Chocolate Peanut Butter Thumbprint Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury Refrigerated Sugar Cookie Dough
• 3 oz unsweetened baking chocolate squares coarsely chopped (OR 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa)
• 1 (divided) t. vanilla
• 1/2 c. creamy peanut butter
• 2 1/4 rectangle sheets graham crackers (OR 1/3 c. graham cracker crumbs)
• 3/4 c. powdered sugar
• 1 TBLS butter
• 1/4 c. granulated sugar
• 1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 t. vegetable shortening

Instructions

1. Let cookie dough stand at room temperature for 10 minutes to soften. Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, break up cookie dough and set aside. If using baking squares, microwave in a small bowl for 1 minute and stir until melted. Put chocolate (either the melted chocolate OR the cocoa powder) into a large bowl with cookie dough. Add 1/2 t. vanilla and stir with a large wooden spoon until well blended. Place bowl in refrigerator for ten minutes to make dough easier to handle.
2. Meanwhile, make the peanut butter mixture. Place peanut butter in a medium bowl. If using graham cracker sheets, place in a large freezer bag and seal. Use a rolling pin to smash crackers into fine crumbs. Pour crumbs into bowl with peanut butter and stir together with a wooden spoon until well blended. (or get messy and use hands though you may want to flour them first.) Microwave butter in a small bowl until melted and pour it into the peanut butter mixture. Add powdered sugar and the other 1/2 t. vanilla. Stir mixture until well blended or use hands to squeeze mixture together until powdered sugar is fully incorporated into the peanut butter mixture. Set aside.
3. pour granulated sugar into a small bowl. Take cookie dough out of fridge and form dough into 30 one inch balls. Roll each ball in sugar and place 2 inches apart on large un greased cookie sheet. Bake for 9-12 minutes or until edges are set and tops are slightly cracked. Let stand on cookie sheet for 1 minute. While still on cookie sheet, use the end of a wooden spoon to make a wide, circular, shallow indentation on top of each cookie to within approximately 1/2 inch of the edge of the cookie, being careful not to poke through the bottom of the cookie; remove to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
4. Once cookies are cool, lay a large sheet of waxed paper on a flat surface and place cookies on the paper. Mound 1 heaping teaspoonful of peanut butter mixture into the indentation of each cookie. use finger to slightly flatten the mixture over the tip of each cookie. (should appear as a small flattened circle of peanut butter over the top of the cookie to within approximately 1/2 inch of the edge of the cookie).
5. Place chocolate chips and shortening in a microwave safe bowl microwave for 1 minute. Stir until blended and melted. Let stand for a minute. Place in a large plastic sealable bag and cut a small hole in the corner of the bag. Drizzle over the top of each cookie while on the waxed paper.Let cookies stand for at least 15 minutes or until chocolate is set before serving.