This cookie is part brownie, part buckeye - and a completely decadent treat that friends and family will ask for again and again. Made from a simple dough and filling, it can be formed to look several ways. We think it looks cute with a little peanut butter peaking through the top, but the mostly enclosed look (as seen above), makes the filling a lovely surprise.

A mixer is a must for this recipe, which makes about 18, 3-inch cookies.

Cookies

• 1-1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened to room temperature
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 Tablespoons milk

​Filling

• 2/3 cup peanut butter
• 3 Tablespoons butter
• 1-1/3 to 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar

1. Whisk the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
2. In your stand mixer, cream the butter and sugars together on medium-high speed until fluffy - about 2 minutes with SideSwipe, longer with other beaters.
3. Add the egg and vanilla and mix on medium-high speed until well combined.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl and mix on slow speed until combined. Add the milk and mix just until combined. The dough will be thick and somewhat sticky.
5. Transfer your dough from your mixer bowl to another bowl, and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Allow to sit at room temperature for 30-60 minutes if you chill for a long time or overnight. The really cold dough is difficult to form, so give it a little time to warm up.
6. In your mixer in a clean bowl, mix together the filling ingredients. Put peanut butter mixture in small bowl and refrigerate. It should be somewhat soft and sticky. If you want, you can add a little more powdered sugar to make it easier to handle. But it's not necessary. The mixture melts very little when baked in the cookies.

Later:

1. Take chocolate dough out of the refrigerator and allow to warm up if you chilled it for more than 3 hours.
   
2. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
3. Using a 1.5 Tablespoon cookie scoop or spoon, roll the dough into 1-inch balls. Two balls will be used for each cookie. 
4. Slightly flatten one of each set of balls onto the pan to form a thick circle ( about 1/2 inch thick). Using your thumb, make a deep indentation like you would for thumbprint cookies. Smooth or scrunch the edges to make the cookie a nice, round shape.
5. Fill each thumbprint with a small scoop of peanut butter filling. We used a 1 teaspoon scoop, but you can add as much as you like. There is more than enough filling for the recipe.
6. Take the second of the set of cookie balls and flatten to a round that's approximately 1/4 inch thick. We flattened it in our palms, then shaped it further using our fingers, moving around the edges of the circle. Lay the flattened disc on top of the filled bottom, covering all the filling and sealing it to the base by firming it all around. For the pretties look, reshape the sides of the mounded cookies so they are round at the bottom.
7. Place cookies 3 inches apart on two lined baking sheets (about 9 per sheet). Don't overcrowd, as the cookies will spread.
8. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.
9. Bake for 11-12 minutes, or until the cookies begin to crack a little on the surface. Remove from the oven and allow to cool and set up on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
10. Cookies are best in the first couple of days, but will keep up to a week at room temperature. Keep in an airtight container for softest cookies.

This lovely, tender cupcake is sure to be a family favorite - with or without the sweet-and-salty frosting. Made from overripe bananas (the browner, the better), the banana flavor really comes through. The cupcake has a lighter texture than banana bread, but is a little more dense than typical cake. 

We topped it with a cream cheese and dulce de leche frosting. This gooey confection can be found in the Latino section of most supermarkets, sold in cans. You could also make your own from cooking down sweetened, condensed milk. 

For the banana cupcakes

• 1 cup (127 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 stick (113 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup (67 grams) granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup (50 grams) light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup (57 grams) sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 3 average size overripe bananas

For the frosting

• 1 cup canned or homemade dulce de leche
• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• Optional - 1/4 teaspoon salt in the frosting mix or a sprinkle of sea salt on the final frosted cupcake.

Cupcakes

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a standard muffin tin with paper cupcake liners.
2. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a SideSwipe, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes (3 minutes with standard beater). Add the sour cream and vanilla and beat until combined. On medium speed add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until combined. Add the bananas and beat until combined.
4. On low speed gradually add the flour mixture and beat just until combined. Do not overmix.
5. Use a spring loaded scoop or a spoon to fill each cupcake liner 3/4 full.
6. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes.
7. Remove to a wire rack and let cool completely before frosting.

​Frosting

1. In the bowl of your mixer, again using SideSwipe beat the cream cheese and dulce de leche on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy. The frosting will be sticky and heavier than a typical buttercream or cream cheese frosting.
2. Frost with a knife  OR  Place the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a decorative tip (we used as star). Pipe frosting onto the cupcakes in your desired pattern. Chill after frosting if you want the frosting to keep its shape.
3. Serve or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Let come to room temperature before serving.

This is a terrific cake to use when you have some seasonal fruit you'd like to use. We made ours with peaches, but you can use figs, pears, apricots, plums or any firm fruit that would look pretty studded across the top.

We halved the recipe below to make the cake in a loaf, with just two average-size ripe peaches. We also added a little extra peach jam, just because!

​This recipe was adapted from one by Joy the Baker.
​

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and heat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8-inch wide and 3-inch tall cake pan and lightly dust with flour.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a your stand mixer, fitted with SideSwipe, cream together sugar, butter until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, then add buttermilk and vanilla/almond extract. mix until well combined.
4. Add the buttermilk mixture all at once to the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined and no lumps remain. Spoon batter into the prepared pan.
5. In a small bowl stir together the honey and mascarpone.
6. Dollop the mixture atop the cake batter. Dollop jam on top of the cake batter as well and use a dinner knife to lightly swirl the two into the cake.
7. Dot with fresh fruit cut in half or prettiest way, gently pressing into the cake batter.
8. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow cake to cool to room temperature before slicing to serve. Serve plain or with sweetened whipped cream.
9. Cake will last, well wrapped in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days.

​

FILLING

• 1-pound jar creamy peanut butter (about 2 cups) *
• 2/3 cup margarine *
• about 1-1/2 pounds powdered sugar (3-1/2 to 4 cups)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

​
COATING

• 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate or chips
•  1-2 ounces paraffin (1-inch square) optional*
• box of square toothpicks for dipping

* INGREDIENT HINTS:

• ​Low-fat margarine and butter don't work well in this recipe, as they make the balls too soft at room temperature. You can use non-hydrogenated shelf-stable versions of PB and margarine or butter if you prefer, but do not use all-natural. It's too loose a mixture - and this is a candy, after all!
• If you don't have paraffin, you can omit it. The wax just makes the chocolate coating a little more finger friendly!