July 9, 2014

Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies

Minnesota State Fair Winner

State Fair Recipes Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies (10)

Peanut butter cookies are one of my all-time favorite classic cookies. When Minnesota State Fair baker/contester Loretta added chocolate, chopped peanuts, and crushed vanilla wafers, she made this classic cookie a real winner–literally! Loretta won the 2013 Gold Medal Flour contest at the Minnesota State Fair with them. What also makes these peanut butter cookies so incredibly tasty is her addition of almond flavoring. Just wait until you try these! They are also easy and fun to make. In fact, my daughter Olivia enjoyed helping me this time around. Check out the steps below to see how we put together these award-winning cookies.

While your oven warms up (set to 375 degrees F), mix together the sugars, butter, shortening, peanut butter, and egg. State Fair Recipes Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies (1)Here comes what I like to consider the “secret” ingredient- almond flavoring, instead of typical vanilla. Once the batter is mixed, add it in. It really gives the cookie a fantastic flavor. Next combine the Gold Medal all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt to the mixture. Get everything mixed together and shape dough into walnut sized balls. Olivia was a fantastic helper during this step.

State Fair Recipes Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies (2)Dip tops into sugar. Place sugared dough balls on a baking sheet, sugar side up. Crisscross tops with a fork. This step in making peanut butter cookies always makes me think of making them as a child. It’s classic.

State Fair Recipes Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies (3)Bake 10-11 minutes, or until lightly browned. Allow to set 5 minutes on cookie sheet. Remove and cool.

State Fair Recipes Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies (4)While cookies are cooling, prepare the topping ingredients. Grind together the peanuts and vanilla wafers. I used a food processor for a finer texture. You could also put the ingredients in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin. Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave in 30 second increments. Loretta has a great tip: to thin the chocolate she adds a generous tablespoon of solid shortening when melting the chocolate. Here is my toppings station:

State Fair Recipes Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies (7)Dip half of each cookie in the melted chocolate. To apply the peanut and vanilla wafer topping, you can either dip the cookie into the mixture, or set the chocolate dipped cookie on a parchment lined baking sheet and sprinkle with topping. Refrigerate a few minutes for a quick set. I recommend this, because you won’t want to wait to bite into these cookies!

State Fair Recipes Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies (9)Another great winner’s tip is to save any leftover peanut/wafer mixture. It can be frozen and used for other desserts. Bonus!

Here’s Olivia proudly displaying her hard work:

State Fair Recipes Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies (11)Thank you Loretta for a wonderful recipe!

-Crystal

Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup shortening

1/4 cup butter, room temperature

1 egg

1 1/4 cups Gold Medal all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon almond flavoring

1 (12 oz) bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

Vanilla wafers (11 oz box)

Spanish peanuts (12 oz)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Mix sugars, butter, shortening, peanut butter and egg in electric mixer. Add almond flavoring. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt to mixture. Mix until combined. Shape dough into walnut size balls. Dip top into sugar and place on cookie sheet sugar side up. Crisscross top with a fork. Bake 10-11 minutes or until lightly browned. Allow to set 5 minutes on cookie sheet. Remove and cool. Yields: Around 30 cookies

*Grind together the Vanilla wafers and Spanish peanuts. Follow melting instruction on bag of chocolate chips. To thin the chocolate I add a generous tablespoon of solid shortening when melting the chips. Dip half the cookie in the melted chocolate and place on parchment lined cookie sheet. Sprinkle the wafer/peanut mixture on top of the chocolate. Refrigerate a few minutes for a quick set. Any wafer/peanut mixture left may be frozen and used for other desserts.

-Recipe from Loretta, Minnesota State Fair, 2013 Gold Medal Flour contest