Lauren’s Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies
Written by joythebaker on October 26, 2009 – 12:04 am -
Have I introduced you to my little sister Lauren?
Lauren… this is everyone.
Everyone… this is Lauren.
Lauren and I grew up in the kitchen together. We made brownies, we burnt cookies, we frosted crooked cakes, and we could plow through a box of Peanut Butter Captain Crunch in 10 minutes flat. We were always in the kitchen either creating or consuming. True.
Things aren’t all that different for me and Lauren these days. We spend a lot of time baking up treats, talking about Paula Dean, and arguing about which awkward teenage phase was worse: my Blossom Hat Phase or her Sweatpants and Vest Wearing Phase. Just typing those out… they each seem like equal tragedies. Thank heavens we’ve moved past that.
I’m introducing you to my sister because these two things are true:
1. If Lauren were not in the world, I would surely be unable to breathe… that’s how much I love this girl.
2. I shoved my camera in Lauren’s hands last week, told her to bake something and take pictures of it. In her unending brilliance, she returned to me a camera full of pictures (including the self portrait below) and six of these cookies. Holy heck! A food blogger could get used to this kind of treatment. For real.
Open wide. Nope… wider. And still, just a teensy bit wider. These cookies are a mouthful. A mouthful of holy-heckballs-peanut-butter-heaven. The cookies are crisp and buttery. Combined with the peanut butter filling, I’m pretty sure I nearly put myself in a peanut butter coma. Yes… a peanut butter coma sounds like a good thing. Oh! These cookies are even better if you can get someone else to make them for you. True story.
Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies
from The Pastry Queen Christmas
makes about 30 sandwich cookies
For the Cookies:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
For the Filling:
2 cups crunchy peanut butter
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
For the Optional Coating:
10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup honey roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Grease with butter or cooking spray.
Using a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and peanut butter on medium speed until well combined. Add the sugars and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Add the egg and beat on medium speed for 1 minute.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture and beat on low until just combined. Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes.
Drop the dough by the scant tablespoon full onto a cookie sheet about 1 1/2-inches apart. Use the tines of a fork to press the cookies flat. Bake for 7-10 minutes until the cookies are a deep golden brown along the edges.
To make the filling: Use a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment to beat the butter, peanut butter and heavy cream together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Add the powdered sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, salt and beat on medium speed until combined.
To make the coating: Melt the chocolate pieces in the microwave, or over a double boiler. Easy!
To assemble the cookies: Use a spatula or small knife to spread generous amounts of the filling onto the flat bottom of a cookie. Top with another cookie, ridge side up. Set a wire rack on top of a sheet of waxed paper to catch the chocolate drips if you choose to dip your cookies in chocolate. Sprinkle the chocolate with chopped nuts immediately after dipping so they stick. Let stand for 1 hour to harden, or pop them in the fridge for a few minutes.
The cookies last up to 3 days in an airtight container, or 2 weeks in a container in the fridge
Tags: Chocolate, lauren, peanut butter, recipe, sandwich cookies
Posted in Cookies, In the Kitchen, Recipes, friends | 73 Comments »
Yeah for sisters and yeah for these cookies! Amazing!
Your parents sure made cute and adorable babies that grew up so talented! Missing my sister now (sad face). Totally loving the “new” peanut butter cookie bites. Thanks, Lauren, for the scrumptious recipe. I’m going to make it for our neighborhood Halloween Party, Saturday!
Happy Halloween and have some fun!
Fact: I’d rather be in a peanut food coma than the Tuesday coma I’m in at work!
Those look delish!
Your sister is adorable and the cookies look mouth-watering good!
sisters ARE great when ya finally outgrow the teenage years! ( I have 2 sisters myself) So very nice y’all can hang out n bake!And, as always…..YUUUUUMMMMMMM! PS- u get my email?
Joy!
I know it’s really early for this kind of question, but I was just wondering if you have a favorite Christmas cookie cookbook, or any kind of cookie cookbook with creative recipes.
Thanks!
looks pretty amazing!
Yum, yum and YUM!!!
Sisterly love is really the best kind and if your sister’s love translates to cookies like these, you should definitely keep her around. I cannot wait to try these out, I will make them for my sister, that seems like the right way to pay it forward.
My first time here – wow, the sandwich cookies look fabulous! I want a bite of it right now!
Those look fantastic! I love me some little baby pb cookies, but I’ve never thought to make sandwiches AND dip them in chocolate. Clearly, Lauren is one smart baker.
Ohhhh my!! Thanks for sharing these devilish treats!
Lovely smiles both! Having done the peanut butter cookie dunked in chocolate and peanuts myself, your sandwich version has me swooning. Fabulous!
Awww my sister and I grew up together in the kitchen too, so I can totally relate. And this amazing recipe has been bookmarked! Much like all of the recipes on your blog
ok joy, i cater and i am around food 27-7 but, im telling you now girl, i will be making some of these! they look sweet!
forget the scrambled eggs. I’ll eat these for brekkie anytime!
Lauren looks like a great sister.I never had a sister(just two yucky brothers) Ha! Ha!But,all joking aside,sounds like you had much fun growing up.I’m jealous!
I do however,have a daughter named Lauren,and she takes pictures of herself all the time too!:)
wow, looks amazing!!
I really need to explore sandwich cookies more. These look amazing. Peanut butter cookies are my favorite and you have made them even better.
[...] then I saw some peanut butter sandwich cookies and was inspired to give this kitchen thing one last chance. I can’t say if it’s [...]
Ok Lauren! You out did yourself this time! Great job! These cookies are amazing!
these are gorgeous, i’m gonna make them on fri night