Chocolate peanut butter munchies

Makes 30 cookies

The Donahue kids look through magazines and cookbooks for recipes to enter in the fair. These cookies have won Sarah many blue ribbons.

DOUGH

1 1/2	cups flour
1/2	cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2	teaspoon baking soda
1/2	teaspoon salt
1/2	cup butter (one stick), softened
1/2	cup granulated sugar
1/2	cup packed brown sugar
1/4	cup (4 tablespoons) peanut butter
1	egg
1	tablespoon milk
2	teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Set the oven at 350 degrees. Have on hand 2 baking sheets; line them with parchment paper.

2. In a bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl, using a hand mixer on low speed, beat the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, 1/4 cup peanut butter, egg, milk, and vanilla.

4. With mixer on its lowest setting, beat one-third of the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Repeat with another third of the flour mixture. Mix in the last third by hand with a spatula. The dough will be thick.

5. Roll dough into 30 1 1/2-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on lined baking sheets and flatten each with your palm.

FILLING

3/4	cup sifted confectioners' sugar
1/2	cup peanut butter
2	tablespoons milk
2	tablespoons granulated sugar

1. In a bowl, stir together confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, and milk to form a dough.

2. Roll dough into 30 3/4-inch balls.

3. Place peanut butter balls on top of the chocolate dough. Gather the chocolate dough around the peanut butter balls, totally encasing the peanut butter. Lightly roll between your palms; return balls to the baking sheets.

4. Put granulated sugar into a shallow bowl. Set the bottom of a juice glass into the sugar. Use the glass to press the sugar onto the uncooked dough.

5. Bake the cookies for 10 minutes or until they begin to crack around the edges.

6. Remove from the oven, transfer to a wire rack, and cool for 10 minutes. Adapted from ``Better Homes and Gardens Christmas Cookies 2002"