Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

I love peanut butter, in case this blog hasn't made that clear.  I've waxed lyrical enough about it, suffice to say...it would certainly be one of my desert island foods.  I love peanut butter sooooo much that I finally managed to figure out how to get a photo onto this blog!  

These cookies are a lot of work, but they are ridiculously tasty.  The original recipe is from the Bouchon Bakery's "Nutter Butter" recipe, but I've changed things around a bit to suit my tastes.  Also worth noting, this recipe makes a TON of cookies.  This is a good thing and a bad thing.  I have no idea how many calories are in these cookies, but I can only assume it is an enormous amount.  For heaven's sake, there is 750 grams of butter!  My best advice is not to think about it and make these with a concrete plan to share with others. 

Ingredients:

Cookie Dough 

2 cups plain flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

4 teaspoons baking soda

500 grams butter, softened

2/3 cup smooth peanut butter

1 cup caster sugar

1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 1/2 cups quick oats (not rolled oats)

Filling 

250 grams butter, softened

1 cup smooth peanut butter

3 cups powdered sugar

Method:

Start by making the cookies.  

Using a mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter.  Once the butter is nice and creamy, add the peanut butter and cream together until smooth.  Add the brown sugar and the caster sugar, and beat on medium speed for 4 to 5 minutes.  Scrape the bowl down regularly to make sure everything is thoroughly incorporated.  

Add the eggs and vanilla and mix together on low speed until incorporated.  Add the flour mixture in about three goes, and make sure the mixer is set to low.  Again, scrape things down regularly to make sure it is all incorporated.  Add the oats and mix well.  

Pop the mix into the fridge for at least an hour, for it to firm up.  It's quite a light mixture, despite all of the oats.

Preheat the oven to about 170C while you are prepping your baking sheets.  I highly advise baking these cookies on baking paper.  I use a 1 inch cookie dough scoop, but if you don't have one try to get evenly sized balls spread at least 2 inches apart on the pan.  Don't press them down or anything, they will flatten fairly evenly on their own.  

Bake for between 10 and 12 minutes, depending on your oven.  You want them to be golden brown, but not burnt.  When you take the cookies out of the oven, they need to cool on the tray for about five minutes before you try to transfer them to a wire rack.  Cook the cookies completely before you put the filling on them.

To make the filling,  pop the butter in a medium sized bowl and cream with a hand mixer.  Add the peanut butter, and mix together completely.  Add the powdered sugar, and ensure it's mixed until very smooth.  

To assemble, pair the cookies of similar size and shape together.  Spread a thick layer of filling on one cookie and then sandwich with another.  

Serving suggestion - a glass of milk and a quiet moment.