Peanut Butter Fudge Puddles (Cookie Cups)

 Prep Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes
 
 Cook Time: 14 minutes
 
 Total Time: 3 hours (includes cooling)
 
 Yield: 36-40 mini cups

Description

These delightful 2-bite peanut butter cookie cups are known as peanut butter fudge puddles. They’re baked in a mini muffin pan, then filled with a rich chocolate cream. The secret ingredient is mascarpone cheese, which keeps the fudge-like chocolate filling super soft and creamy. Note that these bake at 325°F (163°C) and not 350°F.

Ingredients

Cookie Cups

• 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup (156g) creamy peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 and 1/4 cups (156g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Fudge Filling

• 8 ounces (226g) semi-sweet chocolate, chopped (see Note)
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil or coconut oil
• 8 ounces (226g) mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
• optional: 1/2 cup (120g) Heath toffee bits or chopped peanuts, for topping

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

1. Make the cookie cups: In a large bowl using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium high speed until light and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and beat until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula as needed. Add the peanut butter and vanilla extract and beat until combined.
2. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt to the wet ingredients and beat on low speed until the dry ingredients are incorporated, and then increase to medium speed and beat until well combined. The dough will be very creamy and soft. Cover and chill the cookie dough in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, and up to 3 days.
3. Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Grease 2 mini muffin pans (or bake in batches if you have only 1 pan) with nonstick spray, or line with mini cupcake liners. I prefer these without liners; the dough is easier to “thumbprint” without liners. Set aside. 
4. Scoop and roll cookie dough, about 1 Tablespoon/20g of dough each. Place the dough balls in the prepared pan. With your thumb, press down in the center of each dough ball, to make an indent, and press the dough partway up the sides of the muffin cup. (If you only have 1 mini muffin pan, refrigerate the 2nd batch of dough balls until ready to bake.)
5. Bake for 14–15 minutes or until the edges appear lightly browned. Do not under-bake these. The cookie cups will puff up in the oven; that’s ok and expected.
6. Remove from the oven and place the mini muffin pan on a cooling rack. Let the cookie cups cool in the pan for just 5–10 minutes. During this time, use the back of a rounded teaspoon to lightly press into the center of each cookie cup to make the indent deeper again. After 5–10 minutes, carefully remove cookie cups from the pan. Use a butter knife to help, if needed. Place cookie cups on a cooling rack to cool completely. 
7. Make the fudge filling: Melt the chopped chocolate and oil together in a double boiler or use the microwave. For the microwave, place the chocolate and oil in a large heat-proof bowl. Melt in 20-second increments, stirring after each increment until completely melted and smooth. Let slightly cool for 3 minutes. With a silicone spatula or a spoon, gently fold the mascarpone into the melted chocolate until combined.
8. Spoon a heaping teaspoon of the filling into each cooled cookie cup. Top with toffee bits or chopped peanuts, if using.
9. Cover and store at room temperature for up to 1 day, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Notes

1. Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Baked cookies, with or without filling, freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature. Unbaked cookie dough freezes well for up to 3 months. Read my tips and tricks on how to freeze cookie dough.
2. Special Tools (affiliate links): Glass Mixing Bowl | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Rounded Measuring Spoons | Silicone Spatula | Mini Muffin Pan | Cooling Rack
3. Peanut Butter: Creamy peanut butter is ideal for this cookie dough because crunchy peanut butter creates an overly crumbly cookie. For this particular recipe, it’s best to use processed peanut butter such as Jif or Skippy. If you decide to use natural peanut butter, make sure it’s at room temperature, stirred well, and expect a slightly crumblier cookie.
4. Can I Use Almond Butter, Another Nut Butter, or Sunflower Seed Butter? Yes, you can use almond butter or another nut butter or sunflower seed butter in this cookie recipe; however, expect a crumblier cookie. Sunflower seed butter may give your cookies a slightly greenish hue after baking, caused by a chemical reaction with baking soda, but they will be perfectly fine to eat. I have not tested this recipe with Nutella and am unsure of the results.
5. Can I Use Another Cookie Dough? Yes, I’m sure you can. You can try this sugar cookie dough or this chocolate chip cookie dough without the chocolate chips. I would chill either dough for 1 hour before shaping, as instructed with the peanut butter dough recipe.
6. Chocolate: You can also use bittersweet chocolate if needed. You need 2 standard bars (4 oz./113g each) of baking chocolate. I like Ghirardelli, Baker’s, and Guittard brands, which I find in the baking aisle of my grocery store, near the chocolate chips. Because we’re melting the chocolate, avoid using chocolate chips, which contain stabilizers that prevent them from fully melting.
7. What Can I Use Instead of Mascarpone? Mascarpone is an Italian cream cheese. Where I live, I can find it in the grocery store near the ricotta cheese, and this recipe conveniently uses 1 standard-size 8-ounce tub of mascarpone. I strongly encourage you to use mascarpone if you can! The flavor and consistency is simply incomparable. If you absolutely cannot use it, you can try replacing it with 8 ounces of full-fat cream cheese, though the chocolate will have a cream cheese flavor. Or you can make chocolate ganache. Wait for it to cool and thicken until spoonable consistency, about 2 hours.
8. Can I Make These in a Standard Muffin Pan? Yes, you can bake these in a standard 12-cup muffin pan. I would use 2 Tablespoons of dough per cookie cup. I’m unsure of the best bake time. Should make around 20 cookie cups.