Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

The following “Chew This!” column has been reprinted from “The Courier-Times”, Sunday, December 17th 2017 edition. By: Blaise Doubman 

The Perfect Cookie for your Holiday Cookie Plate
Blaise Doubman

The Holiday season is in full swing and Christmas will be here before you know it! I hope that as you are reading this you have finished your shopping, tucked away your lists and have the presents wrapped and under the Christmas tree! No? Well, join the club! It seems that with each passing year, the Holidays just keep getting more and more stressful. Do you think? Whenever I think of the Holidays I try to distance myself from the “give me, give me” nature of things and shift more towards the true, real meaning of the Holiday season. I love to present people with Christmas cards, cookie platters and little things here and there that say “thank you for all that you have done for me this year”, or “thank you for being there”. People just want to be acknowledged and I love showing my thanks for people all year around, but especially during the Holiday season. There are so many people in my life who I am truly thankful for and I want to show them that. Not because it is Christmas and I “have to” but because I want to!

My holiday cookie plates this year will be a combined effort between my Mom, Darla and myself. We have big plans but are keeping it simple with traditional favorites as well as with some unexpected goodies. The Original Good’s Candies in Kennard are helping us out with a certain “token” of appreciation but I can not say anything further yet, for I want to keep the surprise. The recipe I am sharing today of my “Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies” are fabulous in not only that the cookies are literally only 3 ingredients but fabulous in a way that they are so simple and so delicious! Are you a fan of the peanut butter “Nutter Butter” cookies that you find in the grocery store? These are like those but with the volume turned way up! I could just eat the filling by itself and my taste testers agreed that these were perhaps the very best peanut butter cookies they had ever had! Make these for your Holiday cookie plates and even include this column or recipe! There is nothing like cookies to show someone you care.

Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

These peanut butter sandwich cookies are best kept covered at room temperature. They can be individually wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in a container as well. They will last for 5 days but I do not think they will sit around that long. For an even richer cookie dip one side of the cookie into melted chocolate or white chocolate ganache. To make the ganache add 2 cups chocolate chips to a bowl and pour over 3/4 cup hot heavy cream. Allow to sit for a full minute before whisking together. The ganache will be smooth and glossy when ready to use.

For the cookies…
2 cups smooth peanut butter
2 cups white granulated sugar
2 large eggs, beaten

For the filling…
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1 cup marshmallow fluff
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F.

Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl combine the smooth peanut butter with the granulated sugar and beaten eggs. The finished dough will be thick, this is desirable, with no flakes of sugar left to combine.

Using a tablespoon as your measure, measure out the dough and roll into balls. Place the dough balls onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2-inches of space between each.

Using a wet fork, make a “cross hatch” mark on each cookie dough ball, slightly pressing down.

Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, in the preheated oven for 13 minutes.

Remove and allow the cookies to cool on their baking sheets at room temperature before removing or continuing with the recipe.

To make the filling, combine the smooth peanut butter, marshmallow fluff and pure vanilla extract in a medium sized bowl. The finished filling will be light colored and semi-thick.

To assemble the cookies, spread the filling over the bottom of a cookie, and top with another cookie, crosshatch mark facing up and press together gently. Serve or prepare to store.

Ask and Answer: I have received a few emails from people wondering what the perfect “Christmas Cookie Plate” would have on it and how they should go about preparing one. Well, first I would say that if you are making a lot of plates to pass out, make cookie dough that can be made well in advance! Which would be almost any cookie, aside from peanut butter. Make up the dough, when you find the time, place it into the refrigerator and bake them when you are getting ready to prepare the cookie platters. Most cookie doughs can be made, and chilled, up to 4 days before baking off. I would also recommend baking only three or four types of cookies so not to overwhelm. I usually will add a few chocolates, or pieces of fudge around the plate for decoration but it really is not necessary. I would also recommend using a nice festive Holiday plate and wrapping the plate in plastic wrap and perhaps topping each with some ribbon and a festive bow with frills. People usually eat with their eyes first.