July 9, 2014

Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies

Minnesota State Fair Winner

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