A cookie that takes the PB crown: Peanut butter sandwich cookies with peanut buttercream

If you answer “peanut butter” to the “what’s your favourite cookie” question, you may want to sit down. This is the ultimate peanut butter cookie, we defy you to find one that could be more peanut buttery. Fine, you could roll these in some toasted peanuts, but that’s literally the only way to cram any more peanut flavour into this...wait, that’s not a bad idea...

Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

By Josie Malevich

A light and fluffy peanut buttercream is sandwiched between two soft and chewy peanut butter oat cookies for one tasty treat. Serve with a large glass of milk — and dip or drizzle with melted dark chocolate if desired!

Ingredients

Peanut Butter Cookies:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• ½ cup smooth peanut butter, room temperature
• ⅔ cup packed brown sugar
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup quick cooking rolled oats

Peanut Butter Buttercream:

• ⅓ cup smooth peanut butter
• ¼ cup unsalted butter
• 1 ½ cup icing sugar
• 4 tsp 35% whipping cream (approx.)
• Pinch salt

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.

Beat together the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar with electric beaters until light and fluffy. Beat in the peanut butter. Beat in the egg until incorporated. Beat in the vanilla. Stir in flour mixture and then beat just until blended. Fold in the oats. Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days. (This will make them easy to roll and shape.)

Using a tablespoon to measure, roll the dough into roughly 1-inch balls. Arrange them on parchment paper-lined baking sheets, spacing them about 2-inches apart. Press to flatten each using the tines of a fork.

Bake in middle the middle of the oven, one tray at a time, until cookies are set around the edges but still a little soft in the centre, about 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Makes about 28 cookies.

Peanut Butter Buttercream:

Beat the butter and peanut butter with an electric mixture until combined. Slowly beat in the icing sugar on low speed. Beat in the cream and the sprinkle of salt; mix until smooth and fluffy. If the cream is too thick, add 1 to 2 teaspoons more cream. (Makes 1 heaping cup.)

Spread or pipe a heaping tablespoon of buttercream on half of the cookies and top with the remaining cookies. Press to sandwich them.