Peanut Butter Filled Chocolate Snickerdoodle Cookies

During my last pregnancy my high risk doctor friend (ya, I know people) told me I needed to eat peanut butter to help reduce the chances of my son having a peanut allergy.  This conversation occurred somewhere in my third trimester.  Up until that point I rarely, if at all, ate any peanut products.  I wouldn't say I had an aversion, but I most definitely didn't crave peanuts or peanut butter.  Lucky for me, or perhaps lucky for Carter, my son doesn't have a peanut allergy.  But of course he hates peanut butter, both texture and taste.  He did, however, smile through half of a cookie before signing to me that he was "all done."

This time around I have been making an effort to consume peanut products to help reduce baby Della Favorite #2's chance of having a peanut allergy.  These cookies are delicious and satisfying, without being overly sweet.  They are also light on the sugar, especially if you use a sugar substitute, and who doesn't like a surprise filling?  Am I right?

You know I am.  If you love peanut butter and chocolate then this recipe is for you.

Some notes before we begin.  For a lower sugar option use Swerve or another sugar substitute, but these are light on the sugar even if you use the real thing.  You can substitute peanut butter for the nut butter of your choosing.  Also feel free to freeze the peanut butter filling for longer than 20 minutes, but I would not freeze them any less since they quickly soften with handling.  I ended up freezing my filling for about an hour as I got interrupted by a screaming toddler in the middle of my cookie making.  They still came out marvelous!
 

Peanut Butter Filled Chocolate Snickerdoodle Cookies

Makes 10 cookies

Ingredients:
   Peanut Butter Filling: 

• 6 tablespoons natural peanut butter, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar

   Chocolate Cookie Dough:

• 4 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2/3 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt

   Cinnamon Sugar Mix:

• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:
1. Line baking sheet with parchment paper
2. In medium bowl combine 6 tablespoons peanut butter and powdered sugar until fully combined
3. Divide peanut butter mixture into 10 mounds on parchment lined baking sheet.  Freeze peanut butter filling for 20 minutes until hardened

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
5.  In a medium bowl combine cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside for step 8
6. In large bowl combine butter,  sugars, and remaining 2 tablespoons of peanut butter.  Then add in egg and vanilla and mix until fully incorporated
7. Add the dry ingredients to wet ingredient and mix until fully combined to make chocolate cookie dough

 8.  Separate chocolate cookie dough into 10 balls

9. Remove peanut butter from freezer and immediately start step 10

10. Flatten chocolate cookie dough into a thin disk and add 1 piece of peanut butter filling to the center of the disk

11. Roll chocolate cookie dough around peanut butter into a ball so you can't see the peanut butter filling. Continue with remaining chocolate cookie dough and peanut butter filling until you have 10 balls filled with the peanut butter mixture

12. Combine 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon in small bowl. Roll cookie balls into cinnamon sugar mix and place on parchment lined baking sheet

13. Flatten balls until about 1/4 inch thick with hands or fork.  I like to make a lattice pattern



16. Bake at preheated oven for 9 minutes until set and then transfer to cooling rack


While you can eat these at room temperature they are so much better when warmed.  I recommend allowing the cookies to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving with a nice glass of milk.

Happy Birthday Carter!

I have this cool picture frame at work from Artifact Uprising that holds 12 pictures.  Each morning when I come to work I move the picture from the day before to the back of the stack to reveal a new picture.  How fitting that our first family picture taken shortly after you were born is the picture of the day you were born.  

This was hands down the happiest and proudest moment of my life.  You made me feel stronger, more important, and more loved than anyone else had ever made me feel in a matter of seconds.  And I never knew how much love I had in my heart until I held you for the first time and the you looked at me like you had known me and loved me for a lifetime.  Powerful stuff.  

I remember where I was this exact moment 365 days ago.  I was still pregnant on my way to the hospital.  I had been feeling mild menstrual cramping and thought you would be coming in the next few days because, let's be real, latent labor can last for days and the first baby is on average 10 days late.  But no I was 4 cm, really feeling the strength of the contractions at this point, and off to the hospital I went.  And a few hours later you made your fast and furious appearance.  And not to brag, but my doctor did tell me how amazing I was.  Ok I had to brag a little...

This last year has been amazing.  You have grown so much.  You continue to be sweet and curious and make everyone around you crack up with your belly laughs.  You are starting to take "baby steps", walk run with assistance, and can stand on your own.  You say dada, mama, baba (bottle), hi, bye, and I'm convinced something along the lines of "I ruv youuu."  You blow kisses, wave, high five, and give hugs.  Probably my most favorite thing you do is stare at strangers and as soon as they look your way give the biggest, two bottom toothed grin and wave hello.  Clearly I'm going to have to start giving you the stranger danger talk! 

I've also grown so much this last year.  You've taught me unconditional love, patience, and made me reevaluate what is important in this life.  I'm at such a good place and I have you to thank for it.  Thank you for inadvertently making me better and I will continue to try to achieve my best potential for you.  

While I wish I could have stayed home with you I know you are at daycare having a blast with the other little swaddlers.  I'm sure right now you are either playing outside "weather permitting", having another snack, or getting into shenanigans.   I hope you have an amazing, fun filled day and can't wait to celebrate you tonight. You are the best son already. I love you forever and wish you endless joy and happiness. 

Happy 1st Birthday Carter!  I love you!

Happy Baby

I'm going to make this short and sweet, trust your gut.  Something told me that my milk supply was not the root of Carter's initial insufficient weight gain.  He was displaying a number of different symptoms of infant reflux so I went back to the pediatrician to get him reevaluated.  And boy am I glad I did.  Carter was prescribed Zantac and I saw an improvement immediately.  Each day he continues to show a significant improvement in reflux symptoms and is no longer having colic.  Sure, he cries at night, especially until he passes gas or poops, but he can be consoled!  He seems so much happier overall.  Happy baby = happy momma!


I'm not sharing our experience to say that medication is the answer for everything, but it was the answer for our situation.  Don't be afraid to follow your instincts.