Iced Sugar Cookies

When one of my friends put out a platter of Halloween inspired Iced Sugar Cookies, I immediately asked 'where did you get them?'. Turns out she was the one who made those absolutely gorgeous, incredibly delicious, almost too pretty to eat cookies. My envy was apparent as I couldn't stop gushing over her cookie works of art. A week later I had the recipe. While her cookies were decorated with all of the finesse of professionally trained pastry chef, it turned out I was able to successfully channel my inner 10 year old for my first time at bat making and decorating cookies with royal icing. Yes, first time. Which explains in part why the cookies intended to pay homage to the Chicago Cubs (that hometown team currently playing in the World Series) had more than a little bit of a whimsical look to them.

My initial cookie decorating plan was a little on the ambitious or rather overly ambitious side. Clearly I had overestimated my 10 year old artistic abilities when I embarked on this cookie making endeavor. Although the mess I made in the kitchen lived up to or possibly exceeded the work of any 10 year old. So instead I thought I would take some inspiration from one of Cubs Manager Joe Maddon's maddonisms. 'Do simple better.' As it turns out, simple can be a pretty good thing in both baseball and the making of iced sugar cookies.

In spite of taking some photos of the baked and iced cookies, I wasn't sure I was going to post these recipes to the blog as the finished cookies seemed to be in a 'league of their own'. But then the more I thought about why I created this blog in the first place I decided I would. Unless we take some risks with our baking and cooking, we won't ever know what we might be able to create, what we are capable of, what we might learn along the way, or what pleasure might be derived from making and eating them. In other words, playing it safe (at least in the culinary world) isn't always a good thing.

 

With two other sugar cookie recipes on the blog (Randee's Iced Sugar Cookies and the Sugar Saucers inspired by Rebecca Rather) why would I share a third one? Partly because each one is different. But mostly because this cookie was too good not to share.

If there was ever a cookie dough that rolled out perfectly, this may be the one. For those of you having a cut-out cookie phobia, these may be the cure you have waited your whole life for. And the best part? No chilling is required. One of the keys to these awesome sugar cookies is rolling out the dough to a 1/4 inch up to a 1/3 inch thickness. The result is a sugar cookie that feels and tastes sort of a like a shortbread cookie. 

I made a couple of ingredient changes to the inspiration recipe. I increased the amount of vanilla from 1 teaspoon to 1 1/2 teaspoons and I added 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. My baking time was closer to 13 minutes (for an almost 3 inch in diameter cookie) instead of the recommended 6 o 8 minutes. Personally I like the hint of almond flavor in these sugar cookies, however, if you aren't an almond flavor fan, I would recommend increasing the amount of vanilla to 2 teaspoons. 

Admittedly I am not a royal icing expert. So before I made the icing I found it helpful to read a few postings (one from Sweetambs and one from Annie's Eats and watch a couple of videos online. The video posted by Julia Usher was really helpful.

My royal icing was initially on the too thick side. Adding a little bit of water was all it needed to get it to the desired consistency. I used #3 and #4 tip sizes in the making of these cookies. For this sized cookie, next time I would use #2 and #3 tip sizes. Numbers 2 or 3 for outlining and number 2 for the detail work. For smaller cookies or finer designs #1 tip may work best. My icing was colored with either a gel or paste. The liquid food coloring used in the making of cupcakes and cakes does not work well with royal icing.

Allow the iced cookies to get before packaging or storing in a container. While the cookies may look dry on the surface, they still retain some moisture. I learned that the hard way when I put a layer of parchment paper between the cookies. Some of the cookies 'bled' and lost some of their whimsical prettiness. Some cookie experts out there recommend waiting 24 hours before packaging them (I must have skimmed over that recommendation). 

Even if you don't want to make the royal icing, make THESE sugar cookies. For the sake of simplicity, ice them using the icing recipe in Randee's Sugar Cookies. But who knows, you might hit a home run out of the park on your first try at making and decorating cookies with royal icing!

For years I would look at those large over-sized cookie cutters and think 'why?'. Having now made these sugar cookies, I am now thinking 'why not!' Decorated, as fancy or simple as one's cookie-loving heart desires, they would make beautiful gifts, be great place cards, make for fun favors, serve at a party, and/or make to celebrate an event. Like the World Series. Although with the outcome of the World Series yet to be decided, I will share another Maddonism. "I'm not superstitious. I'm just a littlestitious." So I will just end this post by saying Go Cubbies! 

Recipe
Iced Sugar Cookies (sugar cookie recipe adapted from The Best Sugar Cookie Recipe shared by In Katrina's Kitchen and icing recipe adapted from the royal icing recipe shared by Moms and Munchkins)
Makes approximately 30-33 cookies (2 1/2 inch sized)
Updated April 2022

Ingredients
Sugar Cookies
1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla (or 2 teaspoons in not using the almond extract)
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 large egg, room temperature
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 cups (390g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Royal Icing
2 pounds (906g) confectionary sugar
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
5 large egg whites (look for eggs labeled pasteurized)
1 Tablespoon clear vanilla extract
Food gels and/or pastes in colors of your choice

Directions
Sugar Cookies
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a medium sized bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy (approximately 4-5 minutes).
4. Beat in egg and extracts.
5. Add in dry ingredients in three batches. Mix until incorporated and dough is smooth. Note: Dough will be stiff, but pliable. 
6. Remove half of dough from the bowl. Form into a disk and roll out dough to 1/4" to 1/3" thickness on a lightly floured surface. Note: You do not want your cookies to be thin, but rather be on the thicker side.
7. Cut into desired shapes and transfer to parchment paper lined baking sheets. Space cookies about an inch apart. Note: Cookies should not spread.
8. Bake cookies for 10-14 minutes or until lightly browned on the underside. Note: Baking time may increase or decrease based on the size of the cookies.
9. Allow cookies to cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
10. Cool cookies completely before icing.

Royal Icing
1. Place powdered sugar and cream of tartar in the bowl of standing mixer. Stir to blend.
2. Add in egg whites, stirring by hand until sugar is moistened. Note: If mixture is too dry, add another egg white.
3. Place whisk attachment on mixer. Begin beating on low speed until egg whites are thoroughly mixed in.
4. Increase speed to high  and beat for approximately 3 minutes our until icing is silky, smooth and light.
5. Beat in vanilla. Note: Using a clear vanilla extract helps to keep the color of the icing a purer white.
6. If icing is too thick, thin with water. Icing should have a thick but not stiff consistency.
7. Divide icing into bowls to add food gel and/or paste in colors of your choice. 
8. Place icing in icing bags fitted with pastry tips (sizes 2, 3, 4 or 5). Keep unused icing tightly covered so it does not dry out.

Notes: (1) Un-colored Royal icing can be stored in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. Bring to room temperature before using and mixing in food paste and/or gel. (2) Instead of using egg whites can use meringue powder but eliminate use of cream of tartar. Follow directions on meringue powder container to determine how much to use. (3) If you don't like the flavor of almond in your sugar cookies, increase the amount of vanilla to 2 teaspoons. (4) When storing these cookies, do not stack them on top of one another or put a layer of paper between them. Although the cookies appear to be dry after several hours, the retain some moisture so they may bleed if covered in paper. (5) Recommend using the plastic disposable pastry bags for use with the icing.

 Morton Arboretum on a cloudy day in October (2016)

Cowboy Cookies Revisited

Growing up in the pre-zillion number of television channels and growing number of media broadcasting options era, I used to love watching westerns and western genre television shows. Of course, this would have been back in the black and white versus technicolor days aka the dark ages. From Big Valley to Bonanza to The Virginian to Rawhide, along with a smattering of others (and oh let's not forget Little House on the Prairie), I was completely mesmerized by the good versus evil western frontier stories. Today, my affinity for westerns is no longer satisfied watching only reruns from the 50s, 60s and 70s. In recent years, shows like Deadwood and Hell on Wheels, where the lines between good and evil have been blurred, have become some of my favorite guilty television watching pleasures. And whenever a new 'western' or period movie opens, I wouldn't exactly say I am the first in line to see it, but am definitely in the audience in the opening weekend. No longer are the story and characters the only focus of my attention. Now I am equally attentive to the cinematography, period clothing, and especially the set decoration. Although I am not big on watching the same movie again and again, films like "The Hateful Eight" and "The Revenant" are amongst the exceptions. In revisiting both old and new television shows and movies, my takeaways from them continue to evolve. Affirming my belief that 'old' eyes can continue to see and experience things differently. As Marcel Proust once wrote "The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes".

Recently I came across another recipe for Cowboy Cookies, one made with toasted pecans, oatmeal, chocolate, cinnamon, and, yes, even coconut. It made me wonder if they would be as good as, or even better than, the Cowboy Cookies posted to the blog almost three years ago. Which, based on the relative short life of this blog, is a lifetime ago. I could speculate, even make an educated guess about them, based on what I think I know about cookies and cookie batter. Or I could make them. There was only one way to know for certain.

Unfortunately this incredibly delicious Cowboy Cookie doesn't have a rich, verifiable history to go along with it. How it got its' name is anyone's guess although two theories have been floating out there. Because of course everything we read on the internet is true (ha!). So keep these disclaimers in mind. The first theory was based on the belief the cookies were hardy enough to survive the journey out west. While the second one attributes their creation by some inventive Texas cowboys. Both sound plausible. If you happen to be from Texas, you might be tempted to be believe the later. This adapted version of the cookie can actually be attributed to a recipe Laura Bush shared during the Bush-Gore presidential campaign way back in 2000. Men ran for the presidency, their wives competed with cookie recipes. For the record, Laura Bush's cookie reigned over Tipper Gore's gingersnap recipe.

With most every cookie recipe I come across, something compels me to make a few minor adjustments. I didn't need more than four dozen cookies to make a decision as to whether I would like or even love them, so I made some changes to the ingredient amounts. In keeping with my belief (or to be honest, the rule) nuts should always be roasted/toasted before they are added to a dough, I made that little tweak. In the past year, I made the shift from chocolate chips to chopped chocolate when making cookies. From a visual and taste standpoint, this simple shift makes a significant difference. At the moment the Dark Belgium Chocolate Bars sold at Trader Joe's are my favorite.

These cookies come together in the same way a chocolate chip cookie does. Butter is creamed before the sugars are added, followed by the eggs and vanilla, then the dry ingredients, and finishing with all of the 'good stuff'. A standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment makes your cookie making life easier, but certainly a hand mixer would work. The dry ingredients do not need to be sifted. Whisking them together in a large bowl (with a balloon whisk if you have one, not to fret if you don't) is good enough.

Two of the best reasons to chill a cookie dough before baking them is your cookies are less likely to spread as the fat in the dough takes longer to melt and the sugar in the dough gradually absorbs the liquid. As a result your finished cookies will be both 'thicker' and 'moister'. Or have a more 'bakery' finish look to them. The dough can be chilled for as little as 30 minutes, but I prefer chilling them overnight. An ice cream scoop makes the cookie assembly and baking process easier as well the size and shape of the cookies more uniform. So rather than chill the bowl of cookie dough, I chill a tightly wrapped tray of the formed balls of dough.

The dough balls remained chilled in the refrigerator while each batch of cookies are baked. This way they all enter the oven the same way.

On a parchment paper lined baking sheet, the Cowboy Cookies are baked in a preheated 350 degree (F) oven for 14-15 minutes. When done, they will be beautiful brown color on the top and bottom but may look a little 'unfinished' in the center. Leaving the cookies on the hot sheet pan for 2-3 minutes after you remove them from oven helps to 'finish' the cookie. Transferring them to a cooling rack helps them come to room temperature. If you are not eating them right away (but of course you have to eat at least warm cookie), they store well in a covered container or sealed cellophane bag. You could even freeze them. A good idea especially if you want to use them to make ice cream sandwiches!

So what was the verdict? Were the Cowboy Cookies Revisited as good as or better than the other Cowboy Cookie recipe? I would definitely tip my hat to this "Revisited" version as I loved the flavor and texture combination of the toasted pecans, oatmeal, chopped dark chocolate, coconut, and cinnamon. Even if your friends and family are not big fans of coconut, they might end up being fans of this crispy on the outside chewy on the inside Cowboy Cookie as the coconut doesn't overpower but rather balances the cookie's sweetness. Seriously this is one great cookie. So great, in fact, it is almost impossible to eat just one in a single sitting. This isn't just conjecture or an opinion on my part. It is a proven theory.

Sometimes you need to revisit something in order to fully appreciate it. If you haven't ever had a Cowboy Cookie or had made ones different than the recipe posted here, I would strongly encourage you to give these a try. Think of them as a heartier, more satisfying version of a chocolate chip cookie. However, if I channeled my inner Victoria Barkley I would definitely not 'beat around the bush suggesting' you make them.

Recipe
Cowboy Cookies Revisited (adapted version of Laura Bush's Cowboy Cookie recipe shared in the New York Times)
Makes approximately 4 dozen cookies

Ingredients
2 cups (260g) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
1 cup (200g) light brown sugar, firmly packed
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoon vanilla
11 ounces dark chocolate chopped (or 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips)
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 1/3 cups sweetened flaky coconut (e.g., Baker's Sweetened Coconut Flakes)
1 1/3 cups pecans, roasted and chopped (To roast the pecans, bake for 8-9 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven. Allow to cool before adding to the batter.)

Directions
1. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
2. In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter until light and fluffy (approximately 2-3 minutes).
3. Add granulated and brown sugar and beat to combine thoroughly.
4. Beat in eggs one at a time. Then beat in vanilla.
5. On low speed mix in the dry ingredients until fully blended.
6. Using a spatula or wooden spoon stir in the chopped chocolate, chopped pecans, coconut and oatmeal.
7. Using a large ice cream scoop, form balls of dough and set on a baking tray. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
8. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
9. Bake cookies for 14-15 minutes until edges are lightly browned. Rotate baking sheets halfway through the baking process.
10. Remove cookies from oven and allow to sit on cookie sheet for 2-3 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. 
11. Cook to room temperature and store in a covered container.

Notes: I think chopped milk chocolate would also work well in these cookies. And lucky for all of us, Trader Joe's sells a large bar of Belgium Milk Chocolate, perfect for chopping and using in cookies. If you like your cookies on the crispy side, store them in the refrigerator.

White Rhododendron blooms and blossoms. 

Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie

After a week of a couple of 'all my fault' driving mishaps, I was in serious need of some therapy. The unanticipated expense of a new tire took retail therapy off the table. So the next best therapeutic option had to involve dark chocolate. What was it going to take to soothe my distressed soul? One of those sold only once a year dark chocolate coconut cream eggs I had been resisting for the past month or a warm, gooey Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie, a la mode, of course. My first thought was 'why choose, why not have both?'. Uncharacteristically I decided my crisis intervention option meant choosing only one of them. I can only attribute this significant decision-making departure to being in a cross-training delirious-induced state. Who knew cross-training could have this added benefit?

The final decision all came down to: 'Store-bought or homemade?' Homemade won. It usually does.

A million years ago I tasted a Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie that left a permanent impression on my warm, gooey chocolate chip cookie loving palate. I managed to get the recipe but it somehow vanished from my disorganized stack of handwritten recipes. Over the years I had tried a few other recipes, but none of them were 'anything to write home about'. Not willing to give up (perseverance is my middle name), I thought it was time to go on the hunt for another one.

While embarking on another Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie research project, I discovered none of the dozens of recipes I came across had a common butter to flour to sugar ratio. Which meant I had to choose one that seemed closest to the recipe I sort of remembered. Ultimately I went with one fully assembled and baked in a cast iron skillet. Will share my takeaways on that baking process ahead. The initial (and permanent) change I made to this untested recipe was using a combination of both dark and light brown sugars. The post cookie making change will be to slightly reduce the amount of all-purpose flour (either using a scant 1 1/2 cups or reducing it all the way down to 1 1/4 cups) to create an even gooey-er cookie.

After making Tara's Chocolate Chip Cookies, I have been forever converted into a chopped chocolate versus chocolate chip cookie fan. And at the moment Trader Joe's Pound Plus Dark Chocolate is my favorite chocolate bar to chop up. I used somewhere between 7 and 8 ounces of chopped chocolate in this skillet cookie.

So let's talk about the cookie assembly process. The inspiration recipe called for melting the butter in the cast iron skillet followed by mixing in the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla and a brief (5 minute) cooling off period before the egg was added. I waited almost 10 minutes and worked furiously to prevent the incorporated the egg from scrambling. After a sigh of it all worked out relief, I added in the dry ingredients. The batter was very, very thick (and didn't resemble at all the recipe blogger's photo). Again, I worried mixing too much would toughen the cookie dough and/or would be too thick to fully incorporate the chopped chocolate. That shouldn't have been my worry. When adding the chocolate to the batter (which was still rather warm from being in the cast iron skillet), some of the chards of chocolate began to melt. While having some of the chocolate melt is not necessarily a bad thing, having it all melt would have defeated the chocolate chip look to the cookie.

So while I think I have now found (and tweaked) a Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie as good as or maybe even better than the one I remember, I will make a change to the assembly process. Once the butter is melted, I will pour it into a medium sized bowl before mixing in the sugars and vanilla. Mixing the butter and sugars together in a bowl versus the pan should not only help to cool the mixture down faster but should eliminate any other issues caused by the residual heat of the pan. From there, I will mix in the egg, add the dry ingredients, stir in the chopped dark chocolate, and then transfer to the more than likely still warm cast iron pan. Before placing the pan in a preheated 350 degree oven, I will lightly sprinkle the top with sea salt.

The baking time on the skillet ranges from 20-25 minutes if baking in a 10 inch (if measured across the top) cast iron baking pan. If using an 8 inch cast iron baking pan the baking time could be slightly longer. Any pan bigger than 10 inches would make for a large, crispy, not likely to be gooey cookie. And the added deliciousness factor to this cookie is its' gooeyness.

I loved the idea of having Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie right out of the pan served communally, with everyone being able to gather round and dig in. If your family and friends aren't into that kind of dessert eating fun, well then just let them scoop their warm, gooey cookie into a bowl. Regardless of how you decide to serve it, the vanilla ice cream is a must! But for what it's worth, I would be remiss if I didn't tell you there is something incredibly magical about eating and sharing a warm chocolate chip cookie topped with melting vanilla ice cream right out of the pan with friends.

Not because this Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie had high therapeutic value or that it was really easy to make will I make it again (my version), but because it was really, really, really delicious. So delicious, that maybe I won't be too upset if the Easter Bunny doesn't drop off one of those dark chocolate coconut eggs this year. Just to be on the safe side, I better not drive that day.

Recipe
Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie (slight adaptation to Tasty Kitchen's Dark Chocolate Chunk Skillet Cookie)

Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar (equal parts of dark and light brown sugars)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 large egg, room temperature
A scant 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (or consider reducing flour to 1 1/4 cups for a more gooey cookie)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
7-8 ounces of dark or semi-sweet chocolate coarsely chopped (recommend Trader Joe's Pound Plus Dark Chocolate) Note: If you don't have a scale, use a generously filled cup of chopped chocolate.
Sea Salt
Vanilla Ice Cream (Ben and Jerry's Vanilla is my favorite) and for added decadence caramel sauce

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).
2. In a 10 inch cast iron skillet, melt the butter. Pour the butter into a medium sized bowl and mix in the granulated sugar, brown sugars, and vanilla until the sugars have completely melted. Allow to cool for at least 8-10 minutes.
3. Add the egg and mix until it is fully incorporated. Note: You could use either a whisk or hand held mixer.
4. Stir in dry ingredients until fully incorporated.
5. Add chopped chocolate.
6. Transfer batter to the cast iron skillet, pressing down lightly to ensure the batter covers the entire bottom of the pan and has the same relative thickness. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt.
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top of the cookie is golden on the edges and top but still soft in the center. 
8. Scoop and serve warm in bowls with slightly softened vanilla ice cream or top with several scoops of vanilla ice cream and hand out spoons.

Notes: (1) I used Lodge's 10 inch skillet (Top dimension: 10 inches, Bottom dimension: 8 inches) in the making of this Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie and (2) the inspiration recipe is linked in this posting, just in case you want to try your hand at making and baking the cookie all in one pan.

Scenes from the Tucson landscape.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies

The plan for this year's Valentine's Day, weather permitting, is to run a five mile race with some of my running group friends. It has been fourteen years since I last ran this winter road race and up until recently, thirteen years since I ran that distance. Needless to say I am not anywhere near as 'fast' (relatively speaking) as I was back then. After searching out what my finish time was all those years ago (big mistake, really big mistake), I wondered if those results belonged to a doppleganger. One not only looking like me, but also having my name. Isn't it funny how your perspective shifts as you age? Back then I considered myself a 'slow' runner. Yet, if I could run that pace again today, well I wouldn't exactly be a speed demon, but I definitely wouldn't be 'slow'. Since it is not possible to get back to that pace in a week (heck I may not get there in a year), I need to take a deep breath and remind myself or rather convince myself 'slow and steady' isn't such a bad thing. And if that doesn't work, search for a doppleganger who runs 'fast', relatively speaking.

I am now going to launch into one of those glowing, so over the top you might become a little skeptical, reviews of these Peanut Butter Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies. This cookie is worthy of so many accolades, ranging from 'the best cookie in the universe as we know it today' to 'you haven't lived a complete life until you have eaten this cookie' to 'if cookies were awarded an Oscar, it would win in every category it was nominated', I don't know which one to pick. Seriously, yes seriously, these cookies are phenomenally, insanely delicious. They are cookie perfection. And they now fall into a group of cookie recipes posted to this blog likely to lead someone into thinking they have died and gone to cookie heaven: Viennese Finger Biscuits, Tara's Chocolate Chip Cookies, Chocolate Whoppers, Sugar Saucers, and Amy's Shortbread Cookies. I know, you have come across other blogs where the blogger endlessly gushes about every recipe they post or okay, maybe every other recipe.

As a result of all of this (almost) too hard to believe hype (sort of the inverse of a wolf crying one too many times), you are reluctant to drop everything and/or rush to the grocery store to make what often contains the word 'best-ever' in the recipe's narrative. If, by any chance, you are reading this blog in the middle of the night, I only hope you have a grocery store open 24/7 within 20 miles of where you reside. Because these are the real deal, the drop everything, really must make cookies. After you taste them, I am willing to bet you will never make another Peanut Butter cookie recipe again. Okay, that's enough cookie fanfare for now.

The good news is that with the exception of the Roasted Honey Peanuts, you may already have everything you need in your pantry and refrigerator to make these cookies. If by some chance you have all of the ingredients, you will only need to wait until the eggs and butter come to room temperature.

Whenever I make anything requiring room temperature eggs or butter, I always take them out of the refrigeratore the night before. While some claim there is a negligible difference in the taste/texture of cookies and/or some cakes made with room temperature egg or those made with cold eggs, there are others who disagree. I happen to agree with those advocating for room temperature eggs. Why? Because the whites and yolks of room temperature eggs combine easier and more evenly into the batter. Resultling in a much better texture (especially for cakes as room temperature eggs are better able to trap air creating a lighter texture).

The room temperature unsalted butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar are beaten together until light and fluffy (approximately 2-3 minutes). If using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment. Once the butter and sugars are fully mixed together, the peanut butter and vanilla are beaten in until combined. Then those room temperature eggs are added in one at a time.

Not grinding the oats further helps to give the finished cookie a great texture. After whisking the dry ingredients together (no sifting required), they are added slowly the batter. As soon as the flour mixture is incorporated, one and a half cups of roughly chopped honey roasted peanuts are mixed in.

The dough needs to be chilled for at least two hours (or overnight) before the cookies are baked. Like Tara's Chocolate Chip Cookies, I have found forming the cookies into balls and then refrigerating them ensures that all of the cookies bake evenly. Additionally, you are not struggling to form a dough ball with hardened, chilled dough. I chilled the balls of dough for a little more than 2 hours, taking out only enough of them to put on the baking pan before putting in the oven. Note: Before placing the balls of dough in the refrigerator, press down lightly using a meat tenderizer (or you can criss-cross with a fork if you would like) and lightly sprinkle with sea salt. Tightly wrap the tray with plastic wrap before putting in the refrigerator to chill.

Further elevating these Peanut Butter Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies on the taste/texture deliciousness scale is the filling. This creamy Oreo-like filling provides the perfect contrast to the crisp, salty, peanut butter cookie.

How much filling you spread on these cookies depends on whether you are a regular or double-stuff kind of Oreo cookie eater. Using the same ice cream scoop used to form the dough balls will give you the perfect cookie to filling ratio (double-stuff style). Use a smaller ice cream scoop to create a thinner layer of filling.

There is enough batter and filling to make 25-27 sandwich cookies or 50-54 cookies. As much as I love this cookie sandwich, the cookies by themselves are so incredible, even those who don't list peanut butter cookies amongst their favorites will become converts.

The peanut butter cookie is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The addition of flaky sea salt, aka a cookie game changer, sprinkled on top of the cookie before they are baked further ramps up their flavor.

If ever there was such a thing as Genius Peanut Butter Oatmeal Sandwich Cookie recipe, this would be it. Think I will be making this cookies again next weekend. Not just because it is Valentine's Day and they would make a great gift, but in all likelihood I am going to need something to soothe my ego after the race.

Recipe
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies (Slight adaptation to Jose Bowen's Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookie, Gourmet 1996 as well as to Sally's Baking Addiction Oreo Cookie Filling) 
Makes 25-27 sandwich cookies

Ingredients
Cookie Dough
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal (not quick cook oats)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 cup granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter (recommend JIF)
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 cups honey roasted peanuts, roughly chopped in a food processor (recommend Fisher Honey Roasted Peanuts)
Flaky sea salt for finishing (recommend Maldon)

Filling
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup solid shortening
3 1/2 cups confectionary sugar, sifted
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions
Cookies
1. In a large bowl, combine oatmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt. Stir to combine and set aside.
2. In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment cream unsalted butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy (approximately 2-3 minutes).
3. Beat in vanilla and peanut butter.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
5. Gradually add oatmeal-flour mixture, mixing just until combined.
6. Mix in chopped peanuts.
7. Using an ice cream scoop, form cookie dough balls and place on a large sheet pan. Press balls down slightly using a meat tenderizer to create divots and sprinkle lightly with sea salt. Note: Can criss-cross top of the cookies using a fork instead of creating divots with the meat tenderizer.
8. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.
9. Preheat oven to 325 degrees (F). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silpat. 
10. Place 12 cookies on a baking sheet, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake for 15-16 minutes or until just pale golden. Cool cookies on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Filling
1. In a large bowl, beat butter and shortening until well blended.
2. Add salt, vanilla, and sifted confectionary sugar. Beat until smooth, thick, and creamy. Set aside. Note: Filling should be room temperature when assembling cookies. Filling can be made ahead, but remember to bring to room temperature.

Assembling
1. Using an ice cream scoop, place a dollop of the filling on the flat side of a cookie. Top with another cookie to make a sandwich.
2. Serve immediately.
Note: Cookies can be kept in a sealed container at room temperature. To extend the life of the cookie, store in the refrigerator. Cookies taste equally delicious when chilled.