Day 7: Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies, & Surprise

We didn't actually get to give out our cookies today, but we went by 2 places. We probably would have even went to a 3rd but it was late and already dark out. The first place we went to was the lady we tried to visit the day before, who we heard had been living there 40 years. She said she's actually been there since like 1952 or something. whoa! She's from Germany but has also lived in Tacoma, WA because her husband was stationed at the air force base there. She was a really nice lady. She doesn't eat sweets though so we wanted to try to find someone else to give them to. We went to our neighbor that lives right next to us, they're from Russia but have been living here for 11 years. We've never talked to them before and really don't even see them that much. They were very friendly people with thick accents. They also don't eat sweets though! I don't know if I could live without sugar.. But it's a good thing Matt is doing a seminar tomorrow so he can take all the cookies with him. Anyway, they had a cat that was like Rylee's size..not really though, it just had sooo much long fur that it looked real big. Matt told them about his health talk he's going to be doing and the lady seemed pretty interested. She's into weight loss. They knew what chiropractic was about, but they didn't know about all the students around. So we've finished our 1st week. It's gone pretty well i'd say. It's really hard to try and make a connection with someone in such a short time though.
In honor of making it through our 1st week, I have something for those of you that actually read this..and are local. So if you're local and you're a "follower" you can be expecting something in the next few days. But don't try to guess what, cuz you won't. Here's what we made today from joythebaker:

Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

For the Cookies:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

For the Filling:
2 cups crunchy peanut butter
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

For the Optional Coating:
10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup honey roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Grease with butter or cooking spray.
Using a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and peanut butter on medium speed until well combined. Add the sugars and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Add the egg and beat on medium speed for 1 minute.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture and beat on low until just combined. Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes.
Drop the dough by the scant tablespoon full onto a cookie sheet about 1 1/2-inches apart. Use the tines of a fork to press the cookies flat. Bake for 7-10 minutes until the cookies are a deep golden brown along the edges.
To make the filling: Use a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment to beat the butter, peanut butter and heavy cream together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Add the powdered sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, salt and beat on medium speed until combined.
To make the coating: Melt the chocolate pieces in the microwave, or over a double boiler.
To assemble the cookies: Use a spatula or small knife to spread generous amounts of the filling onto the flat bottom of a cookie. Top with another cookie, ridge side up. Set a wire rack on top of a sheet of waxed paper to catch the chocolate drips if you choose to dip your cookies in chocolate. Sprinkle the chocolate with chopped nuts immediately after dipping so they stick. Let stand for 1 hour to harden, or pop them in the fridge for a few minutes.
The cookies last up to 3 days in an airtight container, or 2 weeks in a container in the fridge