Lofthouse-Style Peanut Butter Chip Sugar Cookies with Peanut Butter Frosting

Lofthouse-Style Peanut Butter Chip Sugar Cookies with Peanut Butter Frosting - made dough November 22, 2014 from Averie Cooks

We interrupt the 12 Days of Christmas Cookies posts to sneak in this cookie recipe I made for Thanksgiving. I made these because a) they're from Averie's blog and you can rarely go wrong trying out a recipe from there and b) to have an excuse to use up the autumn-themed sprinkles on frosted cookies for the kids.

It's best to think of these as soft sugar cookies with the peanut butter flavor coming from the peanut butter chips inside the cookies and the frosting topping the cookies. I didn't use as many peanut butter chips as the recipe called for, maybe only half a bag, since that's what I had and I'm not big on peanut butter anyway.

The frosting had a nice consistency and good flavor if you're a peanut butter lover. My ulterior motive was just to have something for the sprinkles to sit on so I could keep a Thanksgiving theme for my desserts.

I will say this is the type of cookie I like in terms of chubbiness (chubby cookie = good, chubby pastry chef = not so much) but make sure you bake it from frozen dough so it won't spread and stays obligingly rounded and thick after baking. The cookie is good even without the frosting but if you're going for the Lofthouse look, it probably needs the frosting to qualify. If you don't want to frost domed cookies and prefer them with a flat top but still thick, shape the dough into thick discs before freezing and baking. And if you want to adapt these for a Christmas-themed dessert, simply swap out the autumn sprinkles with red and green sprinkles (or blue and white for Hanukkah) on the frosting.

1 large egg
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4  teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt, optional and to taste
one 10-ounce bag peanut butter chips

Peanut Butter Frosting
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter (not homemade or natural peanut butter)
1/4 cup unsalted butter (half of 1 stick), softened
1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
pinch salt, optional and to taste
splash cream or milk, if needed to achieve proper consistency (I used about 1 1/2 tablespoons cream)
chocolate sprinkles, optional for garnishing

1. For the Cookies - To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the first 5 ingredients (through vanilla) on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
2. Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the next 5 ingredients (through optional salt), and mix on low speed until just incorporated, about 1 minute; don't overmix.
3. Add the peanut butter chips and mix until just incorporated. 
4. Using a medium 2-inch cookie scoop, form heaping two-tablespoon mounds. Place mounds on a large plate, flatten mounds slightly, cover with plasticwrap, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or up to 5 days, before baking. 
5. Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place mounds on baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart and bake for about 8 to 9 minutes, or until edges have set and tops are just beginning to set, even if slightly undercooked, pale and glossy in the center. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet  for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooking. 
6. For the Peanut Butter Frosting - To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the peanut butter and butter, and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
7. Slowly add the sugar, optional salt, and mix until frosting comes together.
8. Add a splash of cream or milk as necessary to achieve desired consistency.
9. Add a generous dollop (about 2 tablespoons) to each cookie, and smooth it as desired with a knife or spatula.
10. Optionally garnish with sprinkles. Serve immediately.