Peanut Butter Moons

This delicious dessert is made up of a vanilla cookie sandwich with buttercream filling and chocolate drizzle over the top.  Make the three parts and assemble per the instructions below.

Step 1 - Vanilla cookie

Yields: 14 large cookies

Ingredients

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1  teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon baking powder

1  teaspoon salt

1  cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

½ cup granulated sugar

1  cup packed light brown sugar

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

2  eggs

2  teaspoons honey

½ teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven 375 degrees

2. In a large bowl mix the flour, baking powder and baking soda until there are no clumps

3. Add salt, vanilla, honey, cinnamon, butter, sugar, brown sugar and eggs. Mix all together

4. Place parchment paper on each baking sheet.

Using a small scooper (approximately 1 Tablespoon), drop cookie batter scoops onto the baking tray

5. Bake for 9 to 12 minutes until a light golden brown

Once the cookies are done baking, remove from the oven.  Let the the cookies set before you move them to a cooling rack so the cookies won’t break apart.

After a few minutes, using a spatula, move the cookies to the cooling rack. Remember to be a little gentle. You can also slide the parchment paper with the cookies still in place over onto the cooling rack.

Step 2. Filling - Chocolate and Peanut Butter Buttercream

Ingredients

1 teaspoon cocoa powder

1 Tablespoon creamy peanut butter

7 to 8 teaspoons almond milk

1 cup white vegetable shortening

1 lb. confectioners sugar

1 teaspoon Wilton butter flavor

Directions

1. In a large bowl cream together the shortening, almond milk, butter flavor, peanut butter

2. Gradually add dry ingredients and mix until the batter is a creamy consistency

Step 3 - Assemble the cookie sandwich

Take one cookie and place one Tablespoon of buttercream on bottom side of cookie. Place the second cookie’s flat bottom surface on top of buttercream and lightly press together to create a cookie sandwich.

Step 4 - Chocolate topping

½ cup milk melting chocolate (milk or dark chocolate)

Directions

1. Lay the cookie sandwiches on cooled baking sheet or tray which is covered with parchment paper.  This will make clean up later much easier.

2. In a microwave safe dish, melt chocolate for 10 seconds in the microwave. Stir and repeat until the chocolate is melted. Or use Wilton’s melting pot for the easiest way to melt the chocolate.

3. Using a spoon, drizzle the chocolate over each cookie sandwich. Start the drizzle to one side of the cookie and go back and forth across the cookie. Move quickly so the chocolate won’t harden before you are done.

4. Let cookie sandwiches cool before stacking together in airtight container