Chocolate Cake Cookies with Peanut Butter Filling

It seems I always have a little bit of something leftover in my fridge. This time, it was sour cream. I had exactly one cup and needed to make a dessert to accompany the dinner I was taking to a family who had an unexpected event occur.
We also had a teenager staying at our house, so I knew these would be fun treat for us as well.

I didn't try one, due to my not consuming sugar goal for the month, but they were very popular with the kids. The teenager who was at our house was so confused by the fact that a cookie could be like cake. It was fun to show him that it is possible to make cake cookies. These are a really great sandwich cookie and nothing goes better with chocolate than peanut butter!

Sour Cream Chocolate Cake Cookies
Makes about 48 cookies from Baking: from my home to yours by Dorie Greenspan

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temp
1 1/4 cups (packed) light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled to tepid
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup plump, moist dried currants or raisins (I left these out)

Getting Ready: Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat oven to 375f. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.

Whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until it is creamy and smooth. Add the sugars and beat for two minutes or so, then add the eggs one by one. Beat for another minute-the mixture should be smooth and satiny. Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the vanilla and melted chocolate. With the mixer still on low speed, add the dry ingredients and the sour cream alternatively, adding the dry ingredients in 3 batches and the sour cream in 2 (begin and end with the dry ingredients). Mix only until the ingredients are incorporated and the batter is smooth, then mix in currants.

Drop the batter by heaping teaspoonfuls onto the baking sheets, making certain to leave 2 inches between the spoonfuls.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back at the midway point. The cookies will puff, spread and round themselves out in baking. They’re done when they are set on top but still springy to the touch. Pull the sheets from the oven and let the cookies rest for 1 minute, then, using a wide metal spatula, carefully transfer them to a rack. Cool to room temperature.

Repeat with the remaining batter, making sure to cool the baking sheets between batches.

PB Filling- from spikes.does.stuff

1 1/2 cups of confectioner’s sugar
5 tablespoons of unsalted butter, at room temp
3/4 creamy peanut butter (don’t use natural peanut butter)
3 tbs milk or cream

In a stand mixer, beat the sugar, butter, peanut butter on low until combined and then on medium until smooth. Add the liquid, and beat until combined- this should lighten the mixture a bit and make it easy to spread.

To Assemble:

Once the cookies are cool, try to match up similar cookies into pairs. Spread about a tablespoon of filling onto the flat side of one cookie and gently press the flat side of the second cookie to make a sandwich.