Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip One-Bite Sandwich Cookies

Okay, so yeah... it's been a few um, months since my last post. Sorry about that. But life has threw me a few curve balls and I didn't feel much like baking. One of the biggest changes has been that I am no longer working for the company that started the whole "Birthday Fairy" thing. I've since started over at a new company in a completely different industry. So far so good! I'm really enjoying the new job and the new folks that I get the pleasure to work with everyday.
Now that I'm settled, I'm really starting to get the itch to bake again. Yippee! I have a lot of awesome stuff lined up too. Let's get on to the good stuff....the cookies!

I selected these because the other day I sent out an email to some friends at work asking them for suggestions on what I should make. My boss and I were talking about it and I told her I was thinking about making something with peanut butter and chocolate. Right when I said that she stopped in her tracks and said, "I was just going to say chocolate and peanut butter! Woah... that's so freaky!" I figured it was a sign. :-)


These cookie sandwiches are really something special. As you eat them, the flavors change and mature. I highly recommend using really good milk chocolate for the filling such as Green and Blacks brand. Also, as much as I try to avoid the cheapo peanut butter with all the sugar, these cookies really need to be made with it. Don't use natural peanut butter as it's just not emulsified or sweet enough for this recipe.

If I met someone who was a diehard chocolate and peanut butter fanatic and I wanted to feed a lot of people, this would be the first thing that would come to mind. These cookies on the crispy side and are not very chewy.... but don't get me wrong, they are good just at bit unexpected. The filling is really something else too. I'd love this in between the layers of chocolate cake. Another plus about this recipe is that it makes so many, so if you need to feed a crowd, this might be a good choice. 

 Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip One-Bite Sandwich Cookies
Yield: About 2 1/2 dozen sandwich cookies
Adapted from Epicurious

Cookies
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon (packed) dark brown sugar
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter like Jiff, NOT all natural
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 1/3 cups (about 8 ounces) of mini milk chocolate chips for small cookies and normal sized chips for larger cookies


Filling
3 ounces high-quality milk chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter like Jiff NOT all natural
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons whipping cream


Cookies
Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk first 4 ingredients in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat granulated sugar, dark brown sugar, and butter in large bowl to blend. Add peanut butter; beat until creamy. Gradually beat in vegetable oil and vanilla extract, then egg. Add dry ingredients; mix just until blended. Stir in milk chocolate chips.

I used this teaspoon-sized cookie scoop but the size is really up to you. Epicurious's recipe says to use a level tablespoonful of dough. Either way, drop cookies onto ungreased baking sheets, spacing about 1/2 inch apart for the tiny sized cookie and up to 1 1/2 inches apart for the tablespoon size. Honestly, I didn't feel like these cookies spread all that much. They rise up and then fall, that's about it.

Bake cookies until puffed and golden brown, about 8 minutes for the smaller cookie and 12 minutes for the larger. Cool slightly, then transfer cookies to rack to cool completely. Seriously...wait for them to really cool down. Otherwise when you try to fill them, the filling will just ooze out and the two cookies won't stay together.

Filling

Place chocolate, peanut butter, powdered sugar, and kosher salt in medium bowl. Bring whipping cream to boil in heavy small saucepan. Pour hot cream over chocolate mixture; stir until mixture is melted and smooth. Chill until filling is thick and spreadable, about 1 hour. Spread a small dollop for smaller cookies and about 1 rounded teaspoonful of chocolate-peanut butter filling on flat side of 1 cookie. Top with second cookie, forming sandwich. Repeat with remaining filling and cookies. (Cookie sandwiches can be made 1 day ahead. Store in airtight container in the refrigerator or at room temperature.)