Father's Day Cookies (3 of 3)

The conclusion to the trilogy...

First let me apologize. I'm a bad, bad blogger. I'm still learning! I've been delayed by technical difficulties and, well, life. I am SORRY! I'm still learning - and I'll get better!

Now, on to the conclusion of the Epic Cookie Trilogy... Homemade Nutter Butters!

My dad did get the cookies in time for Father's day, and word on the street is that he enjoyed them :-) Nailed it!

Now, I love peanut butter. And I hear that little bit both "nature" and "nurture' play into preferences. Dad loves his peanut butter. I remember when we would have bagels for weekend brunch, Mom would schmear hers up (just like she grew up with) and Dad would take his two cinnamon raisin bagels (fruit?!? In a BAGEL?? Yes.) and coat it in tasty creamy peanut butter (don't you dare put crunchy in his way!!). He would eat 1 1/2 bagels, and then split the last half in two. We had two dogs that loved to beg, but also loved peanut butter. So, he would take his last two pieces of bagel, and give each to a pupper... by sticking it to the roof of their mouth. And it would stay. Due to peanut butter. And don't give me that face!! The dogs loved it!! Seriously. AND! It distracted them! For a good 10 minutes, as they tried to nom the bagel... one lick at a time. I still laugh when I picture the dogs trying to get it off!

And whenever my cats are doing something weird (because cats are weird sometimes) I look at them and say "D-O-I-N-G? What are you doing??" Name that show?? 

It's M*A*S*H! When "This Old House" wasn't on TV, I feel like Dad always had M*A*S*H on. I've learned to love that show - in fact, it's still one of my favorites. I love to have the DVD going in the background during studying... it's just comforting! It's things from home that make me miss living closer to my parents. Getting older is so often bitter-sweet. Missing the times with family and traditions you know, but excited for making new memories with a new life, a new love, and some new family. Luckily I don't have to let go of the old family - it's just hard to make room for the new, as well. (also, they don't always think I'm funny... but I crack myself up!!)

And now that I'm done lamenting... My favorite cookie in the trilogy is this Nutter Butter. A moist cookie that's not crumbly and a creamy-not-too-sweet peanut buttery filling. Perfection!

I got the recipe from Smells Like Home, and I didn't change anything! They were so perfect and easy to make! I did double the recipe... And I ended up with a humongous pile... Quite daunting!

So - maybe just make one batch... because these are also kind of rich. So get yourself some peanut butter, and make these cookies!!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

8 Tbsp butter, room temperature

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (I used the natural stuff)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup Quaker oats

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet or two with parchment paper (these can get a little oily with the fat, so the parchment will help with a quick transition between batches!).
2. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt with a whisk or fork. Set aside.
3. In a mixer, beat together the butter, peanut butter, and both sugars until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).
4. Add in egg and vanilla until incorporated, then add in the flour mixtures just until combined. Stir in the oats until mixed throughout.
5. Use a small cookie scoop or spoons, and roll cookies into balls about 2 tsp in size. Place them on a cookie sheet just a few inches apart, and bake them for 10 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through. Take them out of the oven and let them cool on the tray for 5 minutes, then move to a cooling rack until completely cool. Once cooled down, you can start pairing them up for the sandwiches! Oh fun.

Filling: (Yuuuum - you can also make this and eat it with a spoon. Or put it on ice cream. Or pancakes. Or.... bananas! or really anything)

4 1/2 Tbsp butter, room temperature

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter (I'm sorry that I can't offer much advise on how to measure this... it's just messy!)

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

5-6 Tbsp heavy cream

Combine the butter, peanut butter, and sugar in a bowl of an electric mixer and whip together on high until combined. Add in some heavy cream, a little at a time, and whip until fluffy (you'll need more or less depending on the day, basically).

Combining the delectable parts:

Put the filling in a pastry bag with wide tip (or, in my case - a gallon size plastic big and snip a little of the tip off...) and squeeze some icing onto one side of your cookie pair, and then smoosh together! If you're doing a double batch, it might be easier to ice everything, and then sandwich.

MUSTACHED COOKIE!!

Enjoy!! It is probably a good idea to keep these in the fridge... and any extra filling should definitely be kept in the fridge... but these might not even make it to the fridge!