Description
These Peanut Butter Stuffed Chocolate Jack-O’-Lantern Cookies are a festive and delicious treat perfect for Halloween. Featuring a rich cocoa chocolate cookie exterior dipped in melted milk chocolate and filled with a creamy peanut butter filling, these cookies combine classic flavors with a fun seasonal twist. The addition of flaky sea salt enhances the sweetness and adds a delightful crunch.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 stick salted butter, at room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup dark chocolate cocoa powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- Additional 2 tbsp dark chocolate cocoa powder (optional, if dough is too wet)
Chocolate Coating
- 12 oz milk chocolate, melted
Peanut Butter Filling
- ¾ cup creamy peanut butter
- 4 tbsp salted butter, at room temperature
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling
Instructions
- Prepare the Cookie Dough: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract until the mixture is light and fluffy, which should take about 3-5 minutes. Add the egg and mix until evenly combined. Gradually add the all-purpose flour, ½ cup cocoa powder, baking soda, and kosher salt, mixing until combined and a dough ball forms. If the dough is too sticky to roll out, incorporate the additional 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder.
- Roll and Cut the Cookies: Generously flour your work surface to prevent sticking. Divide the dough in half and flatten each portion into a disk. Roll out each disk to about ¼ inch thickness. Cut the dough using a pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter or stamp. Carefully transfer the cookies onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover the baking sheet and freeze for 10 minutes until the cookies are firm. Roll out the leftover scraps and repeat the process with the remaining disk.
- Bake the Cookies: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. Once baked, allow them to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
- Make the Peanut Butter Filling: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the creamy peanut butter, salted butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and kosher salt. Beat the mixture until it becomes light and fluffy.
- Assemble the Cookies: Dip half of the cooled cookies, stem side down, into the melted milk chocolate, coating about one-third of the top. Decorate with additional melted chocolate if desired and sprinkle lightly with flaky sea salt. Chill these dipped cookies in the freezer for 10 minutes to set the chocolate.
- Fill and Sandwich: Spread the peanut butter filling evenly over the undipped cookie halves. Press the chocolate-coated cookie halves, chocolate side up, gently on top of the peanut butter layer to form a sandwich. These cookies can be served immediately or stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients for better mixing and texture.
- If the dough is too wet, add extra cocoa powder gradually to achieve the right consistency.
- Freezing the dough before baking helps maintain the cookie shape during baking.
- The cookies are best enjoyed within 3 days when stored in an airtight container to maintain freshness.
- Flaky sea salt adds a nice contrast to the sweetness and enhances the chocolate flavor.
- You can substitute milk chocolate with dark chocolate if preferred.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie (assuming 12 cookies total)
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 20 g
- Sodium: 130 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 26 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg
