I love eating peanut butter cookies, and I love making peanut butter cookies. This cookie is made with the delightful combination of peanut butter and oat flour. The result is a gluten-free, melt-in-your-mouth cookie that is rich, with a smooth texture. I love them plain or as sandwiches, filled with yummy chocolate ganache or a tart jam.
Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies
Chilling Time: Overnight
Makes about 50 unfilled cookies or 25 filled sandwich cookies
1 1/3 cups gluten-free oat flour (155 grams)
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature (85 grams)
1/2 cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
1 large egg, room temperature
3/4 cup unsalted, creamy peanut butter (192 grams)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Filling
2 ounces semi-sweet or bittersweet (60% cacao) chocolate, finely chopped (57 grams)
3 tablespoons heavy cream
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
In the large bowl of an electric mixer, with speed set to high, beat butter and sugar for 1 to 2 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add egg. Beat for 1 to 2 minutes, until fluffy. Add peanut butter and vanilla. Beat to combine. Set mixer speed to low. Gradually add flour mixture. Mix until just combined. Cover, and chill overnight, for flour to hydrate.
Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C/Gas Mark 4. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Using a small cookie scoop, such as #100, form 1 3/4 teaspoons of dough into 3/4-inch balls. Place them on prepared sheets, spacing about 1 inch apart. Flatten to 1/3- to 1/4-inch thickness. Bake for 10 to 14 minutes, until golden brown and edges are a shade darker. Cool for 2 minutes on cookie sheets. Transfer cookies, still on parchment, to wire racks to cool completely.
For Filling:
Place chopped chocolate in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, over low heat, heat cream until it simmers slightly. Remove from heat and pour over chocolate. Stir until smooth. Allow mixture to cool to room temperature, about 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it begins to thicken but not harden.
Just before serving, spread 1/2 teaspoon of filling over flat side of half of the cookies. Sandwich with another cookie. Serve filled cookies immediately.
Store unfilled cookies in an airtight container, at room temperature, for up to 5 days.