Homemade Nutter Butters

Here I go again with the cookie aisle making an appearance on my blog under the premise that I can make the familiar favorites into prodigious caricatures of themselves. See the Adult Oreos post from November for reference.

I blame my unusual obsession with what I call snack food aisle cookies on my childhood. I grew up in a house that was perpetually on a diet which meant that all forms of junk food were not allowed through the front door except on special occasions. That said, a part of me is actually glad that sweets were not in the house because frankly, I am not crazy about them as I think they taste processed and artificial. However, I do love the concept; a creamy peanut butter filling between two peanut butter cookies, what's not to like? So, like chocolate chip cookies which I truly believe should only be homemade with lots of love, I believe these types of cookies should also be homemade with lots of love.

This recipe make a lot of cookies so this is fair warning. Half the recipe if you are not feeding an army. xoxo - enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Thomas Keller of Bouchon Bakery

Cookie Dough

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter, preferably Skippy
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/3 cup coarsely chopped unsalted peanuts
2 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats

Filling

1/4 pound (1 stick) salted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter, preferably Skippy
1 2/3 cup confectioners' sugar sifted

Make the cookie dough: preheat over to 350 degrees. In a bowl, mix together with a fork the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. Using a mixer with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and peanut butter. Add sugars and beat at medium speed for 4 minutes, scraping down the bowl a few times.

At low speed, add the eggs and vanilla, mix well. Add flour mixture and mix until just incorporated. Fold in peanuts and oats and until completely combined with a rubber spatula.

Place tablespoon sized balls onto a baking sheet about three inches apart. Bake until cookies have spread and are light golden brown, about 11 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheet at least 15 minutes before transferring to a rack or newspaper to cool completely before adding filling.

For the filling; cream together butter, peanut butter and confectioners' sugar using an electric mixer until completely smooth.

To assemble, spread a thin layer of the filling an underside of a cookie and sandwich with another cookie.