⁘ anna bakes cupcakes ⁘

image from A Dash of Sanity

In a small mixing bowl, mix together peanut butter and powdered sugar until it’s completely blended and no sugar can be seen.
On a cooking sheet, lay wax paper or grease the pan with cooking spray.
Place 1/2 Tablespoon of the peanut butter mixture on the prepared pan. Set in the refrigerator while making the cookies.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the butter and 1 cup of sugar until they are just combined. Add the vanilla.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt if wanted, then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture.
Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together.
Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.

Roll the dough 1/2-inch thick and cut with a 3-inch cookie cutter. Place the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet.
Bake for 14-16 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Allow to cool to room temperature.
Once cool, take out peanut butter balls from the fridge. Using a spatula, remove the peanut butter from the pan. Place 1 ball in the middle of the shortbread cookie and use a butter knife to spread the peanut butter around the cookie. Repeat with remaining peanut butter balls and cookies. You will have some left over cookies (8-10) - just dip those in the left over chocolate.

Melt chocolate per directions of the package.
Once melted, place the cookie on a fork and dip into the chocolate. Remove the cookie from the chocolate once it is fully covered while still on the fork.
Let the excess chocolate drip off and transfer on to wax paper to cool or greased cooling rack to harden.