by MrsWheelbarrow
View
my 68 recipes »
Photo by James Ransom
MrsWheelbarrow's Notes:
Expand6 ounces unsalted butter, best quality Ask a question about this ingredient
3/4 cups creamy peanut butter (I use Jif - do not use natural peanut butter) Ask a question about this ingredient
1/2 cup light brown sugar Ask a question about this ingredient
1/2 cup white sugar Ask a question about this ingredient
1 egg Ask a question about this ingredient
1/2 vanilla bean, scrape seeds Ask a question about this ingredient
2 cups all purpose flour Ask a question about this ingredient
1/2 teaspoon baking soda Ask a question about this ingredient
1/4 teaspoon salt Ask a question about this ingredient
Preheat oven to 350. Line two baking sheets with parchment.
Ask a question about this stepCream butter, peanut butter and sugar together until lightened.
Ask a question about this stepAdd egg, beat to combine, then add vanilla bean. Beat well until combined and lightened.
Ask a question about this stepSift together flour, baking soda and salt. Fold into butter mixture thoroughly, but gently.
Ask a question about this stepPlace rounded teaspoons of dough on the sheet pan, about 2" apart, and press down gently with a fork or with two floured fingers.
Ask a question about this stepBake about 10-12 minutes, until barely golden on top, and golden brown on the bottom. The cookies will be very soft, so don't fuss with them until they cool.
Ask a question about this stepAllow the cookies to cool completely while you make the sandwich cream.
Ask a question about this step8 tablespoons butter Ask a question about this ingredient
2 cups confectioners sugar Ask a question about this ingredient
1 cup creamy peanut butter Ask a question about this ingredient
1 cup finely chopped semisweet chocolate or miniature chips Ask a question about this ingredient
4-6 tablespoons heavy cream Ask a question about this ingredient
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract Ask a question about this ingredient
Beat the sugar, butter and peanut butter together.
Ask a question about this stepStir in vanilla and chocolate. Add cream until smooth enough to spread.
Ask a question about this stepPut the little cookies together, gluing one half to the other with a very generous schmear of sandwich cream. If you are very lucky, there will be broken halves, or uneven numbers - as that means a little snack for the baker.
Ask a question about this stepHi Janet, I've never frozen these cookies. They have such a light crumb, I'm not sure how they will do after freezing. The log may reduce the cookie's lift. I'm so curious, so please let me know how it works!
Mmmmmmmm. These are really really good. They will be snatched up quickly at my sisters house on Xmas eve!
A few notes to future bakers. Make them small as they are really rich. I made them too big and we have been cutting them in half too share. I also recommend refrigerating them until just before serving.
Next time I make them, I may put the mini chips in the cookie dough instead of the sandwich cream. I may also use a bit less sugar in the dough as they are sweet with the sandwich creme. The cookies are crumbly but making sure you bake them until golden brown on the bottom as recommended by the recipe author seemed to firm up the cookie. Maybe another egg in the batter might do this too. I made mine gluten free by using a blend of millet, oat, white rice, almond, sorghum flours with potato starch so that may have been why they were crumbly.
Wonderful recipe and they will be enjoyed. Thanks so much for sharing!!!
Why shouldn't I use natural peanut butter??
I have tried natural peanut butter and the cookies were not the same.
The cookies just aren't the same.
Come visit Emily! I'll make a batch for you!
I made these for my holiday party this year and they were a hit! Thanks Ms. Wheelbarrow! Super peanut-chocolate-y! :)
Yay! So glad!
I made these today for a Sunday meeting of the San Ignacio Art League. They (and I) loved them! The texture was just right for a sandwich cookie (would have been a little crumbly without the filling) and the fillinf was really, really good! I started making them as the recipe suggested, by rounded teaspoonsful. After 52 of those, which were 1 3/4" in diameter. Then I switched to a #50 portion scoop (3-3/4 teaspoons) and made 18 more, which were 2 1/2" in diameter...all from the same batch of batter. Howcomeisit that when a cookie recipe says to use teaspoonful amounts I end up with two or three times the number of cookies there should be?! If I had used that #50 scoop for all of them, I would have had about 445-50 cookies.
And while I'm on a rant - What's with the inconsistent measurment of butter (ounces for the cookies and tablespoons for the filling)? Glad I too it literally and used 12 tablespoons for the cookies!
Well, I'll overlook the trivialities, because I appreciate your posting this recipe, MrsWheelbarrow. It's the best peanut butter cookie I've ever made!
Hi Wiley, hey, you're totally right about the inconsistencies! I'm so sorry. I've just made two batches of these cookies. I use a tiny scoop, about 3/4" across, and get 48 sandwich cookies or use a larger scoop, about 1-1/2" across, and get 20 sandwich cookies. I prefer the tiny size as they are so rich.
Who doesn't LOVE peanut butter cookies!!! Here's a silly question: I see that the cookie recipe makes 4 dozen. So then when you're done, you'll have 2 dozen sandwiched cookies, right? I need to know because I'll be making these for a food52 function and there's no way I'm getting out of the house without leaving some for my kids. If the end-yield is 2 dozen, looks like I'll have to double it...darnit ;-)
Very delicious. I made these last night and they have been gobbled up by my coworkers. So tender and the mini chips are the perfect little bite in the middle.
I like her concept that these cookies are small in size... that's what caught my attention. and they look good. thanks
I'd definitely go with a commercial (not natural) brand of PB like JIF or Skippy, particularly for the frosting/creme. I think the stabilizers in the commercial brands lend themselves to the consistency of the PB frosting/creme.
What brand of commercial peanut butter? Where do I get it? I'm in the NY area.
Excellent concept. Impossible to go wrong with peanut butter, vanilla and chocolate.
Fantastic idea. I agree, I always bake with commercial PB, it always seems to taste better.
Wow! These sound amazing... almost like filling peanut butter cookies with peanut butter cookie dough!
Michael is a food critic and established cookbook author -- Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking is the most recent addition to his vast body of work.
I've made the batter and filling for this recipe and would like to freeze both. Should I roll the dough into a log and cover in heavy foil to freeze? Also, can I freeze the filling in a heavy Tupperware container?