Cast a spell with these cookies: Magic in the Middles
Chocolate and peanut butter have a truly symbiotic relationship: each brings out the best in the other. While Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups have the corner on the combination in candyland, bakers can create a classic of their own. Our version is called Magic in the Middles. It was born when we were working on the Cookie Companion; one of our readers/customers plaintively asked us if we had a recipe for a cookie like this, and PJ went to town on the idea. She was extremely successful.
It’s simple: chocolate cookie dough surrounds a peanut butter center, and the whole is dredged in sugar before baking. In the oven, the cookie spreads out, and like magic, you end up with a peanut butter center between two wonderful chocolate layers
One of our former colleagues fell in love with and married a British lad, whose favorite culinary discovery in America was our beloved chocolate/peanut butter combination. I’ve made several “care package” batches of these for him since, including several dozen for their wedding. If he reads this I have no doubt I’ll get an email, wondering where the latest shipment is.
Ready to make some? Here goes.
First, whisk together the dry ingredients for the cookie. If the cocoa has lumps in it, it’s always a good idea to put it through a strainer first.
Next, cream the sugars with the butter and peanut butter.
Once they’re smooth (scrape at least once), add the vanilla and egg.
Scrape, then add the dry ingredients.
Here’s a funny thing. Sometimes recipes change on you over time. We tested this recipe repeatedy (and with great glee) several times before it went into the book. But in the many batches we’ve made since, we’ve found that every once in awhile, the chocolate dough cracks when they’re formed and baked, because it’s not QUITE moist enough. Depending on humidity, one’s personal measuring style, the variance in the size of the egg, and the protein in the flour, you may need to add one or two tablespoons of milk to the dough, or an extra egg yolk. If you double the recipe, definitely add an extra egg.
Now, to make the amount of outsides match the amount of filling to a “T”, the best method we know is to use cookie scoops. The tablespoon scoop is just right for the chocolate dough, and the teaspoon scoop is perfect for the filling. Scoop the filling out into balls and roll them up; you can freeze them if you want them to be a little more rigid and easy to handle.
Now scoop the chocolate dough: don’t cheat (like I have) and heap the dough above the top of the scoop like you’re making an ice cream cone: you won’t have enough to make all 26 cookies if you do.
Keep the dough level, and your outsides will match your insides. Put the chocolate ball in your palm; press a deep dent in it with your thumb.
Now plop in the peanut butter ball,
And pinch the edges together around it.
Roll between your hands to round it up.
Now give it a little sugar coating.
Put it on the cookie sheet, with a good 2” between the cookies.
Once all the cookies are formed, use the bottom of a drinking glass to press them flat, about 1/2″ thick.
In the name of demonstrating the occasional cracking I was telling you about earlier, I made two versions of this dough, one as written in the book, and another with an extra egg yolk. In the photos above I’m using the original version. The dough handles well, but when I press it down, a couple of cracks form at the edges.
The version with an additional egg yolk was a bit trickier to form (a bit floppier in my hands), but when they got their light squishing, they looked like this:
No cracks, as you can see. The original version looked like this in the oven:
Some cracks, but nothing fatal. I can tell you that if the chocolate dough sits around for any length of time or is put in the refrigerator, it dries out more and the problem is exacerbated. But if you make and finish the cookies in one go, it’s not an issue.
The wetter dough looked like this in the oven:
Time to bake: 7 to 9 minutes, until you can smell the chocolate and the cookies look set.
So it’s up to you: easier to handle, no extra liquid. Ready for their beauty-queen closeup, add an extra yolk or a tablespoon or two of milk. Either way, you’ll win friends and influence people with these cookies.
Cool on the pan for a few minutes before moving them to a rack to finish cooling. As if they’ll last that long…..
Read, rate, and comment (please!) on our Magic in the Middles recipe.
Buy vs. Bake
Magic in the Middles: $3.19 for one batch, 12¢ each
Pepperidge Farm Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, $3.59 (13 cookies) 28¢ each
Pepperidge Farm Soft Baked Chocolate Chunk Cookies $3.39 (8 cookies) 42¢ each
November 30th, 1999 at 12:00 am
OH MY GOODNESS! I have been searching for this recipe for YEARS… at least 15 of them!
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you for this recipe!!!
I made these in college and they were all the rage. Somehow I lost the recipe and have looked everywhere, except for here. (And I have been on a mission.)
A few years back I tried to replicate and came close, but not as close as I will later this week. I am sooooooooooooo excited!!! Cookie exchange/ contest here I come!
We aim to please, Amy - Enjoy! PJH
October 27th, 2008 at 8:13 am
Incredibly scumptious! Heavenly!
Cheers,
Rosa
October 27th, 2008 at 9:52 am
How well does this recipe freeze long-term - either whole cooked cookies or just the dough? I suspect if I made the cookies with extra milk in the choco (and of course the yolk!) in their entirety, pressed, then froze prior to baking they would be OK, but am unsure about the finished product.
That, Laura, is an intriguing question. I’ve frozen all kinds of drop cookie doughs for up to 2 months; and this recipe is really not all that different from a drop cookie. I’ve never done as you suggest (once people know these cookies are on the horizon, the clamor begins and it’s Katie, bar the door). I think you should try it. I’d let the cookies defrost thoroughly before baking so the texture of the filling and the outside are the same. Susan
October 27th, 2008 at 10:08 am
Do I need new glasses? Or am I missing the step where the peanut butter is mixed with the confectioners’ sugar in the blog? It’s shown in the recipe itself, though.
Dear Barbara: No you don’t need new glasses. It’s such a simple thing I guess I didn’t think it was necessary to have in both places. Susan
October 27th, 2008 at 10:25 am
Susan, are these the same cookies as “Buckeyes”?
Beth: They’re very similar; and they’re described that way in the cookie book. A lot of buckeye recipes I’ve seen are more like candy than cookies. Given OSU’s recent fate vs. Penn State, perhaps these will provide solace for the faithful….Susan
October 27th, 2008 at 10:28 am
I remember trying these when the recipe was published in the newsletter and I did have trouble with the outer dough being very dry. I often make cookie dough and put it in the refrigerator for a few days before finding time to bake, so that must have been why it was so dry. The cookies still tasted fantastic - one of the best recipes I ever tried.
October 27th, 2008 at 10:56 am
I am going to make these for some Halloween “treats” for my friends. This is my favorite flavor combo!
October 27th, 2008 at 11:00 am
These sound amazing, and I plan to make them as is, but I was also wondering if there was anything you could sub the peanut butter with to make a different variation for those who dont like pb?
You could also try almond butter. Frank from KAF.
October 27th, 2008 at 11:19 am
This cookie sound wonderful, especially as my favorite food combination is chocolate and peanut butter! I have a question on scoop sizes. I never seem to get the same amount of cookies as a recipe says it will have so I am wondering what size your teaspoon and tablespoon scoops are? I have two, one is a number 40 and the other is a number 20 (these are Pampered Chef scoops). Are they equivalent to your tablespoon and teaspoon? I appreciate any help you can give on this. Thanks! The tablespoon is a 40 and the teaspoon is a 100. Frank from KAF
October 27th, 2008 at 11:21 am
Such a delicious looking cookie! We’re still working our way through the Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookies you had on a previous post, but these are next on my list to bake!
October 27th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
Susan, I may have been the one to mention Buckeyes, but I’m for the Nittany Lions all the way!! Oh, and GO PHILLIES!! (They’ll wrap it up tonight).
October 27th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
re: chocolate dough cracking
I haven’t tried this but maybe wetting your hands (with water) instead
of flouring them when shaping the chocolate dough might keep
the dough from cracking. The recipe sounds yummy!
October 27th, 2008 at 5:09 pm
I ended up making these today. I had more of the peanut butter balls than chocolate, but after making the first cookie, I was thinking that the PB balls were too big because it took some work to get the chocolate cookie around it. However, when I bit into the baked cookie (QC, of course), there wasn’t enough “magic” in the middle, so don’t skimp on the filling! They still tasted delicious and the cookies are huge!
October 27th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
These look amazing! Would Nutella work as a filling?
I think so. The key is to make sure the filling and the dough have similar densities, so the cookies will spread in the oven. Susan
October 28th, 2008 at 7:24 pm
I have made these many times as they are my son’s favorite. They are pretty easy to make- the chocolate dough is easy to work with- and they always come out perfect! I am sure most kids (probably grown-ups too) will love these!
October 28th, 2008 at 9:54 pm
I made these cookies today to send to my daughter for Halloween. My son tasted them and said make some for us! I added the extra yolk to the chocolate batter and it was easy to handle. I made the peanutbutter filling as directed but it was a little dry. Maybe if I had used smooth peanutbutter instead of chunky it would have been more moist. I added a little milk to it to the mixture and it helped a bit. Thanks, PJ, they really are delicious.
Thank Susan - she’s the Maven of Magic Middles! - PJH
October 29th, 2008 at 10:19 am
Will this work with a “natural” peanut butter or do I need to use one of the “regular” peanut butters with added sugar and hydrogenated fats? Natural peanut butter should work just fine in this recipe; the confectioners sugar will absorb some of the fat and the filling sits in the middle of the cookie. However, you may find that natural peanut butter doesn’t work as well in recipes where the peanut butter is incorporated into the dough itself. Tara @The Baker’s Hotline
October 29th, 2008 at 3:33 pm
These were great and I dare say rival the classic Pillsbury Peanut Butter Blossoms but inside out! My husband’s co-workers thing I am a genius in the kitchen — thank you for making me look good!
October 29th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
Ah-HAH! Now I think I know why I had such plump cookies when I made these from the book. I do remember finding the dough a little hard to handle, and they didn’t spread out and get thin like in the picture. I’ll add more egg next time.
Now that I’ve seen this recipe and know better how to make it work, I’ve got a quandary. Certain irresistably charming friends have been sighing, ‘What? No cookies?’ ‘No, no cookies…’ for a few weeks. I was thinking of making scrumptious Maple Walnut Creams to use all those fresh walnuts I’ve been gathering this month. But now that I see this recipe… Hmmm… not sure which it will be!
October 29th, 2008 at 4:07 pm
These look amazing. I am considering them for Christmas gifts. I have two questions:
1. How big are they after being baked?
2. How do I store them, and how long will they keep for?
Thanks for the recipe.
Hi, Jamie. After baking they’re 2 to 2 1/4 inches in diameter. They’ll easily stack inside a Pringles can, which is one of PJ’s best cookie-shipping tricks. To store, I’d recommend an airtight container, like a tin or plastic container with a snap-on lid. If you want to make them more than a week ahead of time, I recommend freezing them until you’re ready to ship. Susan
October 29th, 2008 at 6:27 pm
This is one of my family’s favorite cookies. I always seem to have trouble with my dough cracking, I can hardly wait to try them with your suggestion of adding milk.
I often make them and freeze them on a cookie sheet then transfer to a ziplock bag. We tend to eat them straight out of the freezer and not even bake them anymore.
October 30th, 2008 at 2:47 pm
Soemthing extra is needed to protect against an overly dry dough—another egg, yolk only, milk?
The dough isn’t dry unless you let is sit uncovered or in the refrigerator overnight. In that case, the two tablespoons of milk or extra egg yolk described above are recommended. Susan
November 6th, 2008 at 8:09 pm
Jamie, I laughed out loud when I saw your question “how long will they keep?” These are my family’s favorites. I make a QUADRUPLE batch and they have never lasted longer than the next day. Trust me, friends and neighbors come crawling out of the woodwork when you bake these. Storage won’t be an issue.
November 6th, 2008 at 11:00 pm
I don’t have those cookie scoops you use, can I use a regular tablespoon and teaspoon and than roll them in my hands like I do for regular peanutbutter cookies?
Sure, it’s just easier with a scoop, that’s all. Have fun - PJH
November 7th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
I made these cookies this morning, and sorry, but very disappointed. I used the appropriate size scoops, and did not have enough of the chocolate dough. I ended up getting about one dozen cookies baked. They are very rich.
November 10th, 2008 at 8:53 am
I made these for my Election Night Party, they were gobbled up very quickly. I doubled the recipe, added an extra egg and a little milk. Seemed perfect.
And opposite to Barbara, I had lots of the chocolate dough left over! Luckily the filling couldn’t be easier to make.
Now I just have to email the recipe to everyone because that was the big request…
Thank you!
November 17th, 2008 at 11:09 pm
I made these yesterday nite and found I had insufficient peanut butter for the filling. I added crushed peanut (abt 2 oz). Anyway I did not buy smooth peanut butter. I always prefer the crunchy peanut butter. I added this to the dough. As I was preparing the balls, my son peeped into the kitchen and he said “Wow! Nice delicious. chocolaty aroma. Mum, after you bake, please place the container on the table where I can see it when I return home. It was fantastic and magical. Thanks
November 18th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
I made these over the weekend. I used the extra egg yolk in the cookie dough and they turned out wonderfully. These may have replaced the current two top spots - chocolate chip and chocolate crinkles - as the favorite cookies in the house. I actually got 40 cookies out of the recipe, I guess I made them smaller. I scooped the cookie dough first, and then evenly divided the peanut butter filling, so I had the perfect amount. The cookies looked just like the picture and the taste is fantastic. While just a little bit time consuming, the recipe is very easy to make and easy to handle. I will definitely be making these as part of the annual collection of Christmas cookies!
November 21st, 2008 at 10:59 am
I have just come across this recipe when placing an order for my flour (which I love BTW), it looks wonderful. I am a Brit living in Oklahoma and I was thinking about making up packages to send to mygrown up kids that are living there, I do believe I it will be these great looking cookies. My daughters boyfriend is a chef so I do like pull out something really nice. Thanks
November 30th, 2008 at 12:43 am
Did no one else have trouble mixing the powdered sugar and peanut butter? I found it nearly impossible to incorporate and in fact, I dribbled in some milk (probably 1-2 Tbsp, all told) to make it remotely stick together. I also had extra chocolate dough, so I had to whip up some extra peanut butter filling.
Just realized, in rereading the recipe, that I forgot to smush them down with a glass. Oops! Mine came out cute, kind of domed with a peanut butter blob in the middle. I think I would like them better flattened though, so I will make sure to remember that next time.
Dear Jami: The biggest variable in this recipe is the type of peanut butter used. Natural style can be more dry; and if you were mixing by hand I imagine it could be heavy going. This is one instance where the Skippy or Peter Pan is the most reliable choice. I generally buy the super market brand of peanut butter for baking in the test kitchen. Susan
December 1st, 2008 at 9:09 am
I made these again. (A request from the kids!) This time, I added mini chocolate chips to the peanut butter mixture. Awesome! My boys really loved the additional chocolate.
Now there’s a dangerous and wonderful idea! Thanks for the hint! Susan
December 10th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
OK - one more comment. I made these again (with the mini chocolate chips mixed in with the peanut butter!), rolled them into balls and put them in the freezer - individually freezing on the baking sheet and then tossing in a freezer bag. About a week later, Itook them out and let them thaw to room temp, then rolled in sugar and flattened. They were just as good as the freshly baked cookies. Just a tip for planning ahead.
December 28th, 2008 at 7:47 am
I love your website and refer to it on a daily basis!
Made this recipe yesterday and they are awesome cookies! Sent back to Maine with my son and his girlfriend this morning so will just have to make some more! I did notice the dough cracking because I forgot to add the extra egg yolk but will do that when I make again. Deelish!!
December 30th, 2008 at 9:01 pm
As it would go i found it only after posting that i couldn’t. Can’t wait to try them. Thanks