Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

Peanut butter lovers, this one is for you! Two crisp cookies, sandwiched together with a creamy filling...yum!These can be enjoyed at room temperature, or you can throw them in the freezer after they have been baked and filled, and enjoy them that way. Both ways are good! (I also think these would be delicious dipped half-way in chocolate!)

Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

Adapted from Martha Stewart via Not So Humble Pie
Makes about three dozen sandwiches

Cookie:
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting (or 10 oz Soft White wheat flour)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature but still firm
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar (or honey sucanat)
1/2 cup light brown sugar (or honey sucanat)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Peanut Butter Cream:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature but still firm
3/4 cup confectioners sugar
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons heavy cream (optional) (I omitted)

Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.

Beat butter, peanut butter, and sugars in bowl of an electric mixer using paddle attachment, or using a hand mixer. Beat for 3-4 minutes, until light and fluffy. Turn mixer to low and add vanilla and egg. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Continuing on low speed, add flour mixture. Mix until combined (1 minute).

Separate the dough into two portions, and wrap each in plastic wrap. Flatten into disks. Chill at least one hour or overnight.

After your dough is chilled, preheat oven to 325ºF. Roll out one of the dough disks on a well floured surface. Cut into desired shapes using cookie cutter. Place cookies on pans lined with parchment paper, or silicone baking mats. If dough becomes too soft while being re-rolled, wrap it back in plastic and place in freezer to reharden, and roll out the other disk of dough.

Once cookies have been trayed, you can place trays in freezer until cookies are hard to help them hold their shape better while baking. (This is optional).

Bake cookies until crisp, about 20 minutes.

Allow cookies to cool completely on a wire wrack before filling them.

For the filling:

Combine butter, peanut butter, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, (or using a hand mixer). Beat on medium until filling is uniform and fluffy. If filling seems too dense, add some cream. ( I didn't feel it needed any).

To make sandwiches, either fill a zip-top bag with filling and squeeze onto cookies, or spread it on using a spatula. Just spread a generous amount of filling on bottom of one cookie, and top with another.

They are now ready to enjoy. You can serve at room temperature, or chilled. (You can just store the cookies in the freeze, and take them out as you need them).

Cookies will keep for 3 days in an air-tight container at room temperature, or 4 weeks in the freezer. Enjoy!