Chocolate Peanut Butter Bengal Cookies

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bengal Cookies Recipe

Cookie Batter:

• 1 cup unsalted peanuts
• 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 pound unsalted butter, cut into 1-ounce pieces
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Peanut Butter Topping:

• 1 1/4 cups creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

Chocolate Drizzle:

• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces

1. Preheat the oven to 325F degrees.
2. Toast the peanuts on a baking sheets in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes until golden brown.
3. Cool peanuts to room temperature before chopping finely in a food processor, or by hand.
4. In a double boiler over medium heat, melt 6 ounces semisweet chocolate. Stir constantly until completely melted and smooth.
5. Transfer melted chocolate to a small bowl and set aside.
6. In a large mixing bowl, beat peanut butter, granulated sugar and butter on medium until soft, about 2 minutes.
7. Add the egg and vanilla and continue beating on high for about 3 minutes, until smooth.
8. Add the melted chocolate and chopped peanuts and mix on medium until incorporated.
9. Gradually add the flour and salt while mixing on low, about 1 minute. Stir by hand if necessary to ensure mixture is thoroughly combined.
10. Divide the dough into two equal halves and roll each piece into a log about 12 inches long and 1 1/2 inches in diameter.
11. Individually wrap each log in plastic and chill in refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours. (The wrapped logs of dough can also be placed in a freezer safe bag and placed in the freezer for up to a month. Slice and bake them directly from the freezer.)
12. When you are ready to bake your cookies, position one oven rack in the middle of your oven and preheat the oven to 325F degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Alternatively set aside ungreased cookie sheets.
13. Unwrap each cookie dough log and using a sharp knife, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices, rotating the log as you cut so it maintains it's round shape and doesn't flatten out on one side.
14. Transfer slices of cookie dough to cookie sheets, at least 2 inches apart.
15. Bake, one cookie sheet at a time, 16 to 18 minutes (a minute or two longer for frozen dough), rotating the sheets 180 degrees front to back halfway through baking time.
16. Remove from the oven and let cool on the cookie sheet for 4 to 5 minutes before transferring the cookies with a thin metal spatula to a wire rack to cool completely.
17. Preparing the Peanut Butter Topping:
    Place 1 1/4 cups peanut butter and the confectioners' sugar in a mixing bowl and beat on low for about 30 seconds. Scrape sides of bowl as needed and continue to beat on high for 1 minute until completely smooth, stirring by hand if necessary. Set aside.
18. Making the Chocolate Drizzle:
    In a double boiler over medium heat, melt 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, using a rubber spatula to stir until completely melted and smooth, about 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer melted chocolate to small bowl.
19. Assemble the Bengal cookies:
    Place a heaping teaspoon of creamy peanut butter topping in center of each cookie. Use small spatula to spread evenly.
20. Arrange cookies close together on wax paper or parchment paper.
21. Using a teaspoon, drizzle thin lines of melted chocolate across the tops of the cookies.
22. Keep cookies at room temperature for 25 to 30 minutes so chocolate drizzle can set.

This recipe yields about 4 dozen Chocolate Peanut Butter Bengal Cookies.