Peanut Butter Filled - Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

Here is the scoop on these YUMMY cookies. My toddler son was recently very sick and instead of putting him in the hospital, his pediatrician and nurse practitioner, saw him 5 out of 7 days at the office, even on the weekend. I wanted to show my thanks to them by baking something from the heart....this seemed like just the thing! I pulled it out of Rachel Ray's Magazine, and it was super easy. They loved them!

If you want to be a hero BUT are really busy, make a batch of these....

if I can do it, so can you!

Here the link to the actual recipe, but in this post I'll add my "chef's notes."



Peanut Butter-Stuffed Milk Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
Makes: 8
Prep + Bake: 1hr or less
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Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups (15 ounces) milk chocolate chips
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a medium, microwavable bowl, melt together 2 cups chocolate chips and 2 tablespoons butter on medium power until almost melted, about 1 1/2 minutes; stir just until smooth.**Shannon's Note: Don't melt the chocolate until AFTER you have mixed the sugar/egg mixture below. I'll mark it for you.**
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Using an electric mixer, beat together the eggs, granulated sugar and vanilla at high speed until thickened and fluffy, about 5 minutes. **While beating this mixture, melt the chocolate, and get it ready to mix in here.** Mix in the melted chocolate at medium speed; whisk in the flour mixture. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Refrigerate the dough until firm enough to scoop, but still soft, 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Onto each prepared pan, drop 12 rounded tablespoons of dough 2 inches apart. Bake, switching and rotating the pans halfway through baking, until the cookies appear bubbly and still soft, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely.*I put on a cooling rack.*
4. In a medium bowl, beat together the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and the peanut butter. Sift in the confectioners’ sugar and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt; beat until fluffy. On the flat side of each of 8 cookies, spread about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the peanut butter mixture; sandwich with the remaining cookies.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

My cookies were not as flat as the ones in the magazine, (see photo) I think I should have made sure that they were really "rounded." Also, you will have extra cookies after you cream the 8, JUST EAT 'EM! You could also just make another batch of the cream and make more sandwiches The magazine had a "tip: Use the peanut butter filling between your favorite chocolate chip or sugar cookies."

Bake like a professional with this easy recipe.