Day 8 of the 12 Days of Christmas Cookie Series

What?! I know, right?! Could you cram any more deliciousness into that title? I think not.

It's stuffed full of amazingness and so is this cookie. It's the 8th day of Christmas and I think I've put on five pounds this week. No joke. All in the name of delivering baked deliciousness. It's a worthy cause, one I'm proud to be a part of.

salted-nutella-peanut-butte-rsandwich-cookies

This cookie is a new addition to this year's holiday gift boxes, and I definitely made the right choice, if I do say so myself. It begins with a scrumptious peanut butter cookie dough that stays soft and plump instead of overly crisp and dry. Rolled in sugar and sprinkled with coarse sea salt, these lovelies would be perfect as is but then we have to go and get all crazy.

We bring Nutella to the party. And any party with Nutella is one you want to be a part of. Trust me.

This hazelnut spread says holidays to me. Perhaps because I only allow myself to buy it around baking season so I won't be tempted to eat an entire jar.

Insert spoon, open face. It's happened.

Salted Peanut Butter Nutella Sandwiches hail from Sweet Peas and Saffron, another foodie blog that I adore. Denise is uber-talented and always has unique flavor combinations and interesting food adventures to try. Come to her space with an open mind and an empty stomach and you'll never be sorry. Plus her pics- wow. The photos of her food are as much a work of art as the baking itself.

A few notes on this recipe:

1: I used creamy natural peanut butter and it was absolutely necessary to pull it out of the fridge and let it warm up before using it. Otherwise it's just too thick.

2: You will honestly believe these are not done when the timer rings. Ignore your instincts and pull them right at 7 minutes. Just a minute or two on the warm cookie sheet and they set up perfectly.

We'll dig right in by making a peanut butter cookie. These are not, however, your Grandma's crispy, dry peanut butter cookies. These are soft and puffy with loads of chewy texture.

We'll roll these into balls and then they'll take a dip in some sugar. You can do the traditional crisscross fork thing or try something else. I opted to do a little festive stars imprint.

Because holidays and also, why the hell not.

And then for the best part. A sprinkle of goodness. Salt to precise. Ahh... a little salty and a little sweet. The perfect combination.

Pop these into the oven and keep them on the underdone side. I recommend this for most of my cookies. They finish setting on the cookie sheet and you get a soft, chewy cookie. And that is what we want. Always.

Okay, it's what I want. You do you.

Slather these babies with some Nutella and chopped hazelnuts for a bit of texture. These ooey, gooey delights will be the hit of your holiday party.

Nutella. Is there anything it can't make better?

Cram yourself full of these cookies and then unzip your jeans. I have four more days of epic holiday cookies headed your way.

Salted Peanut Butter Nutella Sandwich Cookies

Ingredients: (Recipe courtesy of Sweet Peas and Saffron)

½ cup butter, softened

½ cup peanut butter

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

½ tsp vanilla

1½ cups all purpose flour

1 tsp cornstarch

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

granulated sugar {for rolling}

coarse sea salt {for sprinkling}

1 cup Nutella

chopped hazelnuts (optional)

Directions

In a large bowl, beat butter and peanut butter until well combined. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Mix in egg and vanilla.
In a separate small bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder and baking soda. Mix into wet ingredients.
Scrape down from sides of bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Pre-heat oven to 375 F. Line cookie sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
Roll dough into 1 tbsp sized balls, roll in the granulated sugar to coat. Place on baking mat and press down slightly with a fork. Sprinkle with sea salt.
Bake for 7-9 minutes until bottoms are golden brown. Cookies will look under-baked when removed from the oven but will set up on baking sheet. Cool for 5 minutes, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Assembly