Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

This takes two soft chewy peanut butter cookies and then sandwich them together with a chocolate peanut butter cream cheese filling. Doesn’t that sound good.? These cookies are sweet and the chocolate peanut butter cream cheese is really nice, it plays off really well with the flavor and the texture of the cookie, so try them. Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and you will line your baking sheet with parchment paper or spray them with non-stick sprays.

To make the peanut butter cookies, add butter to your stand mixer bowl and beat it just until it hets nice and smooth. Add half a cup of light brown sugar, granulated white sugar, and peanut butter then beat the ingredients on medium-high speed just until light and fluffy. Add vanilla extract for flavor then one large egg and gave it at room temperature. Beat that in then in a separate bowl, sift in all-purpose flour with salt and baking soda and just whisk everything in.

Add the flour to the batter and beat that in on low speed until the better is well-formed. You are going to use about a tablespoon of batter for your cookies if you ca, you can use an ice cream scoop and place them a couple of inches apart then flatten your cookies with a spoon or fork. Bake the cookies between 10 to 12 minutes, what you are looking for is the edge of the cookies will be golden brown and they still will be quite soft at the center.

Let them cool in the pan for at least 5 minutes before you remove them from the pan to the wire rack. For the filling, you can use a bowl with a hand mixer of you could use a stand mixer or by hand. You can use bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate finely chop it then place it in the microwave to soften.

When melting chocolate, do it in a little bust, take it out and give it a good stir then put it back in the microwave for a short time. Place butter and cream cheese in a bowl and beat them together just until nice and smooth then add peanut butter and beat that in. Next, you will add a little vanilla for flavoring and mix it in the add te melted chocolate.

This is a place where you could use bittersweet chocolate if you want a shaper chocolate flavor. Add in a little powdered sugar to sweeten it up and thicken the filling. Take just enough filling for a thin layer and cover one cookie then sandwich with another cookie then set aside. Repeat to all of your cookies, serve them as they are or refrigerate them. Enjoy.

Instructions;

• 3/4 cup (170 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup (100 grams) light brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated white sugar
• 1 teaspoon (4 grams) pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup (185 grams) peanut butter
• 1 large egg (50 grams), at room temperature
• 2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon (2 grams) baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon (1 gram) salt

Instructions;

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place the oven rack in the center of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In the bowl of your electric stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter until smooth.
3. Add the sugars and vanilla extract and beat until well mixed. Beat in the peanut butter. Scrape down the sides and bottom of your bowl as needed.
4. Add the egg and beat to combine. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the peanut butter mixture and beat until incorporated.
5. Fold in the chopped peanuts or chocolate chips, if using. (If the batter is too soft to form into balls, place in the refrigerator for about a 30-60 minutes or until firm.)
6. Roll the batter into 2 inches (5 cm) round balls (35 grams for each cookie).
7. Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheet, spacing several inches (10 cm) apart. Flatten the cookies into 2 1/2 inch (6.5 cm) rounds using the bottom of a glass.
8. Using the tines of the fork or spoon that has been dipped in granulated white sugar, make a crisscross pattern.
9. Bake the cookies for about 10 – 13 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly browned around the edges but still soft in the center.
10. Rotate your baking sheet front to back about halfway through baking. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
11. It can be stored at room temperature, in an airtight container, for about 3 to 5 days, or they can be frozen.