This cookie was created in response to a question in the comment section. Renee wanted to know how certain companies “ribboned” things like peanut butter, caramel and chocolate through cookies without the ribbons soaking into the dough. I really didn’t know the answer, but did some experimenting and came up with this.
Small Batch Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies
Remember, yesterday I was working with half a box of cake mix. I was down to a quarter box today, so I made another small batch recipe. If you like these, you can always double, triple or quadruple the recipe. Of course once you master the fine art of making these peanut butter ribbons, you can ribbon them through other types of cookies (scratch cookies) and lay them over brownies.
This makes about 7 cookies. These are the cookies. I’ve included a picture of ribbon mixture below.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Ribbon Cookies
Peanut Butter Ribbons:
2 tablespoons peanut butter chips
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1 teaspoon butter (sliced from a stick)
Dough:
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup plus 1/2 tablespoon cake mix (I used Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Devils Food)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons lightly beaten egg
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Prepare Peanut Butter Ribbons first.
Line a plate with wax paper. In a small, microwave-safe bowl (I used a custard cup), combine peanut butter chips, peanut butter and butter. Microwave for 30 seconds. Stir until smooth. Spoon the peanut butter mixture onto the wax paper lined plate. I spooned it into a 2 inch wide line, but do it any way you like. Place in refrigerator to firm up. This takes about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, make very, very, complicated (just kidding) dough. In a medium size microwave-safe mixing bowl, melt the butter. Stir in the cake mix, brown sugar and 2 tablespoons egg. At this point, the dough might be too warm to add the chocolate chips, so chill it for about 20 minutes then stir in the chips.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and have ready a parchment or Silpat lined cookie sheet. I think an ungreased sheet would work too.
Remove the now-firm peanut butter mixture from refrigerator and slice it into little ribbons of different sizes. Mine were mostly about 1/3 of an inch wide by 1 ½ inches long. Don’t try to be precise, just go with the flow.
Using a tablespoon, scoop up chocolate dough and shape it into a round of about 1 ¼ inches. Break the round in half and nestle a ribbon of peanut butter in the center. Enclose the ribbon in peanut butter and put on a cookie sheet. Repeat to make about 7 cookies. Lay another ribbon of peanut butter across unbaked dough rounds.
Bake for 10 minutes or until dough appears set. Remove from oven and quickly lay another ribbon (or two) over hot cookies. Do this decoratively and artfully. Let the cookies cool on the sheet for 2 or 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool and set.
The peanut butter mixture will firm up as it sits.
Makes about 7 cookies
Donna
Hi Anna
I LOVE your blog (and my husband doesn’t mind your recipes either!) I’m is Australia, and I haven’t found any peanut butter chips yet. What do you suggest I do for the ribbon part of this recipe?
Ta Donna
Anna
If anyone tries this recipe, let me know. I really liked how mine turned out — especially the ribbon part. But I’m biased because it was my idea. I need some outside opinions.
kate
Oh Anna,
I had a dream last night in which I was making brownies ribboned with your peanut butter concoction. Do I have a problem?
Better question: do you think I should try it?
kate
Vickie
Oh my – those look delicious and gorgeous! Can’t wait to try them….thank you. =)
Cakespy
Wow! I love these! Not only would the ribbon give the flavor a nice zip, but they look so interesting too!
Anna
Cindy, I forgot to answer your question.
If you click on the link, the site will give you a contact name. You can email and find out if there’s already a cookie brigade set up for your area or, if you are interested, they will probably show you how to set one up.
Kelly
I love chocolate cake mix cookies! They are such a crowd pleaser – ecspecially with kids.
Anna
Kelli, yes. 1/4 box. So just use the whole box and multiply everything else by 4.
Hendria
another great combo….. 🙂
kelli
Another chocolate peanut butter recipe that I have to try! My problem, however, is that I usually make cookies to bring somewhere so instead of small batches I need jumbo batches! Is the amount of cake mix listed here a 1/4 of a box? If so, I guess I will use a full box and quadruple the remaining ingredients.
Reneé
Holy cow – you rock! I obviously didn’t expect you to create a way to do this, especially so quickly, but you manage the extraordinary! Thanks so much!
I’m going to try this today – I’m making your super stuffed cookies for a sleepover for some high school girls tomorrow, so your timing is impeccable! I’ll let you know how they turn out…
cindy
These look yummy!
But I have a question about a link over on the left that I don’t remember before: Cookie Brigade. I clicked through and it sounds great — baking for our troops. But I wasn’t clear from that site how I could get involved. Do you know more about it, Anna?
Anna
Amy, yes. You’re doing three things with the ribbons – burying some in the dough, baking some on top of the dough, then throwing on another ribbon for extra color.
I tried simplifying things by baking the mounds with no peanut butter ribbons and then throwing the ribbons on at the end, but the cookies had more flavor and were all around better with the extra peanut butter inside.
Therese
Nix that one Anna….
I found a devil’s food cake mix behind the brownie mix. My pantry needs an overhaul!
Although…it would be fun with the brownie mix….eeenie meanie minee moe…!
Anna
Hi Susan,
Your blog looks fun! Love the name.
Therese, brownie mix should work. I used cake mix because it was what I had. I’m not sure what proportions you would use for brownie mix based cookies, so you might have to look that up.
Anna
Hi Susan,
Your blog looks fun! Love the name.
Therese, brownie mix should work. I used cake mix because it was what I had. I’m not sure what proportions you would use for brownie mix based cookies, so you might have to look that up.
Therese
I am attempting these! But I am substituting a brownie mix because I don’t have a chocolate cake mix. Will see what happens??!!
Susan from Food Blogga
These are sensational! Peanut butter AND chocolate in one cookie? Ahhhh….