Chocolate Peanut Butter Pockets ("The Risa")

This week I teamed up with the always-awesome Risa of Baked Perfection.  The result?  A cinnamon cream cheese filling hidden between a top layer of chewy peanut butter cookie and a bottom layer of crunchy chocolate cookie.  Heaven in your mouth. 

Click "read more" below for more pictures, step by step instructions, and the recipe.

This week, Risa and I decided to create a recipe inspired by the other.  Risa and I are two peas in a pod, so I must admit that it wasn't too hard to come up with a recipe inspired by my wonderful friend.  She loves chocolate and peanut butter and cinnamon.  So, I thought to myself--why not combine the three?

These cookies have everything you're looking for in a dessert.  Rich chocolate and peanut butter flavors, spicy cinnamon and cool yet sweet cream cheese.  The peanut butter cookie layer is chewy and moist.  The chocolate cookie layer is oh-so crunchy.  And the filling is creamy and delicious.

This recipe is somewhat time consuming as it requires you to make 2 doughs and the filling.  But, the results are totally worth it!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pockets

Recipe by Elyse (Belle of the Bakery)

Step #1: make the cinnamon cream cheese filling.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Filling

1 8oz package of cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 large egg (crack your egg, whisk it briefly, and use half)

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp - 1 tsp ground cinnamon (depending upon how spicy you're willing to go...)

With an electric mixer or using your paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese until smooth.  Add the egg, sugar and cinnamon and cream until fully combined.  Cover the mixture and refrigerate until ready for use.

Step #2: make the peanut butter cookie dough.

Peanut Butter Cookie Dough

2 1/2 cups AP flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla

Whisk the flour and salt together and set aside.  Beat the butter until smooth.  Then add the peanut butter and beat until fully incorporated.  Cream in the sugar until fully incorporated.  Add the egg and vanilla and beat again until the egg is completely incorporated.  While your mixer is on low speed, addl the flour and fully combine until the dough forms a stiff ball.

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator until slightly firm (30 minutes to an hour).

Step #3: make the chocolate cookie dough.

Chocolate Cookie Dough

1 1/2 cup AP flour

1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla

Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt, and set aside.  Cream the butter and sugar together.  Add the egg and vanilla and beat until fully incorporated.  With the mixer on low, incorporate the flour mixture until fully combined and the dough forms a stiff ball.

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until slightly firm (30 minutes to an hour).

Step #4: preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Roll out the peanut butter and chocolate doughs.

*Make sure to use plenty of flour when rolling out your doughs so that they don't stick to your surface (if they stick, it will be a nightmare to transfer the cookies to a baking tray)!

Step #5: place a heaping teaspoon of the cream cheese filling atop the chocolate dough, taking care not to place the filling too close together.

Step #6: place the rolled-out peanut butter dough atop the chocolate dough and cream cheese filling.  Use a cookie cutter to cut out each chocolate peanut butter pocket.

*Don't worry if your peanut butter dough tears a bit--just try to patch it back together!

Step #7: bake the cookies for approximately 20-25 minutes or until the edges of the cookies start to brown.

*Let the cookies cool fully until you taste--the cream cheese mixture tastes best at room temperature!

 Enjoy!