Goober Cookies
This recipe by a British-born pastry chef assumes the use of a kitchen scale to weigh ingredients. In parentheses, we’ve included approximate quantities measured in the more familiar cups and tablespoons.
Makes 15
8 1/2 ounces (1 cup plus 1 tablespoon) unsalted butter at room temperature
6 ounces (about 3/4 cup) superfine granulated sugar
6 ounces (about 3/4 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons) soft light brown sugar
1 small egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1/2 ounces (about 7 tablespoons) crunchy peanut butter
6 ounces (about 2 cups minus 2 tablespoons) flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 1/4 ounces (about 1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon) large rolled oats
For filling:
3 1/2 ounces (7 tablespoons) salted butter 3 1/2 ounces confectioners’
sugar (about 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons), sifted 9 ounces (about 1 cup plus
2 tablespoons) smooth peanut butter
To make cookies:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Cream butter with both sugars until pale and fluffy. Mix in egg a little at
a time and continue to cream mixture until smooth. Stir in vanilla and
peanut butter until thoroughly combined.
Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together twice. Mix in oats,
then tip all dry ingredients into creamed mixture. Stir well to form a soft
dough (if you are using an electric mixer, do this by hand, with a wooden
spoon).
Scoop 30 cookies onto baking sheets lined with baking parchment, spacing
them 3 inches apart, as they spread during baking. Bake in center of oven
about 15 minutes, until golden brown and firm to touch. Leave to cool on
baking sheets.
Meanwhile, make peanut filling: Cream together butter and confectioners’
sugar until pale and fluffy; if using an electric mixer, do this with whisk
attachment. Add peanut butter and mix just enough to combine.
When cookies are completely cold, pipe or spoon a generous amount of filling
onto flat side of 15 of them, then sandwich them together in pairs with
remaining cookies. There should be enough filling for it to show between
cookies. They are best eaten on the day they are made, but they can be
stored in an airtight container.
“Indulge: 100 Perfect Desserts” by Claire Clark (Whitecap Books, 239 pp.$40)