Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

In a standing mixer cream the following:
1 cup butter (room temperature)
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup peanut butter
Beat until fluffy.

Add:
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla

Add dry ingredients:
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 and 1/2 cup flour
Mix until blended

Small peanut butter cups*

Spray mini muffin tin with Pam. Place dough inside mini muffin tins, filling each cup about 3/4 full. Bake at 375 for 8 minutes. Remove pan from oven and place a peanut butter cup inside each cookie, (unwrapped and no paper please!) by pressing them gently into the warm dough.

These need to cool completely, because they will come out of the muffin tins much easier if you let them cool. Sometimes I run a knife around the outside, just to loosen them a bit.

Makes 72 cookies. Recipe is easily halved if you want to do a smaller batch.

* I use Kirkland-brand (Costco) peanut butter cups.  They fit perfectly in the mini muffin tin.  You can also use mini Reese-brand peanut butter cups.

This is a very tasty cookie. Freezes well and is great for parties. This is a recipe I found in Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book, page 162 and I just modified it for the peanut butter cups and doubled their recipe.