Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

From Cook's Illustrated, March 1, 2012.

NOTES

Parchment paper; handheld mixer.
Fine to use natural peanut butter.
Fine to use 2% milk; original recipe calls for whole milk.

Use a traditional whisk, not a flat one.

Peanut butter should be at room temperature.

Fairly easy recipe; very crunchy cookies.

Cookies as shaped in original recipe are very big!
Large cookies will make 12-14 sandwich cookies. Smaller cookies could make twice as many.

Peanuts need to be raw.
Some stores have chopped peanuts in bulk.


INGREDIENTS

COOKIES
1-1/4 cup chopped raw peanuts
3/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 Tbl unsalted butter
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
3 Tbl milk
1 egg

FILLING
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
3 Tbl unsalted butter
1 cup powdered sugar


INSTRUCTIONS for cookies

1. Toast the peanuts in a skillet on a medium light, stirring frequently about 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Do not overtoast! Spread peanuts on cool surface to cool.

2. Melt the butter for the cookies and set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

4. In a second medium bowl, place egg, peanut butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Whisk together. (It will be a bit stiff at first.)

5. In a very small bowl, carefully warm the milk in microwave so it is just barely warm. Then add it to the melted butter. (The hope is the butter won't congeal when added to the other ingredients.)

6. Whisk butter mixture into peanut butter mixture.

7. Preheat the oven to 350, with oven racks at medium-high and medium-low positions. Prep two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

8. Using a rubber spatula, stir flour mixture into peanut butter mixture until combined.

9. Add the toasted peanuts and stir with spatula to combine.

10. For full-size cookies, use a tablespoon measuring spoon (or a #60 scoop) and space dough balls evenly apart, 12 to a cookie sheet. These cookies spread! For smaller cookies, plan accordingly.

11. Using the flat bottom of a mug, dip the mug's base in water and then press each cookie flat, leveling out the cookies with your fingers. The full-size cookies should be almost 2" in diameter. Smaller cookies could be up to 1".

12. Put two cookie sheets in at a time for 15-18 minutes, switching racks and rotating the sheets about halfway through. Cookies should be a deep brown and slightly firm to the touch.

13. Cool on cookie sheets for 5 min before transferring to wire racks, and while cookies are cooling, prepare the filling.


INSTRUCTIONS for filling

14. In a microwave-safe medium-small bowl, add peanut butter and butter.

15. Soften for 30-40 seconds in the microwave and use a rubber spatula to stir to combine.

16. Use the spatula to stir in the powdered sugar.


ASSEMBLING the cookies

17. Pair two cookies up. For full-size cookies, use 1 Tbl of the filling in the center of one cookie and press the second cookie, right side up, firmly but carefully to spread the filling. Use up to 1/2 Tbl filling for smaller cookies.

18. Allow filling to set for 1 hour before serving.

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