I’ve never been a big fan of peanut butter. Give me a PB&J about once a year & a Reeses peanut butter cup every once in a while and I’m happy. Even with the PB&J, there are strict guidelines that must be followed or I won’t eat it. It has to be Jif Peanut Butter (or Peanut Butter Company’s Cinnamon Raisin flavor), it has to be on smushy “I am so filled with preservatives it’s disgusting” store bought white bread and the ratio of peanut butter to jelly is simply this; there must be enough of each that they drip off of the bread onto my hands, onto my shirt, onto every surface within a five foot range.

So why, when perusing the Easter candy aisle at Kroger the other day, did I drop a bag of Reeses Pieces into my cart? I have no idea. I have never liked them. But I think I have found a way that I can enjoy them… in massive quantities… with milk… and hidden away by myself so that nobody else can have any. Ever.

I took my go to chocolate chip recipe (it’s one that I have played with over the years until I got that nice chewy yet crispy texture that I think a cookie should have) and added a bag of Easter (oooo, look at the pretty colors!) Reeses Pieces along with two small bags of the new Reese Peanut Butter Cup Minis (2.5 ounce bags you can find at the checkout aisle).

If you like peanut butter, you’ll love these. If you like chocolate, you’ll like these. If you’re a fan of Reeses Pieces, you should be in heaven. Just remember…. massive quantities and all by yourself so nobody else can have any.

REESE’S PIECES &PEANUT BUTTER CUP COOKIES

1. 1/2 cup unsalted butter (one stick)
2. 1/2 cup solid shortening (I used the Crisco stick)
3. 1 cup brown sugar (preferably dark)
4. 3/4 cup white sugar
5. 2.5 teaspoons Vanilla extract
6. 2 large eggs
7. 1 tsp salt
8. 1 tsp baking soda
9. 3 cups all purpose flour
10. 12 ounce bag Reeses Pieces
11. 2 2.5 ounce bags mini Reese peanut butter cups

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• In large bowl, cream butter, sugars, vanilla and eggs until creamy.
• In small bowl, mix together salt, baking soda and flour.
• Mix flour mixture with wet ingredients until fully combined.
• Add in the Reeses pieces and mini peanut butter cups.
• Put by large spoonsful on an ungreased cookie sheet (mine were probably a bit less than 1/4 cup dough per cookie. They need to be large to be able to enclose the candy; otherwise it sticks out and will end up melting all the pan and sticking).
• Bake until light golden brown. If there is a shiny wet spot in the middle of the cookie, leave for another minute or two and check again. They are big so you need to watch to make sure they cook thoroughly. Mine took 15 minutes.
• Let cool on the sheet for a minute then put onto a rack to finish cooling
• Get some cookies, a glass of milk or cup of coffee and go hide in the closet until you’re done.

"Hmmmm, I wonder if I can grab the rest and hide in the closet before momma notices?"