Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

I used to love Nutter Butters as a kid. When I was allowed to choose a cookie in the supermarket, I almost always chose the peanut-shaped, peanut butter filled, crunchy cookies. I sometimes dipped them into a glass of milk. If I was feeling destructive, I would split them and carefully lick the filling. Other times I would just inhale them and then try to remember what they tasted like. I was pretty normal as a child.

I was wondering if I could recreate these in my own kitchen so I found a recipe for Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies and got right to work.

This recipe makes a nice, softer version of the original Nutter Butter. I didn't bother to try to shape them like a peanut or to make a faux peanut shell on the outside of the cookie. No, I'll leave that to the folks at Nabisco.

Truth be told, these aren't much like Nutter Butters at all. I guess some childhood memories aren't meant to be copied in the kitchen. The next time I'm in the cookie aisle I'll pick up a package, sit myself down at the kitchen table, pour a tall glass of milk and try to relive some childhood memories.

Baker's Tip: Allow at least an hour of freeze time before you try to slice the cookie dough. Reshape the sliced cookies as needed so they retain their rectangular shape. And try not to eat too much dough as you go!

Ready for the Oven














The recipe is from a past issue of Everyday Food, a Martha Stewart production.

Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups smooth peanut butter
1 large egg
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sugar

In a small bowl, whisk together baking soda, salt, and 2 cups flour. Set aside.
I a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, and 1 cup of peanut butter until light and fluffy. Bean in egg. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture and beat until just combined.

Form dough into two 8-inch long rectangular logs. Wrap each log in plastic wrap and freeze until firm, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350. With a sharp knife, slice dough 1/4 inch thick and place on baking sheets approximately 1 inch apart. Turn dough and reshape as needed while slicing the cookies so that they retain their shape. Bake until cookies are puffed, about 12 to 15 minutes, rotating sheets halfway if baking two at a time.
Transfer to wire racks to cool.

Filling: In a saucepan, whisk milk, and 2 tablespoons flour over medium heat until thickened, about 2 minutes. Let cool. In a mixing bowl, beat together 1/2 cup peanut butter and granulated sugar. Beat in cooled milk mixture.

Assemble Cookies: Spread smooth sides (bottoms) of half the cookies with 1 tablespoon filling. Sandwich with remaining cookies.

These cookies are best eaten within a day or two but will store in an airtight container at room temperature for 5 days.

Cookie press rating: 3 cookies (out of 5)

Cowgirl Cookie Party

My friend Wendy came to me a few months ago to ask if I would help create a cookie party for her daughter Madeline's 6th birthday. I jumped on board with the plan since I thought it is high time cookies take the spotlight at birthday parties. Who needs the dry old cake with super sweet icing. It's time for a cookie party revolution! And I thought it would be fun, which it definitely was.

Wendy and I met a for lunch a few times to plan the party. First up we need to find space to accommodate our group of 17, six year olds and their parents. In case you weren't aware, it's tough to plan kid parties in New York unless you have oodles of money to rent party space and/or lots of space in your apartment. Creative and resourceful Wendy found a great party place, Cowgirl, a West Village restaurant staple for as long as I can remember. The decor is totally hoe down kitsch with western-themed tchotchkes on the walls. Their party room was perfect for hosting our crowd of 30 and the staff couldn't have been any nicer.



The Plan

Now with a western theme under way, Wendy readied the e-invitations and I got to work on the supplies. First, I hit one of my favorite cooking/baking supply stores in the city, Broadway Panhandler, which oddly is not located on Broadway (it used to be). I picked up three cookie cutters-a boot, a horse, and a cacti. Two days before the party I made about 35 cutouts and used my letters to create cookies to spell out Happy Birthday!

On the day of the party we set up cookie decorating work stations at a long table. Each station contained a placemat, paper plate, and cookies. The center of the table was lined with squeeze bottles filled with brightly colored royal icing so the kids could easily grab the colors they liked. I made sure the icing was on the runny side so that it oozed out of the bottles (just a tad thicker than the consistency of white glue). We also included cupcake wrappers filled with various colored sprinkles and toppings placed along the center of the table within easy reach for short arms.














































The kids had a ball decorating cookies! Some kids carefully dotted the cookies with icing while others just poured it on like they were putting maple syrup on pancakes. Whatever the technique, the creations were unique, colorful, and delicious. We wrote each child's name on the bottom of their paper plate and moved the plates to quiet corner of the room to dry while lunch was served. The icing hardened fairly quickly in time for us to place the cookies in cellophane bags as a take away. Wendy also provided gift bags with toys and nifty items. One of the dads entertained the posse with balloon twisty sculptures. A pinata took a beating before it ruptured, spilling its sweet guts all over the floor.

The whole party was two hours. Just long enough to get in all of the action on a cold winter day in the city.
















Create Your Own Cookie Party

Here's a list of what you'll need:

cookie cutters (medium size)
sugar cookie dough (2 or 3 batches depending on how many cookie decorators you have)
cupcake wrappers (foil wrappers work best)
plastic squeeze tubes - enough for each child to have one to start (available from Michael's Crafts or by Wilton baking products)
paper plates
table covering for easy cleanup
cellophane bags with ties or ribbon to close
stick on tags to label bags

Two or three days in advance, make cookie dough and refrigerate. One day before roll the dough, bake cookies and store them in an airtight container at room temperature.

Sugar Cookie Cut Outs

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup butter (1 stick) softened
1 teaspoon vanilla

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together and set aside.
Cream butter and sugar together in a mixer until light and fluffy.
Add the egg and vanilla, mix well.

Add dry ingredients and mix on low speed until ingredients come together.
Do not over mix.

Roll out dough until between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick, cut into shapes and transfer to parchment-lined cookie sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes until lightly browned around the edges. Let cookies cool on try for about a minute and remove to wire racks to finish cooling.

Royal Icing
2 large egg whites
1 pound confectioners' sugar
food coloring or gel paste, which is more concentrated.
warm water as needed (add by the teaspoon) to achieve desired consistency

Beat egg whites, sugar, and 2 teaspoons water on low speed for 10 minutes. For thicker icing continue to beat 2 or 3 minutes more. Transfer to smaller bowls and add food coloring as desired. If icing is too thick, add a drop or two of water to thin. Immediately spoon into plastic bottles and securely fasten with lids. Do not expose icing to the air as it will harden. Royal icing will keep in the fridge for a few days so you can make this ahead.


On party day, set up each child's workstation with a few cookies on a plate, and decorating items like sprinkles. If children are older, you may want to provide offset spatulas or butter knifes to assist in decorating.

My advice is to keep it simple and just have fun!

And Happy 6th Birthday Madeline!

Crispy Cocoa-Walnut Ice Cream Sandwich Cookies

Many of you may be wondering where I've been for the last month or so since my last post back in late January. My life has been consumed by the stressful process of moving. Well, not just moving, but the whole real estate buying process in general. Moving in and of itself is stressful. Add that to a city co-op real estate transaction and it's enough to make anyone start taking Xanax. But all that's behind me and all that's left is unpacking a few boxes and deciding where to hang pictures. The fun stuff.

Needless to say, I haven't had much time to bake and I am going through withdrawals. Kind of like Charlie Sheen these days. Frankly, I'm a little scared to bake in my new oven. It's fairly old and so far the temperature dial is only a mere suggestion of what the inside heat might be. I stress the word MIGHT. Last night I made a meatloaf and set the oven for 350 degrees. About 30 minutes in I checked and the oven thermometer inside was 400! Luckily, I have a window next to the oven so when I do burn something I just open the window and wave the smoke out.

A few weeks before the move I made a special treat for Valentine's Day. Crispy Cocoa-Walnut Cookies admirably served as the outer shell enveloping creamy vanilla ice cream. Topped with chocolate sauce, this dessert was a magnificent ending to a merely average dinner.

Feel free to make these any time of the year. Summer would be an ideal time. Or now. How about right now? Who can resist an ice cream cookie sandwich? No one that I know.

The cookie recipe is courtesy of bon appétit's February issue. The ice cream part was my idea. I substituted walnuts for pecans but you can use any nuts. I think hazelnuts would be an excellent choice.


Crispy Cocoa-Pecan (Walnut) Cookies

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons natural unsweetened cocoa powder (scooped, then leveled)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/3 cup (lightly packed) brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons light corn syrup
2 tablespoons whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts)
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

Whisk flour, cocoa, baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Stir butter, brown sugar, sugar, corn syrup, milk, and vanilla in another medium bowl until smooth. Stir in the flour mixture, then nuts. Cover and chill until firm, about 4 hours or overnight.

Position 1 rack in the top third and 1 rack in the bottom third of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees.

Line 3 large baking sheets with parchment. Measure 2 level tablespoons dough and roll between palms into a ball. Place on prepared baking sheet. Using the palm of your hand, gently press the dough onto the cookie sheet to form a 3-inch diameter disk. Repeat with remaining dough, spacing 5 inches apart.

Bake cookies 8 minutes, reverse sheets. Continue baking until cookies are flat and beginning to darken around the edges, about 10 more minutes. Transfer cookies on parchment paper to rack. Cookies will crisp while they cool.

Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.

Form Ice Cream Sandwiches

Let ice cream soften for 5 minutes or so. Scoop one generous portion of vanilla ice cream onto the bottom of one cookie and then place another cookie on top, pressing gently. Remove any excess ice cream by gently scraping the sides of the cookie with a spatula. Top with melted bittersweet chocolate and serve immediately. Or place on cookie sheet and return sandwiches to the freezer until ice cream has hardened and chocolate has set. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Best eaten within 5 days.

Cookie Press Rating: 4 cookies (out of 5)