These cookies are pretty amazing. While softer than Oreos, the dark chocolate cookie and peanut butter filling are very reminiscent of their store bought counterparts. The filling makes a lot, but it freezes really well, so I would recommend either doubling the cookie recipe, or freezing any leftover frosting. Recipe and photo courtesy of crazyforcrust.com.
Cookies:
- 1/3 cup Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 large egg
Filling:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two cookies sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. In a medium bowl, whisk together cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and flour. Set aside. Cream together butter and both sugars, then add in egg and vanilla, mixing until smooth. Add dry ingredients and mix until combined. Scoop 2 tablespoon sized balls onto cookie sheets and bake for about 8 minutes. (I used a 1 tablespoon scoop so I could get more cookies, and decreased baking time to about 6-7 minutes.) You basically want to cook them til they lose their shine, but if you are worried, under-baking is preferred to over-baking. Let them cool completely before assembling the sandwiches.
To make the filling: beat butter and peanut butter together until smooth. Mix in salt; then slowly beat in powdered sugar. Add vanilla, then 2 tablespoons of cream. Add a third tablespoon if needed for consistency. Once cookies are cooled, frost one cookie and top with another. I cut off the tip of a ziplock bag and used it to pipe the frosting onto the cookies.
