double chocolate reese’s pieces cookies

Probably one of my earliest memories of my life is actually a memory of Halloween.  Every year we went trick-or-treating with our family friends, meeting at our house or their house to get into our costumes, and then afterwards we would come back and sort out our candy and offer trades (which really, we all have to admit, was the best part of Halloween as a kid).

One year, at some point early in my childhood (I’m thinking I was about 3 or 4), we were going about our trick-or-treating and I walked up to the door of house which was pretty dark.  Not really sure why I was the first one up there, but for some reason I was and I remember looking down and thinking that there was a big puddle on the stairs.  And then, from that puddle, someone dressed as a witch popped up and scared me, and I’m pretty sure I cried for the rest of the night.

So, from an early age I was probably a little prone to not love Halloween so much  (“Now it’s just a day I have to get through” …name that reference anyone?), mostly because I am not a fan of scary at all.  I don’t do horror movies EVER.  I don’t do scary books or scary costumes or scary decorations or creepy bugs.

But cute Halloween?  Cute, Halloween I can get behind.  Cute little ghosts and jack-o-lanterns and pumpkin shaped cookies…that’s the kind of Halloween I can do.

So here is my offering for this year, cookies that may appear to have nothing to do with Halloween, but I argue that they do because, duh, fall colors.  Regardless, they are cookies that I just think are good and that anyone would enjoy at a Halloween get together.

I made very few adjustments to these cookies (aside from running out of Reese’s Pieces), but I might next time.  I might cut down on the dry ingredients and amp up the sugar a bit.  But just a bit.  Because as they are, these cookies are soft and chewy, not overly sweet (which, really, the only problem this causes is that I never feel like I’ve eaten too many), and were good until we ate the last one.  Which surprise surprise, did not last us until Halloween.

Double Chocolate Reese’s Pieces Cookies
from Lauren’s Latest

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Bake Time: 9 minutes

Makes about 4 dozen

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup Reese’s Pieces

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease baking sheet(s) and set aside.
2. Place a medium-sized heat proof bowl over a pot of simmering water.  Add chocolate and heat until melted.  Remove from heat and set aside to cool.  (Alternately, you can heat chocolate in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds.)
3. In a large bowl beat butter and peanut butter until light and fluffy.  Add granulated sugar and brown sugar, beating 1-2 minutes, until light and fluffy.  Beat in melted chocolate and vanilla.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition until well incorporated.
4. In a medium-sized bowl, combine cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, and salt.  Add to wet ingredients in batches, beating after each addition just until incorporated.  Use a rubber spatula to stir batter, making sure that all dry ingredients have been incorporated.  Stir in Reese’s Pieces by hand (really…it’s easiest to use your hands).
5. Use a small cookie scoop to scoop batter onto baking sheets, placing them about 1 inch apart.  Use your fingers to flatten cookies ever so slightly.
6. Bake for 7-8 minutes.  Cool on baking sheets for several minutes, and then remove to wire racks to finish cooling.