PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES with Wicked Stuff on Top ♥

1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 large egg
1/3 cup natural, creamy peanut butter
2/3 cup flour

Wicked Stuff:
chopped roasted, salted peanuts
chopped semi-sweet chocolate pieces
caramels (melted)
chocolate (melted)

In an electric mixer cream butter, sugar and brown sugar.
Add baking soda, salt and vanilla.
Add egg.
Beat until smooth.
Add peanut butter.
Beat until smooth.
Slowly mix in flour.
Beat dough till fluffed.
Spoon dough into container with tight fitting lid and allow to chill thoroughly in the refrigerator before forming into cookies.

When you are ready to make the magic…
Preheat oven to 300 (F). Chop peanuts. The smaller you chop the peanuts the better they will adhere to the cookies.
Chop chocolate pieces.
Spoon chilled dough onto cookie sheet. I like 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.
Press chopped peanuts into some.
Press chocolate pieces into others.
Press chocolate pieces and peanuts into others.
Leave some plain.
Make classic hatch marks by pressing a (slightyly wet) fork one way…
and then the other.

Bake in preheated 300(F) oven for 11-12 minutes.
Allow to cool slightly before removing from tray.

To Top with Caramel…
Unwrap caramel candies and place in a microwave safe bowl.
Per six caramels, add 1/2 teaspoon half n’ half or milk.
Microwave about 30 seconds until caramel has melted. Remove from microwave immediately and stir with a fork.
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.

To Top with Chocolate…
Combine approximately 1/2 tablespoon butter per 1/3 cup chocolate pieces in a microwave safe bowl.
Microwave 20 seconds, stir and microwave 10-20 seconds more until melted and shiny.
Spoon chocolate into a plastic bag and snip off the tip of the bag to make a piping bag.
Pipe chocolate onto cookies. Makes 3-4 dozen mini-cookies. Store in airtight container. (Like you’ll have leftovers!)