Leave it to Betty

No sooner had my cookie request post gone live than I noticed my blog ad in the right column—which, by the way, if you click on it every now and then, I earn a paltry cent or two—featured Betty Crocker's best holiday cookies. Leave it to Betty!

I clicked through and found one I tried last year and LOVED. To my fellow buckeye-lovers—those of the team and the sugary treat—try this cookie version of the beloved classic. You can make them weeks ahead and freeze them. They do just fine in frigid environments and thaw beautifully.



Buckeye Delights

Cookie Base
1 pouch (1 lb. 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix
1/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg

Filling
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 TB butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt

Topping
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 cup plus 2 TB semisweet chocolate chips
1 TB peanut butter

Heat oven to 350 F. Line 36 muffin cups with mini foil candy cups (about 1 1/4 inch). In large bowl, stir cookie base ingredients until dough forms. Press about 1 TB dough into each foil cup. Bake 8 to 9 minutes or until puffy and set. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. Remove from pan.

In small bowl, mix filling ingredients until well blended. Press about 1 teaspoon mixture on top of each cooled cookie.

In 1-qt. saucepan, heat whipping cream just to boiling over low heat, stirring occasionally; remove from heat. Stir in 1 cup of the chocolate chips. Refrigerate about 30 minutes or until cooled. Spread about 2 teaspoons chocolate mixture over each cookie cup.

Place remaining 2 TB chocolate chips and 1 TB peanut butter in resealable food-storage plastic bag; seal bag. Microwave on high 30 to 60 seconds or until softened; knead to mix. Cut off small tip from one corner of bag. Squeeze bag to drizzle mixture over each cookie cup. Refrigerate about 30 minutes or until set. Store covered in refrigerator.

Makes 36 cookies. View Betty's recipe here.