Peanut Butter Pillows

Peanut Butter Pillows
Source: Maida Heatter's Cookies (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1997 ed.), pg. 176.

I was watching Michael Symon make peanut-butter sandwich cookies on The Chew and thought I would see if Maida had a similar recipe. This sounded the same but after they bake, the two layers almost completely meld together (or at least they did for me), so they looked nothing like the ones Symon made. Still, these are delicious!

When I first read this recipe (and always read the entire recipe before you begin!), I thought this might be difficult but it turned out to be a breeze. The dough must be refrigerated a few hours so keep that in mind if you are in a rush. My cookies turned out more oblong that I thought they should be but then when I thought about it, I realized that pillows are shaped like that so maybe they are correct.

The cookies have a sandy texture and are quite soft. They are very fragile and would not travel well. They are so good and if you are a peanut butter lover, you will love them!

1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
4 oz. (1 stick) unsalted butter (softened)
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 TBS. milk
Additional peanut butter for filling (about 1/2 cup)

Makes 16-20 cookies

Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt and set aside.

In a mixer bowl, cream the butter.

To the creamed butter, add the peanut butter.

 

Add the sugar.

Add the corn syrup.

Add the milk.

On low speed, add the dry ingredients.

Turn the dough out onto a work surface and knead it slightly. Then form the dough into an oblong shape about 7 inches wide and 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap the dough in wax paper and refrigerate. Let it stay there for several hours or longer.

Preheat the oven to 350. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Use a sharp knife to cut half of the dough into slices about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Place them about 2 inches apart on the wax paper. (The cookies will spread while baking - I should have placed these farther apart. They ended up touching)

Place a teaspoon of peanut butter on each cookie.

Spread the peanut butter slightly with a knife or spoon. Leave a 1/2 to 3/4 inch border.

Slice the remaining dough the same way as before and place a piece on top of each cookie. Let it sit for a few minutes.

Take a fork and press the tops of the cookies slightly to seal them together. They will crack but don't worry about this.

Bake for 12-15 minutes. If you are using more than 1 pan, reverse and swap them half-way through baking. If you are only using 1 pan, bake them high in the oven). Let the cookies cool for a minute or two before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.