Recipe: Dipped Peanut Butter Meltaway Cookies

DIPPED PEANUT BUTTER MELTAWAY COOKIES

These cookies can be stored at room temperature for more than a month.

FOR THE COOKIES:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup corn starch
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, cut into cubes
1/2 cup super chunky peanut butter
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips
FOR THE CHOCOLATE DIP:
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate bar, at room temperature, broken into small chunks
1 ounce food-grade paraffin (such as Gulf Wax)

TO MAKE THE COOKIES:
Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpat baking liner.

In a small bowl, combine flour, corn starch, and confectioners' sugar. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter, peanut butter, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add flour mixture and begin mixing on low speed. Once mixture begins to get thick, increase speed to thoroughly mix until combined, scraping down sides. Scrape batter from beaters, and mix in chocolate chips with a large spoon. Refrigerate dough for 1 hour to firm up.

WHEN READY TO BAKE:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Place 1 1/2 inches apart on lined baking sheet.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until bottom edges just barely begin to turn brown. Do not over-bake. Cool on racks.

TO MAKE THE CHOCOLATE DIP:
Place paraffin in a glass measuring cup and slowly melt it in the microwave. Add semisweet chocolate chunks and cook on high power 15 seconds at a time, stirring each time, until chocolate is melted and thoroughly combined with the paraffin.

Dip each peanut butter meltaway cookie halfway into chocolate, shake off excess chocolate, and place on trays lined with waxed paper or Silpats to set. If chocolate begins to get too thick, carefully re-warm. You can refrigerate for an hour to set chocolate, if you wish.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies