Yummy peanut butter cookies. A little crumbly with shortbread-like texture and a serious dose of peanut butter flavor. I’m baking for various people and organizations and I hope they like them since my family doesn’t like and generally won’t try peanut butter. Well, Rob does, but he prefers a chewy cookie. So this one is tricky but I do recommend them. My personal filling choice might be a simple vanilla cream or even solo with a cup of strong coffee – since I’m realizing I no longer like peanut butter and chocolate together. Yikes. These are really easy to make and fun for kids to fill the cookies – or nice by yourself. A little therapeutic for me. I think this weekend I’ll make a batch of vanilla ice cream and mix in these cookies and I have a very good feeling about that! Keep you posted. Enjoy –
peanut butter chocolate cream cookies (from The Craft of Baking by Karen DeMasco and Mindy Fox):
cookies–
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temp
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon lightly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (do not use a natural peanut butter Skippy was great)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg
Preheat oven to 350 – or use convection mode and preheat to 325.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
With paddle attachment of mixer, beat together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Medium high.
Add the peanut butter and beat to combine – scrape down the sides and beat again.
On low speed, add the veggie oil, vanilla extract and egg. scrape and mix again.
Again, on lowest speed (or by hand, fold) mix in the dry ingredients being careful not to over mix. Beat just combine.
Roll dough into 1/2 inch balls (or bigger or smaller – just change baking time) Or use a cookie scooper (they won’t look as smooth.) The dough might be sticky so use a little flour on your hands to help.
Place on parchment lined cookie sheets and bake until cookies are golden brown on edges. You really have to check your own time here. Karen says 12 min but mine took longer at 350. I also baked in convection and they took less time. So use 12 as a guide but might take up to 17 – or more…or less!
Let cool then eat or fill with choc/peanut filling below or with ganache or vanilla cream or vanilla ice cream and freeze.
filling–
6 ounces milk chocolate
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup heavy cream
Combine the chocolate, peanut butter, confectioners’ sugar and salt.
Heat the cream – bring to just almost a boil, then pour over the chocolate mixture. Whisk until smooth.
Let sit to room temp, or place in ice bath – for spreading consistency. With an offset spatula or knife, spread on flat side of cookie and press another on top. Enjoy –
