S’mores cookies swept the blogosphere several months ago now. I think they were in their prime last summer. But somehow I never managed to get around to making them myself despite fantasizing about them every time someone posted the recipe. Maybe it was too daunting of a task to figure out which version to try?

The current season of late winter/early spring may not seem like a s’mores kind of time, but I assure you anytime is the right time for a s’more especially when there is peanut butter involved. Yes, peanut butter. I tend to like using Reese’s cups in my campfire-side treat, which should come as no surprise – have you seen my peanut butter obsession Pinterest board?

A couple weeks ago while wandering the aisles of the grocery store in search of any new goodies on the shelves, I stumbled across a Reese’s candy bar. It’s milk chocolate with peanut butter inside! After nearly buying the entire display, I was a little disappointed to discover that the peanut butter is divided between segments instead of filling the entire bar (I was imagining a filling spread like it is inside of a pop-tart). But it’s is still yummy, just doesn’t have the higher peanut butter to chocolate ratio that I tend to enjoy with Reese’s cups.

Anywho, with my stock-pile of Reese’s candy bars and s’mores cookies continuing to haunt my dreams, I decided to smash the two together using my favorite peanut butter cookie as the base to increase that ratio I was talking about. Add a little graham cracker and some marshmallows and you have a peanut butter s’mores cookie!

One year ago: King Pancakes

REESE’S PEANUT BUTTER S’MORES COOKIES

Makes approximately 4 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

PEANUT BUTTER MIXTURE

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 stick butter, room temperature

1/4 cup honey

COOKIES

3 cups flour

1 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 7-8 whole crackers)

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup butter, room temperature

1/4 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

1 cup dark brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup mini marshmallows, approximately

2 Reese’s milk chocolate peanut butter candy bars, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheeting with parchment paper.
2. Blend the peanut butter mixture first in a medium bowl, then set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, set aside. In a standing mixer or large bowl, cream the butter, shortening and both sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, beating well after each one, then add the vanilla and the peanut butter mixture. Add the flour mixture by the cupful and beat at low speed until fully mixed. At this point, mix in the candy.
4. Drop heaping tablespoons of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart (I used a medium cookie-scoop). Bake for 9 minutes, then remove from the oven and quickly, but gently push a few marshmallows and a couple of pieces of Reese’s chocolate into the top of each cookie. Return the cookies to the oven and bake for an additional 2-3 minutes, or until the edges are set. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Source: Adapted from Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Cookies and Tracey’s Culinary Adventures.