I never imagined that I’d ever be posting a peanut butter cookie recipe. There are already crunchy peanut butter cookies, soft ones, chewy ones, and those peanut shaped store bought ones out there. I mean, do we even need another peanut butter cookie recipe? After I tasted this one, it’s a resounding YES! These soft, tender cookies combined with a silky, smooth filling are a new peanut butter experience that I had to share.
The key to getting the soft texture in the cookie, without being dry, is cake flour. So don’t substitute it, because it’s vital to achieve the correct texture. Make sure to weigh your flour for the most accurate results. The second important ingredient is heavy whipping cream. Just a little added to the filling gives it a luxurious, silky texture.
This recipe makes sixteen medium size peanut butter cookies, which will give you eight sandwiches. If you want more, you can double the recipe or make the cookies smaller. Smaller cookies will have a shorter baking time.
Melt-in-Your-Mouth Peanut Butter Cookie Sandwiches
Ingredients
Peanut Butter Cookies
- 1 cup (4 1/2 oz or 128g) all purpose flour, sifted
- ½ cup (2 oz or (57g) cake flour, sifted
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¾ cup (6 3/4 oz or 191g) creamy peanut butter
- ¼ cup (2 oz or 57g) unsalted butter, softened
- ¼ cup (1 5/8 or 47g) vegetable shortening
- ½ cup (3 1/2 oz or 100g) packed brown sugar
- ½ cup (3 1/2 oz or 100g) granulated sugar, divided
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Peanut Butter Filling
- ½ cup (4 1/2 oz or 128g) creamy peanut butter, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons (1 oz or 28g) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup (2 oz or 57g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 ½ tablespoons (1 1/4 oz or 37ml) heavy whipping cream, room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pinch fine sea salt
Instructions
Peanut Butter Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, cake flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the peanut butter, butter and shortening until smooth.
- Beat in the egg and vanilla until well combined.
- Set aside 1/4 cup (50g) of the granulated sugar. Beat the peanut butter mixture with brown sugar and remaining granulated sugar, with an electric mixer at medium speed, until light and fluffy.
- Add the flour mixture and beat just until combined.
- Roll the dough into 1 1/2-inch (3.8cm) diameter balls (about 1 1/4 oz or 35g each). Roll the dough balls in the reserved granulated sugar.
- Place the dough balls 3 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets. Flatten with a fork, making a criss cross pattern.
- Bake until the cookies are puffy and start to crack around the edges, about 9-11 minutes.
- Let the cookies cool on baking sheet for 1 minute, then carefully transfer them to a cooling rack. The cookies will be fragile, but they will firm up as they cool.
- Place a spoonful of filling on the bottoms of half of the cooled cookies. Top with remaining the remaining cookies.
Peanut Butter Filling
- In medium bowl, beat the peanut butter and butter together until smooth.
- Beat in the powdered sugar, heavy cream, vanilla and salt until smooth.
