Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies with Milk Chocolate Filling
By America's Test KitchenPublished on January 23, 2012
Time
2 hours, plus 1 hour setting
Yield
Makes 24 cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
1 ¼ cups (6 ¼ ounces/177 grams) raw peanuts, toasted and cooled¾ cup (3 ¾ ounces/106 grams) all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted½ cup creamy peanut butter ½ cup (3 ½ ounces/99 grams) granulated sugar ½ cup packed (3 ½ ounces/99 grams) light brown sugar 3 tablespoons whole milk 1 large eggFilling
½ cup creamy peanut butter 6 ounces (170 grams) finely chopped milk chocolate 1 cup (4 ounces/113 grams) confectioners' sugarBefore You Begin
Do not use unsalted peanut butter for this recipe.
Instructions
- Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Pulse peanuts in food processor until finely chopped, about 8 pulses. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together in bowl. Whisk butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, milk, and egg together in second bowl. Stir flour mixture into peanut butter mixture with rubber spatula until combined. Stir in peanuts until evenly distributed.
- Using #60 scoop or tablespoon measure, place 12 mounds, evenly spaced, on each prepared baking sheet. Using damp hand, flatten mounds until 2 inches in diameter.
- Bake until deep golden brown and firm to touch, 15 to 18 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking. Let cookies cool on sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire rack and let cool completely, about 30 minutes. Repeat portioning and baking remaining dough.
- Microwave peanut butter until melted and warm, about 40 seconds. Using rubber spatula, stir in milk chocolate until melted, microwaving for 10 seconds at a time if necessary. Then stir in confectioners’ sugar until combined.
- Place 24 cookies upside down on work surface. Place 1 level tablespoon (or #60 scoop) warm filling in center of each cookie. Place second cookie on top of filling, right side up, pressing gently until filling spreads to edges. Allow filling to set for 1 hour before serving. Assembled cookies can be stored in airtight container for up to 3 days.
for the cookies
for the filling
to assemble
Time
2 hours, plus 1 hour settingYield
Makes 24 cookiesIngredients
Cookies
1 ¼ cups (6 ¼ ounces/177 grams) raw peanuts, toasted and cooled
¾ cup (3 ¾ ounces/106 grams) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
½ cup creamy peanut butter
½ cup (3 ½ ounces/99 grams) granulated sugar
½ cup packed (3 ½ ounces/99 grams) light brown sugar
3 tablespoons whole milk
1 large egg
Filling
½ cup creamy peanut butter
6 ounces (170 grams) finely chopped milk chocolate
1 cup (4 ounces/113 grams) confectioners' sugar
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Cookies
1 ¼ cups (6 ¼ ounces/177 grams) raw peanuts, toasted and cooled
¾ cup (3 ¾ ounces/106 grams) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
½ cup creamy peanut butter
½ cup (3 ½ ounces/99 grams) granulated sugar
½ cup packed (3 ½ ounces/99 grams) light brown sugar
3 tablespoons whole milk
1 large egg
Filling
½ cup creamy peanut butter
6 ounces (170 grams) finely chopped milk chocolate
1 cup (4 ounces/113 grams) confectioners' sugar
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Cookies
1 ¼ cups (6 ¼ ounces/177 grams) raw peanuts, toasted and cooled
¾ cup (3 ¾ ounces/106 grams) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
½ cup creamy peanut butter
½ cup (3 ½ ounces/99 grams) granulated sugar
½ cup packed (3 ½ ounces/99 grams) light brown sugar
3 tablespoons whole milk
1 large egg
Filling
½ cup creamy peanut butter
6 ounces (170 grams) finely chopped milk chocolate
1 cup (4 ounces/113 grams) confectioners' sugar
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Peanut butter flavor molecules can be trapped by flour in baked applications, so we ratcheted up the flavor’s intensity by sandwiching an uncooked peanut butter filling between our cookies. Adding a full cup of confectioners’ sugar to the filling made it firm enough to stay in place, and we balanced the sweetness with a relatively low-sugar cookie component. Extra liquid and extra baking soda gave our cookies the thin, flat dimensions and sturdy crunch that are vital to a sandwich cookie.
Before You Begin
Do not use unsalted peanut butter for this recipe.
Instructions
- Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Pulse peanuts in food processor until finely chopped, about 8 pulses. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together in bowl. Whisk butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, milk, and egg together in second bowl. Stir flour mixture into peanut butter mixture with rubber spatula until combined. Stir in peanuts until evenly distributed.
- Using #60 scoop or tablespoon measure, place 12 mounds, evenly spaced, on each prepared baking sheet. Using damp hand, flatten mounds until 2 inches in diameter.
- Bake until deep golden brown and firm to touch, 15 to 18 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking. Let cookies cool on sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire rack and let cool completely, about 30 minutes. Repeat portioning and baking remaining dough.
- Microwave peanut butter until melted and warm, about 40 seconds. Using rubber spatula, stir in milk chocolate until melted, microwaving for 10 seconds at a time if necessary. Then stir in confectioners’ sugar until combined.
- Place 24 cookies upside down on work surface. Place 1 level tablespoon (or #60 scoop) warm filling in center of each cookie. Place second cookie on top of filling, right side up, pressing gently until filling spreads to edges. Allow filling to set for 1 hour before serving. Assembled cookies can be stored in airtight container for up to 3 days.
for the cookies
for the filling
to assemble
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