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1
In an electric mixer cream butter, sugar and brown sugar.
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2
Add baking soda, salt and vanilla. Add egg. Beat until smooth. Add peanut butter. Beat until smooth. Slowly mix in flour.
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3
Beat dough till fluffed.
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4
Spoon dough into container with tight fitting lid and allow to chill thoroughly in the refrigerator before forming into cookies.
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5
When you are ready to make the magic
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6
Preheat oven to 300 (F). Chop peanuts. The smaller you chop the peanuts the better they will adhere to the cookies.
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7
Chop chocolate pieces.
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8
Spoon chilled dough onto cookie sheet. Betty likes to use a teaspoon (yes, teaspoon) to ensure the cookies are nice and small. To ensure they are nice and round, roll into a ball before adding toppings or pressing.
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9
Press chopped peanuts into some.
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10
Press chocolate pieces into others.
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11
Press chocolate pieces and peanuts into others.
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12
Leave some plain.
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13
Make classic hatch marks by pressing a (slightyly wet) fork one way
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14
and then the other.
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15
Bake in preheated 300(F) oven for 11-12 minutes.
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16
Allow to cool slightly before removing from tray.
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17
To Top with Caramel
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18
Unwrap caramel candies and place in a microwave safe bowl.
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19
Per six caramels, add 1/2 teaspoon half n' half or milk.
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20
Microwave about 30 seconds until caramel has melted. Remove from microwave immediately and stir with a fork.
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21
Working quickly, drizzle caramel over cookies. If caramel becomes hard, add a few drops more milk or half n' half and microwave 10 seconds more.
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22
To Top with Chocolate
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23
Combine approximately 1/2 tablespoon butter per 1/3 cup chocolate pieces in a microwave safe bowl.
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24
Microwave 20 seconds, stir and microwave 10-20 seconds more until melted and shiny.
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25
Spoon chocolate into a plastic bag and snip off the tip of the bag to make a piping bag.
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26
Pipe chocolate onto cookies. Makes 3-4 dozen mini-cookies. Store in airtight container. (Like you'll have leftovers!)
