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More Choices!

Chocolate Fluffernutter Cream Sandwiches: Make a half batch of the filling mixture. Spread 1 teaspoon Marshmallow Fluff on one cookie; spread 1 teaspoon peanut butter filling on another cookie; then sandwich these two cookies together, fillings inside. (You’ll need about 1/2 cup Fluff.)

Chocolate Peanut Butter and Jam Cream Sandwiches: Make a half batch of the filling mixture. Spread 1 teaspoon grape jam on one cookie; spread 1 teaspoon filling on another cookie; then sandwich these two cookies together, fillings inside. (You’ll need about 1/2 cup grape jelly.)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunchy Cream Sandwiches: Substitute crunchy peanut butter for the creamy peanut butter in the filling.

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER REFRIGERATOR COOKIES

Here’s a light, crisp, and easy refrigerator cookie, one you can make in advance and bake as you need it. The chocolate flavor dominates, but if you let the dough sit in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours, the peanut butter taste will become more prominent.

MAKES ABOUT 3 DOZEN COOKIES

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

9 tablespoons (1 stick plus 1 tablespoon) cool, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus additional for buttering the baking sheet

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter (do not use “natural” peanut butter)

11/2 cups sugar

1 large egg, at room temperature

1 large egg white, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Place the chocolate in the top half of a double boiler set over a little more than an inch of simmering water, or in a medium bowl that fits tightly over a medium pot with a similar amount of simmering water. Stir until half the chocolate has melted, taking care not to let any of the escaping steam get into the chocolate. Remove the top half of the double boiler or the bowl from the heat and continue stirring until the chocolate has completely melted. Cool for 5 minutes.

2. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl until well combined; set aside. Cream the butter and peanut butter in a large bowl, using an electric mixer at medium speed, until light and smooth, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat at medium speed until light and pale brown, about 2 more minutes. Beat in the egg and egg white until fully incorporated, then the vanilla until smooth.

3. With the mixer running at low speed, beat in the melted chocolate by pouring it into the mixture in a slow, thin stream. Once the mixture is smooth and uniformly colored, remove the beaters and stir in the prepared flour mixture with a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula, just until the flour is moistened. The batter may be grainy, but no streaks of white should be visible.

4. Lightly flour a clean, dry work surface, then turn the dough out onto it. Knead it lightly for about 15 seconds, just until it adheres into a ball. Roll this ball into a log about 9 inches long and 21/2 inches in diameter. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 3 days.

5. Position the rack in the center of the oven; preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a large baking sheet.

6. Unwrap the dough log and slice off disks 1/4 inch thick. Space these disks 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Wrap any unused portion of the dough log in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake additional batches.

7. Bake for about 10 minutes, rotating the sheet back to front halfway through baking, until the cookies are set but still soft to the touch, with very little browning. Cool on the baking sheet for 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Cool the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes and lightly butter it a second time before baking a second batch.

Recommended storage

4 days at room temperature

3 months in the freezer after baking

Customize It!

Mix 2/3 cup of any of the following into the batter with the prepared flour mixture: chopped, unsalted macadamia