Cooke Week - Peanut Butter Sandwiches

I can't have a cookie week without including peanut butter and chocolate. It is one of my most favorite flavor combinations ever. When my mom and I made cookies for Christmas, I would inevitably pick at least two or three PB&C recipes for us to make. Then I would promptly eat all of them. I can't make peanut butter blossoms because I will wind up downing the entire batch.

Today's PB&C cookie is from the Smitten Kitchen cookbook. When I saw this recipe I knew it was for me and my belly.  I mean come on. Peanut butter cookies sandwiched with a peanut butter and chocolate filling? Ah-mazing.

I used my tried and true method of rolling the dough between two sheets of plastic wrap and these cookies were done in no time. It's a very crumbly dough, which resulted in a deliciously crumbly cookie. I want to eat them all.  ALL THE COOKIES! (then buy Allie Brosh's book and laugh, great day)

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Peanut Butter and Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
Adapted from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook

Cookies 
(I measured out the peanut butter by weighing on a scale, so much easier than using a measuring cup)

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup creamy peanut butter (255 grams)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.  In a large bowl, beat butter on medium-high until fluffy.  Add peanut butter and mix until combined.  Add sugars and beat on medium-high until combined and fluffy.  Scrape down sides of the bowl and add egg, beat until combined.  Dump in all of the flour mixture and mix on low until the dough comes together. It will seem quite dry and crumbly.

Set a long sheet of plastic wrap onto your counter top. Dump the dough onto the plastic wrap and gently flatten. Fold plastic wrap over the top of the dough. Roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Transfer plastic wrapped dough onto a baking sheet and set in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 ºF and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silpats.  Remove dough from the fridge and peel back top layer of the plastic wrap. Stamp out cookies with either a 1 1/2-inch circle or square.  Bake cookies for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 3 minutes on the cookie sheet, move to a wire rack and let cool completely before filling.

Filling

8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Pinch of salt

Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a double boiler (or in a bowl set over simmering water). Stir until the chocolate is melted and the peanut butter and butter are combined.  Remove from the simmering water and let cool until thick but still warm.  Using a knife, spread some of this mixture on half of the cookies, sandwich with the remaining half of the cookies. (Or you can do like I did, use a pastry bag and pipe out the chocolate onto half of the cookies).

YUM!