Peanut Butter Gingerbread Bites

These little sandwich cookies are my answer to the age-old question: what if gingerbread met peanut butter?

Crispy-chewy gingerbread cookies get sandwiched together with a sweet peanut butter filling that’s somewhere between frosting and cookie dough.

They’re bite-sized, which means they’re dangerous—you’ll keep reaching for “just one more.”

Makes: About 24 sandwich cookies (48 individual cookies)
Time: 45 minutes, plus chilling

For the Gingerbread Cookies:

• 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 1½ tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground cloves
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• ¼ cup molasses
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Peanut Butter Filling:

• ½ cup creamy peanut butter
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2-3 tbsp heavy cream or milk
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

Instructions:

Make the cookies: Whisk together the flour, spices, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the molasses, egg, and vanilla, and beat until combined. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients until a dough forms.

Chill: Divide the dough in half, flatten into disks, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. This makes rolling much easier.

Roll and cut: Preheat your oven to 350°F. On a floured surface, roll the dough to about ⅛-inch thick. Use a 1½-inch round cutter (or whatever small cutter you have) to cut out cookies. Place them on parchment-lined baking sheets about 1 inch apart.

Bake: 8-10 minutes, until the edges are just set. They’ll still look a bit soft in the center—that’s what you want. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.

Make the filling: Beat the peanut butter and butter together until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and beat until crumbly. Add 2 tablespoons of cream and the vanilla, and beat until smooth and spreadable. Add more cream if needed to get a frosting-like consistency.

Assemble: Once the cookies are completely cool, spread about 1 teaspoon of filling on the flat side of one cookie. Top with another cookie, flat side down. Press gently.

Notes:

• If your dough is too sticky to roll, add a tablespoon or two more flour.
• These keep in an airtight container for about 5 days.
• You can freeze the unbaked dough for up to 3 months.
• Not a peanut butter fan? Try cream cheese frosting or chocolate ganache instead.

The spices in the gingerbread play surprisingly well with the peanut butter—it’s like a more interesting peanut butter cookie. Plus, they’re small enough that you can justify eating three or four in one sitting. At least, that’s what I tell myself.

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