Chocolate and peanut butter sandwich cookies

Kimber says: “This sandwich cookie is a take on the classic peanut butter cookie, the old-fashioned, but still delicious, type that is flattened with a fork and bears the familiar crosshatch pattern. For this version, the cookies are made with oat flour, which gives them more flavour and adds a delicious chewy texture. The cookies are also sandwiched with both peanut butter frosting and a small amount of chocolate ganache.”

Ingredients

30g unsalted butter, at room temperature
75g light brown sugar
1 tablespoon whole milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
75g smooth peanut butter
75g oat flour
35g traditional rolled oats
⅛ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

For the chocolate ganache:

35ml double (heavy) cream
35g milk chocolate, finely chopped

For the peanut butter frosting:

25g unsalted butter, very soft
25g smooth peanut butter
50g icing (powdered) sugar
Pinch of fine sea salt

Method

Preheat the oven to 180ºC (160ºC fan) and line a baking tray (sheet pan) with parchment paper.

To make the cookies, place the butter and sugar in a large bowl and, using an electric hand mixer, beat together for two to three minutes until pale and creamy. Add the milk, vanilla and peanut butter and beat for a further two minutes, or until fully combined and smooth.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture and mix until a uniform dough is formed.

Divide into 10 equal pieces and roll each one into a ball. Place on the prepared baking tray and use a flat-bottomed glass to flatten each one into a 6cm (2½in) diameter disc.

Bake for 15–17 minutes, or until the edges are starting to brown. Remove and set aside to cool.

While the cookies are baking, make the ganache. Add the cream and chocolate to a small bowl and heat together in a microwave until the chocolate has melted, then mix together to form a smooth ganache. Set aside until needed.

To make the frosting, add the butter and peanut butter to a bowl and beat together until soft and creamy, about two to three minutes. Add the icing sugar and salt and beat together for a couple of minutes, or until light and fluffy.

To assemble, pipe or spread the frosting onto the base of half of the cookies, spreading so most of the cookie is covered. Spoon some ganache on top of the buttercream and spread to cover. Sandwich together with a second cookie.

If stored in a sealed container, these cookies will keep for two to three days but will soften as they sit.

Note: When baking it is best to use a commercial peanut butter, as natural peanut butters can separate and cause issues with texture and spreading.

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