Peanut Butter Mochi Cookies

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  • Level: Easy
  • Total: 1 hr 30 min
  • Active: 1 hr
  • Yield: 24 peanut butter mochi cookies
While you can store these cookies for a few days, they are truly best eaten fresh while the mochi is still soft and tender. The chewy, slightly gooey mochi, is a great compliment to the rich peanut butter in these cookies. For added crunch, try sprinkling chopped peanuts over the top of them after glazing.

Ingredients

For the Dough:

For the Filling:

For the Glaze:

Directions

  1. Make the cookie dough: Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk the all-purpose flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in the peanut butter until well combined, 2 more minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the flour mixture until just combined.
  2. Scoop the dough into 24 balls (a 1-ounce cookie scoop works well for this). Roll the balls with your hands until smooth, then roll in granulated sugar. Arrange about 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Refrigerate while preparing the filling.
  3. Make the filling: Whisk the glutinous rice flour, confectioners’ sugar and salt in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Whisk in the warm milk and melted butter until smooth; whisk in the vanilla. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until the mixture is smooth but sticky and holds together in a ball, 1 to 2 minutes. Let cool slightly. Lightly coat a teaspoon-size measuring spoon with cooking spray and scoop 24 rounded heaping balls of filling, placing them on a clean work surface. Lightly coat your hands with cooking spray and roll the balls until smooth. Flatten each ball slightly to make a disk.
  4. Bake the cookies until lightly golden and puffed, 8 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and quickly press the measuring spoon into the center of each to create an indentation. Place a filling disk into each indentation. Return to the oven and continue baking until the filling softens, 3 to 6 more minutes. Let the cookies cool 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
  5. Make the glaze: Put the peanut butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 10-second intervals, stirring, until thin enough to drizzle, about 30 seconds. Whisk in the confectioners’ sugar. Drizzle on the cookies and let set, about 20 minutes. The cookies are best fresh, but they will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days.