Chocolate Butterflies

My oldest daughter has inherited her Nana Shirley’s love of peanut butter and chocolate and has borrowed one of Nana’s signature cookies – chocolate butterflies.

These were my favorite cookies when I was growing up and the first cookie I made for the fair! (I got a blue ribbon- by the way!)

My daughter now makes these occasionally for the Farmers Market – where they have found a niche with other chocolate and peanut butter lovers.

I’m not sure where the “butterfly” part of the name comes from – maybe from the design on the top? But I do know why people love them – they are soft, gooey and good.

Chocolate Butterflies

1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup margarine or butter
1 1/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup milk
2 cup flour
2/3 cup cocoa
2 teaspoons baking powder

Cream together the peanut butter, margarine, and sugar.

Add the 2 eggs, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla.

In a separate bowl combine the dry ingredients, flour, cocoa, and baking soda. Add to the peanut mixture alternately with the milk.

Drop by teaspoonfuls on ungreased cookie sheets. Press both horizontally and vertically on the top of the cookie with a fork dipped in sugar.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 8 minutes. The middle of the cookie should be dull, not shiny when done.

This is a soft, cake like cookie.

To speed things up, my daughter uses a potato masher dipped in sugar to mark the tops of the cookies.

To store, let them cool completely and place waxed paper between the layers of cookies.

Enjoy!