Prep Time: 30mins

Cook Time: 12mins
 
Ingredients

• 1 box fudge brownie mix (19.5 ounce or family size)
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 4 oz. (1/2 block) cream cheese, softened
• 1 egg
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 4 blocks (about 4 ounces) chocolate Candiquik or your favorite baking bar

 
Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, beat the brownie mix, butter, cream cheese, and egg. The dough will be a little sticky. Scoop the dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet, making about 24 cookies. Smooth the edges of each to form a round cookie.
2. In a separate bowl, mix the powdered sugar and the peanut butter until it is completely combined. Form the mixture into about 1 inch balls. Make sure you have one ball for each cookie. Set aside.
3. Bake for the cookie dough 12 minutes, keeping an eye out to make sure the cookies doesn’t overcook or undercook.
4. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, press a peanut butter ball lightly into the center of each cookie. The peanut butter mixture will soften slightly, but that is OK. Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
5. Melt the 4 blocks of chocolate in a microwavable bowl for 45 seconds. Stir the chocolate and melt for additional 15 seconds or until the chocolate is completely melted. (Candiquik comes in 16 ounce packages. When you open it, there are 16 blocks. Cut off 4 of these blocks for this recipe.) Spoon about 1/2 a tablespoon of melted chocolate on top of each cookie so it covers the peanut butter ball. Let the chocolate set. Store in an airtight container.

 
Forget everything you think you know about Christmas cookies. After all, who needs tradition when you can have the ooey, gooey, chocolatey peanut butter goodness of a Buckeye Brownie Cookie? Trust me. The only thing more satisfying than this decadent dessert mashup is having a Brazen hero on his knees…but this isn’t that kind of post.

I discovered this recipe during a Christmas cookie baking binge last year and it has quickly become one of my family’s holiday favorites. Did I mention it gets rave reviews from discerning co-workers and toddlers alike? In central Pennsylvania, the unofficial peanut butter capital of the world, that’s kind of a big deal.

And the recipe is super easy, making it perfect for holiday baking with the kids. My four year old is a master of mixing and rolling cookie dough, which is perfect because she loves these Buckeye Brownie Cookies as much as I do. And because I want to be on Santa’s ‘nice’ list, I always leave her the last one as a bribe special treat.

So if you’re in the mood for something rich and indulgent, you can’t go wrong with this recipe. And if you’re looking for something a little more festive, add red and green sprinkles to give it your cookies a little holiday flair!