Peanut Butter & Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

Maybe it's because I'm pregnant (yes, let's say that's why), but this weekend I was really craving peanut butter cookies.

So I tweaked this recipe from Martha Stewart a bit by adding chocolate to the soft peanut cream filling (an obvious and highly necessary tweak in my opinion).... and they were delicious!

Read on for the recipe...

• 
  
•  Peanut Butter - Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
• (adapted from original recipe here)
• 
  
• Ingredients:
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 
  
• Peanut Butter Filling
• • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 3/4 cup chocolate chips - melted
  • 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
   

Directions

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add oats and cook, stirring, until toasted, 5 to 7 minutes. Spread oat mixture onto prepared baking sheet and let cool.
2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together remaining 1/2 cup butter, granulated and brown sugars. Add peanut butter and mix until well combined.
4. Add oat mixture and flour mixture; mix on low speed until combined. Turn dough out onto a piece of parchment paper. Cover dough with a second piece of parchment paper and roll out dough, between parchment, to 1/4 inch thick. Carefully slide rolled dough onto the back of a baking sheet and transfer to a refrigerator until chilled, about 20 minutes.
5. Remove top layer of parchment paper; cut out cookies using a 2-inch round cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets.
6. Transfer baking sheets to oven and bake until golden, rotating baking sheets halfway through baking, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely on baking sheets.
7. Mix together all the ingredients for the creamy chocolate-peanut butter filling, and let cool slightly if still hot from the melted chocolate.
8. When cookies have cooled completely, spread a generous amount of filling on the bottom side of half of the cookies. Top with remaining cookies to form sandwiches. Enjoy!