Happy Birthday to my Brother in Law, Steve!
Steve just so happens to be smitten with my baked goods, so every birthday I spoil him with a new vegan treat to enjoy.
I’ve been meaning to make these Peanut Butter Chocolate Pillows by Isa & Terry for a very long time now!
I think I was a bit intimidated by the process of making these cookies. Stuffing a peanut butter ball into a cookie didn’t exactly sound fool proof (and trust me, I can mess up the easiest things at times!), but these cookies have been so well reviewed on other blogs I knew it couldn’t be that difficult.
It turns out that it is fool proof! So fool proof in fact, I would go as far to say that these would be really fun to make with kids.
I’ll show you the step by step process to show you just how easy it is!
You start off by making your chocolate dough and your peanut butter dough. I mixed both by hand. When the chocolate dough got stiff, I got in there with my hands and kneaded it together. Sometimes, you gotta get dirty in the kitchen!
Umm excuse me sir, that’s not dirt in my nails, it’s chocolate dough…duh.
Break your peanut butter dough ball in half.
Break each half in half again and then break each quarter into 6 pieces (as even as possible):
This simply makes it easier to get even pieces.
Roll in hands until smooth:
Repeat for the other 3 quarters:
I ended up making 25 balls instead of 24 because that’s just how it worked out. And I obviously wanted an extra cookie!
Grab a chunk of dough (about a heaping tablespoon) and place it in your palm. With your other palm, flatten and press the dough until you have a large thin disc like so:
Place a PB ball in the middle of the disc:
Wrap it up (the dough may crack a bit but not to worry!)
And roll it in your hands until smooth:
Repeat for the rest!
See, fool proof.
You may be tempted to do this…
and you wouldn’t be alone. You may debate whether baking is even necessary. Then you remember these are not for you. Doh!
Bake at 350F for 10 minutes exactly.
Excuse me cookie, is that a PB ball or are you just happy to see me?!
sorry, lame.
Yup, they look just like the picture in the cookbook! I love when that happens. They also taste just like I imagined them to- like a peanut butter ball in cookie form. Granted, they are by no means a healthy cookie, but what would a birthday be without a mild sugar coma?
Now, I face the impossible feat of ignoring these all day long. I guess I didn’t plan that one too well now did I?
Not only is it Steve’s lucky day but it’s yours because Isa posted the recipe online for all your cookie pleasure!
I made just 1 change to Isa’s recipe:
- I used coconut oil instead of canola (I melted it first)
Click here for the cookie recipe.
May the cookie pillows be with you!
Oh. My. God. As a long-term reader of your blog (love your work!), who has never (NEVER!) commented before- seeing this post was all it took to make me hit the ‘add one’ link & say ‘Hi’. :) My 2 favourite foods- chocolate & peanut butter- in one awesome food creation! I’ll admit, I MAY have gone into a little panic when I couldn’t see the recipe anywhere…& then I saw the LINK. ;) Thanks for sharing! PS- The quality of your photography always amazes me! :)
hehe thanks Kirsten! :)
Hi Angela!
Found your while browsing the web for healthy “veganish” recipes! My husband and I are trying to incorporate more wholesome foods and limiting our intake of animal products that make us FAT! We watched the movie “Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead” and since then we have been juicing daily and eating more of the “good stuff”! The book Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman is a great inspiration to rid our bodies of the “SAD”! Your website is just as WONDERFUL! Your writing is great and the photos are beautiful! I love reading all your posts! Truly enjoyable! I just made your Chocolate Torte! AMAZING! I am waiting to see your cookbook soon in the bookstores! I’m am very surprised I haven’t yet. You definately have the talent! Thanks so much!
Thank you Jacquie!
This is such a fun idea!
I love these cookies, and they are my boyfriends favourites. I always whip up a batch for special occasions.
These look perfect, my favorite combo of flavors – PB and chocolate!
– Katie
Check us out sometime at BloomEveryday.wordpress.com! :) We can’t wait to start sharing recipes with you.
I love when recipes look extremely hard to make but are actually very easy!! People always ooh and aah that much more!
These look fantastic! Were you able to hold out and ignore them all day? I doubt I would have that kind of willpower…I rarely do when it comes to pb and chocolate
I really want to vacation in your kitchen.
Looks scary good! Now how come I am dreaming of your holiday baking even though I have no idea what that involves? I know it will be speechless defying hence my imagination already going there. I woke up this morning not to thoughts of “why are the kids in our bed (1yr & 3yr old)” but “I wonder if Angela will be making peppermint donuts for the season or better yet – pound cake cubes dipped in chocolate and rolled in coconut (like snowballs)!!” Would love to see a sneak peek of any recipes you have conjured up for the season. I’m like a little girl at xmas waiting for Santa only I’m waiting for your imaginatinative and blissful recipes:-)
I made these cookies for my step-dad. It was incredibly difficult not to eat all of the dough! I was also initially intimidated by the process but it ended up being super easy. Delicious cookie!
I want these!
soooo happy the recipe is online!
will check it out NOW! bye!
Those look delicious!
These look like great holiday cookies!
what heavenly pillows!! these look amazing!
Haha I love these photos, the sequence makes it look like they’re having little peanut butter and chocolate ball babies!
Just me…?
I guess there was a reason you made the extra ball! Thanks for the step-by-step and the link to the recipe. These might be boyfriend appreciation cookies this weekend!
These look so amazing, I cannot wait to try them! There really is nothing better than PB and chocolate. I was just curious though if you think this would work as a gluten-free cookie, and if so what type of flour do you suggest trying. I find so many of the gluten-free flours leave a bitter aftertaste in my baking that I do not like. Thanks!
Hmm that would be a tough one! I would use a GF sugar cookie recipe maybe and then add cocoa??
Hi Angela! I love looking at your blog and have had great success trying out some of your recipes (hummus, creamy tomato pasta MMM!, veggie burritos). Question for you, I notice that you use pure maple syrup to sweeten some of your recipes. Just wondered if there is a reason why you use it over Agave? Also, have you ever tried Xylitol? Thanks :)
I just prefer the taste of maple syrup, but I dont have anything against agave. I have not tried Xylitol before.
These remind me of buckeye balls, but they’re cookies instead. They’d be perfect for Christmas with the “surprise” in the middle!
I made these for my PTA classmates today and everyone really enjoyed them. A bit heavy on the sugar and oil for my taste personally, but they liked em so that’s ok :)