Heavenly Peanut Butter Cookies

For all y’all peanut butter cup fanatics out there, these have you completely covered.

Any time I have DQ Reese’s blizzards they have been amazing . . . but there’s that chocolate.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m as crazy about chocolate as Willy Wonka, but there’s something about crunching into hard chocolate in soft ice cream that doesn’t fit.  It’s the same thing as nuts in bread – personal preference of course, and maybe some day I’ll change my mind, but for now these cookies are ranking in top position for my ice cream toppings.

I made these and chopped them up lately for when we visited our camping friends – homemade ice cream was on the menu and everyone brought toppings – and I just told everyone that they were essentially Reese’s peanut butter filling.  Everyone absolutely loved them!  They’re the peanut butter equivalent of oatmeal cream pies – yum!  Was that anyone else’s childhood dessert?  It was up there with Nutty Bars for me 🙂

Some notes on the cookies:

1.  Slightly under bake them.  It’s hard to tell, but if the edges are the slightest golden and they look set, consider them done.  The softer they are, the more they taste like Reese’s filling :).  If they get a bit more done, don’t worry, a little crunch is fun too.
2. The more filling the better, but be sure there’s enough for all the sandwiches.

Heavenly Peanut Butter Cookies

For the cookie dough:

3 cups quick oats

1 cup flour

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup peanut butter (I used Skippy Natural Peanut Butter Spread with Honey)

1 cup butter, softened

2 eggs

For the filling:

1 cup powdered sugar

2 cups smooth peanut butter

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• In a medium bowl, mix all the dry ingredients (oats, flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.) Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl (or mixer), mix peanut butter, softened butter, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.
• Pour dry ingredients into peanut butter mixture, stirring until just mixed. (Don’t forget to scrape the bottom of the bowl.)
• Place rounded teaspoonfuls of cookie dough on an ungreased, foil-lined baking sheet, leaving about 1 inch between each one. (I used a jelly roll pan and was able to fit 5 short rows of 4 cookies – 20 total). Using your fingers, gently pat dough down so they form small semi-flattened circles.
• Bake for 8 minutes. Let cool completely on cookie sheet before removing.
• While the cookies are baking, whisk together the powdered sugar and peanut butter until light and airy, about 5 minutes.
• On your work surface, place half of the cookies upside down. Whisk the filling to lighten it. Spoon approximately 1 tablespoon of filling into the center of each upside down cookie. Place second cookie on top of filling and press together until filling just comes to the edges!  Makes approximately 2 dozen SANDWICH cookies (48 total cookies).

(Today’s recipe comes completely from One Good Thing)