Double Peanut Butter Cookies

These peanut butter cookies earn the “double” in their name. Half a cup of peanut butter goes into the dough itself, and then each cookie gets sandwiched around another half teaspoon of peanut butter filling before baking. You get peanut butter in every layer.

The dough is a slice-and-bake style. Flour, sugar, shortening, and peanut butter cut together like a pastry crust until crumbly, then corn syrup and milk bind it into a rollable log. Two hours in the fridge firms it up for clean slicing into thin rounds.

Half the rounds go on the sheet, each gets a dab of peanut butter, then a second round presses on top with the edges sealed by a fork. The fork seal isn’t just decorative. It keeps the peanut butter filling from oozing out as the cookies bake and gives them that classic pressed pattern.

Kitchen Tips

• Chill the dough log for the full two hours. Soft dough crumbles when you try to slice it thin.
• Slice the rounds evenly at a quarter inch. Uneven slices mean mismatched tops and bottoms that don’t seal well.
• Press the fork firmly enough to seal the edges but not so hard that you flatten the cookie. A gentle, even pressure works best.
• The dough freezes for up to three months. Slice from frozen, let thaw slightly, then assemble and bake.

Variations

• Use chunky peanut butter for the filling to add crunchy texture inside the smooth cookie.
• Drizzle finished cookies with melted chocolate for a peanut butter cup vibe.
• Swap the peanut butter filling for Nutella or almond butter for a different flavor pairing.