oven to 325°F in advance of baking. Line the cookie sheets with lengths of cooking parchment paper.
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6. Place rounded, lightly domed 2-tablespoon mounds of dough, 3 inches apart, onto the lined cookie sheets, about nine mounds to a sheet. For the best shaped cookies, push any chunks of candy that jut out back into the cookie dough mound.
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7. Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 15 to 17 minutes, or until just set, with pale golden edges. Let the cookies stand on the sheets for 1 minute, then remove them to cooling racks, using a wide, offset metal spatula. Cool completely.

Carol’s notes:

Used Reese’s Caramel Peanut Butter Cups and Snickers bars, didn’t add peanuts, good dough, easy to make, spread because of the caramel in the candy, good taste, not that strong of a peanut butter taste though. Good way to use up leftover Halloween candy.