Peanut Butter–Chocolate Thumbprints

My daughter, Abigail, developed this recipe when the family complained that her peanut butter–chocolate sandwich cookies (two cookies and twice as much filling) were just too fattening!

2½ c smooth peanut butter, at room temperature
1½ c brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
2 large eggs
2 tsp.vanilla extract
5 oz bittersweet chocolate chips
4 Tbs unsalted butter

To make the cookies:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon mats.

2. Place the peanut butter, brown sugar, and baking soda in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-low speed for 1 minute. Add the eggs and vanilla. Beat on low speed until blended, about 30 seconds.

3. Using your hands, shape the dough into small balls, each about the size of a unshelled walnut. Flatten the ball into a fat disc and place on one of the baking sheets. Each sheet should hold 12–15 discs. Continue until you have used up half the dough.

4. Bake for 6 minutes, then rotate the sheets and continue backing until the cookies become puffed and crackled, about another six minutes. Remove from the oven.

5. Using the handle of a thick wooden spoon, make a depression in the center of each cookie. (Be careful not to press so hard that you crumble the cookie.) Let the cookies cool on the sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

6. Repeat with the remaining dough.

To fill the cookies:

1. In a microwave using a microwave-safe bowl. melt the chocolate chips and butter. Stir well to combine. Let cool for 10–15 minutes while the mixture thickens.

2. Using a small spoon, fill the depression in each cookie with some chocolate mixture. Leave on the cooling rack to set.