Chocolate and Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

Have you ever made something that turned out so disastrous, you thought you were doomed…

 

But then in a moment of desperation you pull out an idea in the hopes of not wasting the butter or cocoa!

 

And then you eat your creation and you about fall over from the shear divinity of its taste, its texture?

 

It happened to me this weekend!  I loved the results so much I made the recipe again knowing I was screwing up and was still delighted as I bit into these wonderful cookies.

 

It all started with a book, a wonderfully yummy cookbook, that I received the last month from my oldest and dearest friend Alice.  Let me clarify, she’s not old because if she’s old then I’m old and I am NOT old – but we’ve been friends for nearly 20 years!  She always gets me the perfect gifts and this one is a real TREAT.

 

This book is called The Treats Truck Baking Book.  All I can say is get this book!  It’s super cute, super inspiring, and has so many mix and match recipes.  It’ll make you want to head to your kitchen right away!

 

The chocolate sandwich cookie is the Chocolate Cookie recipe in the book, the filling is my own peanut butter buttercream frosting!

 

Print this Recipe

 

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

makes about 20 sandwich cookies

 

Cookie Dough

 

2 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. Hershey’s unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 c. sugar (1 3/4 c sugar at sea level)

3/8 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

5 T. half and half

1 1/2 t. vanilla extract

 

Add all of the dry ingredients to the bowl of stand mixer.  Add the butter and beat on medium speed with the paddle attached until the dough comes together.  Add the half and half and vanilla and mix until combined.  The recipe calls for the dough to be chilled before baking but I just rolled mine into balls immediately and baked them at 360 degrees Fahrenheit for about 8 minutes.  As you may have guessed, this is what happened…

 

 

 

So, I dug out my scalloped cookie cutter (2 1/4 inch) and cut the flat cookies immediately while still hot.  I placed the cut cookies on a cooling rack.

 

 

The scraps were cooled and then pulsed into cookie crumbs in the food processor and stored in the freezer for later use!

 

Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting

 

1/2 c. unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 c. peanut butter, creamy like Jiffy

3 c. powdered sugar

3 to 4 T. half and half

1 t. vanilla extract

 

Combine the butter and peanut butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat with the paddle attachment on medium speed until creamy.  Add half of the powdered sugar, vanilla and half and half and beat on low speed until combined and then add the rest of the powdered sugar.  Beat slowly until combined and then beat on high speed until fluffy.

 

Pipe about a tablespoon of frosting between two cookies.  Refrigerate cookies and serve.

 

I can’t describe to you how absolutely wonderfully rich and decadent these cookies are.  These would make a perfect little gift for a friend.  Wrap it in parchment and tie it with twine!

 

 

 

Posted on April 18, 2012
This entry was posted in chocolate, cookies, desserts, gifts and tagged butter, chocolate, cocoa, peanut butter, The Treats Truck.