Averie Cooks

-1 To the bowl of a stand mixer (or large mixing bowl with electric mixer), combine egg, brown sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until smooth and creamed, about 5 minutes. Mixture doesn’t get as fluffy as you may be used to when typically creaming ingredients for cookies.
-1 Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the flour, baking powder, optional salt, and beat on low speed until just incorporated, about 1 minute.
-1 Divide dough into 8 equal-sized portions and roll between palms to form balls. Dough is very soft, limp, mushy, and you’ll have to be gentle with it.
-1 Add 1 peanut butter cup to the center of each ball, which flattens it.
-1 To each mound of dough, add about 8 peanut butter chips in a circle going around the peanut butter cup.
-1 Place dough mounds on a large plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or for up to 5 days, before baking. Do not bake with warm dough because cookies will spread and bake flat and thin.
-1 Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet with a Silpat or spray with cooking spray. Place dough mounds on baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart .
-1 Bake for about 10 minutes, or until tops are just set. It’s okay if cookies are glossy, pale, and slightly underdone in the center because they firm up as they cool. If you prefer crunchier or firmer cookies than shown, bake 1-2 minutes longer.
-1 Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets for about 10 minutes before serving.