Not too sweet, not too salty, these just right nutty butter sandwich cookies can be gluten and dairy free. It’s a great snack for kids of all ages.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour or gluten free baking mix (5 oz/143 gm)
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda (4 gm)
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (leave out salt if using salted peanut butter)
- 4 oz (1 stick) unsalted butter, chopped (113 gm) (vegan ok)
- *1/2 cup creamy peanut (or other nut) butter (10 oz/300 gm) + 2 tablespoons (1 oz /30 gm) for filling the cookies
- 3/4 cup brown sugar (5 oz/143 gm)
- 1 large egg
- Alternative fillings:
- jam or jelly
- chocolate disks
- *Do not use Sunbutter as it reacts with the baking soda and turns the cookies green.
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda and salt.
- Using an electric or handheld mixer, cream butter and 1/2 cup of peanut butter. Use a spatula to scrape down sides of bowl, then add brown sugar and beat for 2 minutes. Add egg and beat again, scraping down sides of the bowl. Gradually add flour mixture, beating at low speed until just combined.
- For large cookies: place a piece of parchment or wax paper on your work surface and spoon half of the dough onto the paper in a strip 12 to 14 inches long. Fold the paper over the dough and shape the strip of dough into a log. Repeat with the other half.
- For smaller cookies, divide the dough into eight equal pieces and roll logs about 12 inches long. Wrap in plastic and freeze or refrigerate several hours or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. with racks in the middle and lower portions. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Remove dough from freezer or refrigerator one roll at a time. Cut logs into 1/4 inch rounds, and place them on the baking sheets about 1 – 2 inches apart.
- Place 1/4 teaspoon of peanut butter, jam or chocolate ( 1/8 teaspoon for small cookies) in the center of every other round. Top each peanut butter, jam or chocolate covered round with another slice of cookie dough.
- Remove the rest of the dough from freezer or refrigerator and repeat. After covering all of the rounds, lightly flour your fingertips and seal cookies by pressing down gently all the way around.
- For prettier results, freeze the sandwich cookies AGAIN for 20 minutes before baking.
- ALTERNATIVE: bake single cookies. Let cool completely and then fill them as desired.
- Bake large cookies for 15 minutes and small cookies for 10 minutes until cookies are slightly brown and semi-firm to touch. Halfway through baking time, switch baking sheets from top to bottom and from front to back. ( You will have to bake smaller cookies in two batches on a total of 4 baking sheets).
- Remove from heat and let cool. Cookies won’t become crisp until completely cool.
- After baking, sprinkle with brown sugar crystals and serve with extra nut butter or melted chocolate for dipping.
- **Prep time does not include chilling time.
Notes
Adapted from Martha Rose Shulman, Crisp Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies