Magic in the Middle Cookies Recipe and Neighborhood Traditions (2024)

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Magic in the Middle Cookies Recipe and Neighborhood Traditions (1)

The neighborhood that we live in has the best tradition- a couple of times each summer, they have a “Sunday Neighborhood Walk Around”. A couple of families are the “hosts” and they set a table out in their front lawn. Other neighbors then bring cookies to the host families and leave them on the table to share.

Then all the neighbors just walk from host family to host family, talking and hanging out with neighbors (and eating cookies!!). We still feel kind of new in our neighborhood and this was the best way to meet lots of people. We had such a good time! I highly recommend starting this fun tradition in your neighborhood!

One of my neighbors brought these cookies and they were amazing!! As I have mentioned before, I am a sucker for anything that has chocolate and peanut butter and these are definitely on my favorite cookies list!

Magic in the Middle Cookies Recipe and Neighborhood Traditions (2)

Serves: 24

Magic in the Middle Cookies Recipe

These delicious moist and fudgy chocolate cookies are filled with a creamy peanut butter filling that is totally magic!

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Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups flour
  • ½ cup sweetened cocoa
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup butter softened
  • ¼ cup smooth peanut butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 eggs 1 egg and 1 yolk

Peanut Butter Filling

  • ¾ cup peanut butter smooth or crunchy
  • ¾ cup powdered sugar

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets.

  • To make the dough: In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. In another medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together the sugars, butter, and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and the egg, beating to combine, then stir in the dry ingredients, blending well.

  • To make the filling: In a small bowl, stir together the peanut butter and confectioners sugar until smooth. With floured hands or a teaspoon scoop, roll the filling into 26 one-inch balls.

  • To shape the cookies: Scoop 1 tablespoon of the dough (a lump about the size of a walnut), make an indentation in the center with your finger and place one of the peanut butter balls into the indentation.

  • Bring the cookie dough up and over the filling, pressing the edges together cover the center; roll the cookie in the palms of your hand to smooth it out. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. Roll each rounded cookie in granulated sugar, and place on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between cookies. Grease the bottom of a drinking glass, and use it to flatten each cookie to about 1/2-inch thick

  • Bake the cookies for 7 to 9 minutes, or until they're set and you can smell chocolate. Remove them from the oven, and cool on a rack.

Nutrition

Calories: 183 kcal · Carbohydrates: 22 g · Protein: 4 g · Fat: 10 g · Saturated Fat: 4 g · Trans Fat: 1 g · Cholesterol: 24 mg · Sodium: 137 mg · Potassium: 118 mg · Fiber: 1 g · Sugar: 13 g · Vitamin A: 138 IU · Calcium: 15 mg · Iron: 1 mg

Equipment

  • Mixing Bowl

  • Baking Sheet

Recipe Details

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Join The Discussion

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  1. Katie @ This Chick Cooks says:

    We have made that recipe and those cookies are awesome! LOVE them! I think that tradition in your neighborhood is a wonderful idea. We've lived in our neighborhood for a year and I still feel like I don't really know any of my neighbors. Also, I wanted to invite you to stop by tomorrow and share your recipe at These Chicks Cooked Recipe Spotlight. Have a good one :)
    Katie

  2. Erin says:

    This is the best neighborhood tradition EVER!!! I wish my neighbors did that! And your cookies look fantastic!!!

  3. Keli says:

    These cookies look amazing! Although, I'm not sure how many of them would make it to the oven ;)

    I wish my neighbors liked each other! They wouldn't even think of doing anything like this.

  4. Grace Matthews says:

    Your blog is great! I am stopping by from the Alexa Hop...sorry I am late.

  5. viv{re} says:

    peanut butter cup/cookie?! ah, i love this. thanks for the recipe! I really wish my neighborhood was tight-knit like that, but it seems like everyone hates each other around here. lol.

  6. lafondsi says:

    Just made these. Doubled the recipe (so I still would have enough for my cookie swap after eating most of them!) and they were great. I did 3 eggs. So yummy. My kids decided these are the best cookies ever and we should make them every time we make cookies. Thanks for the recipe and the yummy picture that put them on the top of my to make list.

  7. McKell Coleman says:

    It was taking forever to make each one into a cookie and shape it perfectly so I just made one huge cookie pizza! It worked out great! I spread out 1/2 of the chocolate dough, then put the filling on top and covered it in the rest of the dough and it worked out perfectly! I think I added a few minutes cooking time however! (: great recipe!

Magic in the Middle Cookies Recipe and Neighborhood Traditions (3)

About The Author:

Camille Beckstrand

Camille Beckstrand is married to Jared and they have 4 kids. She loves a good true crime podcast, a big plate of cheesy loaded nachos, and going on adventures with her family.

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Magic in the Middle Cookies Recipe and Neighborhood Traditions (2024)

FAQs

Where did sugar cookies come from for Christmas? ›

Along with gingerbread, simple sugar cookies are another staple on Christmas dessert trays. This tradition started in the 1700s, when German settlers in Pennsylvania brought over the traditional unleavened, easy-to-store treat from Europe.

Where did cookies get their name? ›

From 1808, the word "cookie" is attested "...in the sense of "small, flat, sweet cake" in American English. The American use is derived from Dutch koekje "little cake", which is a diminutive of "koek" ("cake"), which came from the Middle Dutch word "koke".

What are those black and white cookies? ›

Black-and-white cookies are flat, have fondant or sometimes royal icing on a dense cake base, and are common in the New York metropolitan area. Half-moon cookies are slightly dome-shaped (convex), have frosting on a fluffy angel cake base, and are common in Central New York and Boston, Massachusetts.

What is a popular Christmas cookie shape? ›

The cookies are often cut into the shape of candy canes, reindeer, holly leaves, Christmas trees, stars, or angels.

What culture is sugar cookies from? ›

Let's have a hearty hip-hip-hooray for the German Protestants, who settled in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, and invented the early sugar cookie. Their crumbly cookie made with butter and shaped into round or keystone shapes were a sweet hit from their formation in the late 1700s.

What is the tradition of Christmas cookies for Santa? ›

The first written mention of "milk and cookies" for Santa appears during this time in 1870. It became a full-on American tradition during the Great Depression in the 1930s, when parents wanted to encourage their children to be generous during hard times, and show gratitude for the gifts they did get.

Why is a magic cookie called a magic cookie? ›

Typically used in Unix systems, a magic cookie may be an identification token or password that activates a function. The "magic" implies some obscure data known only to the software and not the user. The Web cookie term was coined after magic cookie.

What is the British slang for cookies? ›

Hard or crisp cookies are called biscuits in the U.K. while the chewier dessert can be identified as a cookie.

What is a slang word for cookie? ›

dear; sweetheart (a term of address, usually connoting affection).

What are penguin cookies? ›

These adorable treats are enough to bring out the kid in anyone. The classic Oreo® is covered in rich white and milk chocolate and carefully decorated to look like an adorable penguin. Absolutely the cutest way to enjoy milk and cookies, and they make a memorable dessert or holiday gift for the kid in all of us.

What is a mold cookie? ›

Molded cookies are made from a much stiffer dough that can be handled much like clay. Molded cookies are usually rolled into balls or other simple shapes. Peanut Butter cookies are one of the most common molded cookies as most recipes roll the dough into a ball and then press in a crisscross pattern with fork.

What are the 4 cookie types? ›

Here are the 4 main types of cookies:
  • Session cookies. These are temporary web cookies that are only present as long as your web browser stays open or your session is active. ...
  • Persistent cookies. ...
  • Third-party cookies. ...
  • First-party cookies. ...
  • User experience. ...
  • Advertising and marketing. ...
  • Analytics and web optimization.
May 22, 2023

What are some fun facts about cookies? ›

3) Americans consume over 2 billion cookies a year, or 300 cookies for each person annually. 4) The Chocolate Chip is the most popular type of home-baked cookie. 5) Chocolate Chip cookies are Cookie Monster's favorite. His birthday is November 2nd and his original name was Sid on Sesame Street.

What is the most loved cookie? ›

Chocolate chip cookies

What is the most popular type of cookie? It might just be this one.

What is the least popular Christmas cookie? ›

On the naughty list of cookies, Americans gave the lowest win records to anise cookies, which only won 29% of its matchups.

Why are cookies so popular at Christmas? ›

"Christmas in many cultures was a time of visiting. It was cold, so you weren't out farming, and you had time to visit. Cookies were made in large amounts and with great care as something to share. And giving gifts didn't mean going out and buying something.

Where do Santa Claus and cookies come from? ›

In the past, the Netherlands would celebrate Christmas on Dec. 6, so on Dec. 5 the kids would leave out their shoes and wake up to their shoes being filled with treats. This would change over time and eventually lead to children leaving out cookies and milk for Santa instead.

Why do we decorate cookies for Christmas? ›

Cookies for Santa

Historians believe the tradition began during the Great Depression, as a way for parents to encourage generosity in their children. The tradition stuck, and Santa isn't in danger of needing a smaller suit any time soon. Brette Sember is the author of over 40 books.

Does Santa Claus like sugar cookies? ›

Santa himself lists these as his favorites, and he prefers them soft and gooey with lots of chocolate chips. If you decide to leave these out for him, make sure there's a glass of cold milk nearby! The beloved, melt-in-your-mouth flavor and texture of a good sugar cookie is irresistible, especially to Santa!

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