I’ve been back in DC for over a year and a half at this point, and yet I find myself continually surprised by our community-wide need to overachieve. This weekend’s cookie swap ranks up there with the best of them for hammering this point home.
After a holiday party-filled weekend (thanks W’s, A’s, G’s, & B’s for hosting!), it was cookie swap time chez Ros. My only previous cookie swap experience was in Seattle, where I was one of three people who actually brought homemade cookies and the remaining group came with Oreos in tow (holiday Oreos, mind you).
This experience was different. I walked into the party feeling preeeeetttyyyy dang good about my [chewy, moist, rich, unique] cookie sandwiches and was abruptly met with the most beautiful display of cookies that I may have ever seen in person. I’m not just talking a sprinkling of powdered sugar here and there; there was literally a tower of cookie rings that I can only assume were Norwegian-inspired (or so I was led to believe by the miniature Norwegian flag flying from this golden stack) that was mysteriously stacked around a champagne bottle.
Are. You. Serious?
All of a sudden, my cookie sandwiches looked like the rec league soccer star in a room full of David Beckhams.
These rec league cookies tasted awesome - one of David Beckham’s managers even told me as much. And that’s the big picture. But what lesson did I learn? MAN those DC’ers know how to overachieve!
Oatmeal Peanut Butter Sandwiches
Recipe Adapted from Joy the Baker
Cookies:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups uncooked old-fashioned oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Filling:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1 cup powdered sugar
3-4 tablespoons milk
Place racks in the center and upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Beat the sugar and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat until creamy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add egg and beat on medium speed for about 1 minute. Add the vanilla extract and beat until blended.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the butter and egg mixture slowly beating on low speed until just incorporated. Stir in the pecans last.
The cookies will be small, so portion about 1 heaping teaspoon of cookie dough into your hand. Roll into a ball and place on the prepared cookie sheet. Keep cookies about 1 1/2-inch apart on the baking sheet. If the cookie dough begins to stick to your hands as you’re making dough balls, rinse your hands and portion the dough with just slightly damp hands.
Bake for 10 to 13 minutes or until they’ve reached your desired doneness. I like mine a little underdone and cook them for 10 minutes. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
To prepare the filling, place butter, peanut butter, and powdered sugar in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed, drizzling in vanilla extract. Scrape down the bowl as necessary. Add milk one tablespoon at a time until you’ve reached your desired consistency. The filling should be easily spreadable.
When cookies are completely cool, flip over and spread half of the cookie bottoms with peanut butter filling. Top with a similar size cookie. Wrap individually and store in the refrigerator. Cookies are best served slightly chilled. Cookies last, wrapped in the fridge, for about 5 days.
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