Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

This is a highly-rated recipe taken from All Recipes.Com submitted by Joanna Knudsen --- the only alteration I made was I omitted the peanut butter baking chips and reduced the chocolate baking chips --- the peanut butter cups must be chopped then frozen before adding to the cookie batter, or they will mush up while mixing

• Ready In: 23 mins
• Yields: 36 cookies

Ingredients

• 1  cup butter, softened
• 3⁄4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 3⁄4 cup white sugar
• 3⁄4 cup brown sugar, packed (you may reduce by 1/4 cup)
• 2  teaspoons  maple extract (or use vanilla)
• 2  large eggs
• 2 1⁄3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1⁄3 cup  unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
• 1  teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄2 cup  semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 10  reeses  chocolate-covered peanut butter cups (cut into eighths then frozen until solid)

Directions

1. Set oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Grease a large cookie sheet.
3. In a large bowl combine the butter with peanut butter, white sugar, brown sugar and vanilla or maple extract until creamy and well combined.
4. Beat in eggs until completely combined.
5. In a bowl combine the flour with sifted cocoa powder and baking soda; add/mix into the creamed mixture until combined.
6. Mix in the chocolate chips and frozen chopped peanut butter cups.
7. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto baking sheet.
8. Bake for 8-10 minutes.
9. Allow to cool about 5 minutes then removing from pan.