Worth The Heavy Lifting

Look, I'm all about easy and delicious. So I don't hesitate to buy bake and break cookies (UMM HELLO?? anyone else tried the Target brand white chocolate, cranberry, walnut ones???), instant brownies and use cake mix to make tasty treats. Less ingredients, less dishes, less time, still perfectly yummy.

But sometimes I'll come across a recipe that is worth all that AND the heavy lifting.

Heavy lifting as in the lugging out of my Kitchen Aid mixer that Gigi and Papa gave me 5 years ago for Christmas.

I saw this dessert on a blog I read and instantly knew I would make them someday so I copied and pasted the recipe, e-mailed it to myself and then stored it in my recipes folder in gmail.

It's been a long back to work week for TG and I couldn't think of a better day to surprise him with a delicious treat. TGIF people.

And, without further ado I present to you...



(The blogger found this recipe on Martha and instead of using Crisco which she hates, and I do too she substituted butter. I have to say I think they turned out perfectly delicious.)

For the Cookies:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, not Dutch-process
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
1 large egg
1 cup skim milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the Filling:
1 1/4 cup natural, creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

To make cookies: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a small bowl; set aside.
Put butter and sugars into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on high speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add egg; mix until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in half the flour mixture, then the milk and vanilla. Mix in remaining flour mixture.

Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies spring back when lightly touched, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks using a spatula; let cool completely.

To make filling: Put peanut butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on high speed until smooth. Reduce mixer speed to low. Add confectioners' sugar; mix until combined. Raise speed to high, and mix until fluffy and smooth, about 3 minutes.

Assemble cookies: Spread 1 scant tablespoon filling on the bottom of 1 cookie. Sandwich with another cookie. Repeat with remaining cookies and filling. Cookies can be refrigerated in single layers in airtight containers up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

MMMMM. Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies...totally worth the heavy lifting.