Oatmeal Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

Almost daily I come across recipes that I can't wait to make. I usually hold off though until I have some sort of occasion where I can share my creations with others. Otherwise, I know that Joe and I will eat all of them and that is not a good thing! On Friday night we got together with some friends to celebrate exams being partially done so I made these cookies. They are decadent and comforting and should definitely be shared. I was very happy with both the soft, but firm texture of the cookies, and the smoothness of the filling.

Ingredients for the cookies:
3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup quick cooking oats

Ingredients for the filling:
4 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 1/2 confectioners sugar, sifted
4 1/2 Tbsp heavy cream

Directions:
For the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and stir until well combined. In the bowl of an electric mixer or with a hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugars. Add the peanut butter and blend until light and fluffy. Blend in the egg and vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and mix with a wooden spoon until just incorporated. Add the oats and stir until well blended.

Using a small ice cream scoop, place small balls of dough on the prepared baking sheets. Keep them a couple inches apart to allow for spreading. Try to make sure that each dough ball is approximately the same size. Bake 9-10 minutes, rotating the cookies sheets halfway through baking. Let cook on the baking sheet for a few minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool to room temperature.

Once the cookies are room temperature, being matching them up by size until you have all pairs. For the filling, combine the butter, peanut butter, and confectioners sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer or with a hand mixer. Cream together until smooth and fluffy. Add the cream and mix until well combined and very smooth. Using a knife or spreader, spread the filling onto the flat side of one cookie. Sandwich the other cookie on top and press down so that the filling reaches the edge of the cookies.

*Source: Allrecipes