Chocolate and PB Sandwich Cookies

I can't tell you how much I love peanut butter cups. So of course I had to make a baked version of it to satisfy my sweet tooth. And what better way to make this treat that to look back on my guest post for The Bakery Spot and upgrade my Cake Mix Cookies into something even better!

Chocolate and PB Sandwich Cookies

Makes 12 sandwich cookies

Ingredients*
1 box devil's food cake mix
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
8 oz cream cheese
1 stick unsalted butter
2/3 cup peanut butter
2 lbs powdered sugar
3 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions
To make the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

In a bowl, mix together the cake mix, oil and eggs until combined. Roll out 1 1/2" balls of the batter and place on a cookie sheet 2" apart and bake for 10 minutes. Once complete, cool the cookies on the pan for a few minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely. Finish baking the rest of the cookies using the same process.

While the cookies are cooling, add the cream cheese, butter and peanut butter to a stand mixer and beat on medium speed until combined. Turn the mixer down to low and begin beating in the powdered sugar slowly. Lastly, add the milk and vanilla extract and beat for an additional minute.

When the cookies have cooled completely, you can begin frosting. Fill an icing bag with peanut butter frosting and begin filling the back side of one cookie and then topping the frosted cookie with another cookie (bottom side facing the frosting) to complete the sandwich. Finish creating the remaining cookie sandwiches and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving to let the frosting set.

*Baker's Notes: Eggs, cream cheese and butters are best used during baking when at room temperature.