Peanut Butter Sandwhich Cookies

I love peanut butter cookies, but sandwiched between a sweet creamy peanut butter filling is even better. These little nostalgic sandwiches recall a memory I am not sure even existed. A childhood snack with a tall glass milk, why couldn’t it be my memory? Mostly I came home to sliced cucumbers (which is one of my favorite snacks.) But peanut butter cookies with more peanut butter sandwiched between are decadently good and pretty easy to make. They are a great cookie to bring along anywhere, as they hold up well in any arduous cookie situation. (Well I have not tested this, but they hold up better than most of their cookie counterparts. If you cannot think of an arduous situation for a cookie, just use a little imagination. Example: stuffed into purse, stomped on by elephant) I brought these cookies to the Giant’s bleacher seats. These cookies just begged me to take them, and they suited this American past time quite well. Common, you have all heard of baseball and peanut…
I used Martha Stewarts’s recipe. While she is the queen of domesticity and all things crafty some of her recipes in Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook fall flat (or else I am just a poor baker. I assume it is a little bit of both.) But she does some pretty tasty cookies. I used an all-natural, slightly chunky peanut butter, but it is up to you how you would like your cookies. I am just going to go on one little rant: Please pick all natural, do you really think it is necessary to put corn syrup in peanut butter. Peanut butter is supposed to be just that, peanuts crushed up until the consistency of butter. So respect the peanut!)


Here is the recipe:

Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies
Makes about 3 dozen sandwich cookies

2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 ½ sticks (3/4 cup) butter, room temperature
¾ cup smooth peanut butter, preferably natural
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup packed light-brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Peanut Butter Filling (recipe follows)

In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. Place butter, peanut butter and both sugars in the bowl of the electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla, and beat to combine, scrap down the sides of the bowl, if needed. With mixer on low add reserve flour mixture and beat until incorporated, about 1 minute.

Divide dough in half and shape into two flattened disks. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough to a ¼ inch thickness. Using a sharp knife, cut dough into 2 1/2 –by- 1-inch rectangles. I cut a thick piece of paper with these measurements and used it as a stencil. I traced by knife around it. Much easier than eye balling it. Using the floured tines of a fork, score the top of each cookie. Transfer cookies to prepared baking sheet, placing ½ inch apart, and refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes.

Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until lightly golden around the edges and firm in the center, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Using an offset spatula, spread 1 tbsp. filling onto the flat sides of half of the cookies. Sandwich with remaining cookies, keeping flat sides down. Unfilled cookies can be kept in an airtight container for up to a week. Once filled, cookies are best eaten that day, but can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Peanut Butter Filling
Makes enough to fill 3 dozen cookies.

6 tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cup confectioners’ sugar
¾ cup smooth peanut butter, preferably natural
3 tbsp. heavy cream

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachments combine all ingredients. Beat on medium high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Use immediately or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate u to 3 days. If refrigerated, let filling stand at room temperature to soften, you might have to stir or beat to attain desired consistency.