And The Winners Are... #1

Remember back to the end of May when the IMac contest ended? Two winners were announced  Michael, with the name ICook and George with the name Maxie.  The winners were asked to select a cookie for me to make. These cookies were delivered to Michael and George on 4th of July.   I have the winning recipes ready for you all. Michael requested a cookie that tasted like a Reese's cup and George's request was for oatmeal raisin cookies. 

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies for Michael

Adapted from Epicurious, October 2000,

 Chocolate On The Brain

Makes 40-50 cookies

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature, plus more for greasing
• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups (12-ounce package) semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup peanut butter chips
• 2 to 2 1/2 heaping tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 bag fun-sized Reese's cups
• 1 cup chocolate
• 2 + tablespoons heavy cream

Place an oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly rub two cookies sheets with butter, or use nonstick baking sheets. Set aside.

Put the butter, peanut butter and the sugars in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer or a wooden spoon until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs, cocoa powder and vanilla and beat again. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, and beat on low speed until well blended. Add the chocolate chips and peanut butter chips mix thoroughly.

Using a teaspoon as a guide, scoop a portion of the dough and, with your hands, roll each portion into a ball (Note: Rolling the dough into balls was very hard, I used a small ice cream scoop). Place the balls on each cookie sheet, 3 cookies per row in 5 rows. (Optional: Flatten the balls with the heel of your hand or the tines of a fork so that they spread to about 1 1/2 inches in diameter.) I left the cookies in a ball, with slightly damp fingers Bake each batch, one cookie sheet at a time, for about 10 minutes. The cookies will be firm to the touch and just beginning to brown.

Remove from the oven and cool on the sheet for about 3 minutes. Then transfer them with a spatula to a cooling rack. Let the cookiesheets cool for 1 or 2 minutes more before reusing so the dough doesn't melt.


Unwrap 10 Reese's cups  to start, more may be needed, and with a knife, divide the Reese's cups into 1/2 and if you would like, 1/4. I thought 1/2 looked to big.


In a double boiler, place 1 cup chocolate semi sweet chips and heavy cream. When the ganache is melted, pour into a plastic squeeze bottle. Place the cooled cookies back onto a cookie sheet covered with wax or parchment paper.  Slowly drizzle the warm chocolate onto a cookie. Take 1 small piece of a cut Reese's cup and put a dollop of warm chocolate onto the bottom or the side, top the decorated cookie with the Reese's cup.  Continue to do this until all the cookies have been topped with chocolate and Reese's cups. Cover and allow to cool.  If you don't eat the rest of the Reese's cups, I suggest you decorate the cookie platter with some.  Yum!  

•