This whole unemployment thing is quite boring. Aside from applying to jobs, I have been filling my days with the gym, baking, watching movies, reading, cleaning, and even packed two boxes. Yet I still find myself itching for more to do to occupy my day. I know many people would kill to have some free time, but I so rarely have had it that I now don’t know what to do with it all! It’s too bad I don’t have dispensable income to go out of town to visit people.
During one spout of boredom, I decided to whip up some cookies. Specifically peanut butter oatmeal cookies with chopped up mini peanut butter cups mixed in. The entire batch of these cookies disappeared at a gathering to which I brought them and were quickly nicknamed “crack cookies” as people could not stop eating them. Sounds like my boredom paid off!
One year ago: California Quesadillas with Honey-Balsamic Dipping Sauce
Three years ago: Red Velvet Shortbread Cookies
PEANUT BUTTER CUP OATMEAL COOKIES
Makes approximately 3 dozen cookies
Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1-1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1-1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup old fashioned whole oats
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 egg + 1 yolk
2 tsp vanilla extract
12 oz. (2 cups) mini peanut butter cups, coarsely chopped
Directions:
- In a medium microwave safe bowl, melt the butter and peanut butter in 30 second intervals until just melted. Allow to cool to room temperature.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, and baking soda. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add both sugars and the cooled butter mixture. Beat until light and fluffy. Stir in the egg, yolk, and vanilla extract.
- Add the flour mixture and stir until just incorporated. Fold in the chopped peanut butter cups. Refrigerate overnight, or at least 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line cookies sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
- Roll or spoon out golf ball sized balls* onto prepared cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until set and barely golden . Allow to cool on cookie sheets for 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely.
* I used a medium cookie scoop
Source: Adapted slightly from Averie Cooks.
13 comments
Hi!
I am trying these out right now! I am curious – what is the purpose of refrigerating them for an hour – overnight? I somehow missed that part of the instructions when I started out on these, and unfortunately, I will only be able to have them in the fridge for about 35 minutes. Will they be okay?
Hey Klaire, sorry I am only seeing this now. Refrigeration for oatmeal cookies gives the oats time to soften. It also lets the dough firm up so that they don’t spread too much when baked. I am sure they would still work if only refrigerated for 35 minutes, but I am sure you figured that out by now haha!
These are delicious, I put raisins instead of peanut butter cups. Wow these won’t last long in my house either.
the cookies look delicious! I love peanut butter cups and oatmeal cookies. Definitely going to try these!
These will be crack in my house too. They look so amazing. Your boredom definitely paid off!! No way I can stay away from these.
These sound so amazing! And honesty, with a name like crack cookies, how can you resist?!
They’re SO pretttyyyyyyy!! Agh I can tell how chewy and soft and mmmmmm these are!
These look like my kind of cookie! Enjoy your time off. You’ll be longing for a few days off before too long.
Any cookie called “crack cookies” has to be good! I’m sure these wouldn’t last long in my house. :)
I would love to have some more free time but really I think after two days I would be manic. Of course we have the whole house renovation thing to keep me busy if I really wanted some things to fill the time. Enjoy it the best you can and make us fun sweets to try. These cookies are a great start. Now you just have to make one appear in my hand.
Oh, wow. These would not last a day in my house! They sound awesome!
I always say it would be nice to have a few days off, but once I get it, I feel like a caged animal. Baking cookies is the perfect way to kill some time. These look delicious.