Magic In The Middle Cookies

1-½ c. all-purpose flour
½ c. cocoa powder
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
½ c. sugar
½ c. firmly packed brown sugar
½ c. butter flavor crisco
¼ c. creamy peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg

Filling: ¾ c. creamy peanut butter
¾ c. powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 375*. Lightly grease baking sheets. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, beat together sugars, butter, and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and egg; beat to combine, then stir in dry ingredients & blend well.

In a small bowl, stir together peanut butter and powdered sugar until smooth. With floured hands, roll the filling into one-inch balls.

Scoop out about 1 Tbsp. of the cookie dough & make an indentation in the center with your finger. Press one of the peanut butter balls into the indentation. Bring the dough up and over the filling, pressing it closed; roll the cookie in the palms of your hand to smooth it out. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Place on prepared cookie sheets.

Grease the bottom of a drinking glass and use it to flatten each cookie to about ½-inch-thick. Sprinkle the top of each cookie with sugar.

Bake cookies for 7 to 9 minutes, until firm. Remove them from the oven and cool on a rack.

Recipe Source: King Arthur Flour