Chocolate Chip & Peanut Butter Cookie Sandwiches

For the cookies:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. In a medium bowl combine the dry ingredients (the flour, baking soda and salt) and mix well. Set to the side.
3. Mix 1 tablespoon of the dry ingredients into the chocolate chips. Set to the side.
4. In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and brown sugar, until light and fluffy. A mixer works well for this.
5. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
6. Beat in the vanilla.
7. Add half of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix just until incorporated.
8. Add the remaining dry ingredients, mix just until incorporated.
9. Stir the chocolate chips into the dough with a wooden spoon or a spatula.
10. Drop or scoop the dough a little less than a tablespoon size, 2 inches apart, on to an ungreased cookie sheet.
11. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned. Remove pan from oven.
12. Cool cookies on the sheet pan for a couple of minutes, and then transfer the cookies on to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the peanut butter filling:

1. In a large bowl cream the butter, cream cheese and peanut butter together with a handheld mixer, until light and fluffy.
2. Beat in the confectioner’s sugar 1 cup at a time, until it’s completely mixed in.

For the assembly:

1. Chop the cocktail peanuts pretty fine with a sharp knife. Put those into bowl or a plate. Don’t use the food processor, it makes the peanuts too powdery.
2. On the bottom side of half of the cooled cookies, spread about 2 tablespoons of the filling.
3. Place the remaining cookies on top of the filling to make cookie sandwiches. Gently press the cookies together.
4. Roll and press the edges of the cookies in the chopped peanuts. The peanuts should stick to the filling.
5. Allow the cookies to set up in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving.
6. Store in an airtight container, in the refrigerator.

Note: I rolled the cookies in the peanuts so that people would know that peanuts were present. If you don’t want to do that step, go ahead and mix the peanuts into the peanut butter filling instead.