Chocolate and Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies

I have a secret crush.  Please don't tell my husband.  Actually, I'm sure that he suspects.  And, actually, I'm pretty sure he secretly has the same crush.

I'm head-over-heels for chocolate.

And when it's mixed with peanut butter...I lose all restraint.

One of my (like, twenty or so) New Year's Resolutions was to learn to consume sugar in moderation.  When said sugar is mixed with chocolate and peanut butter...well, let's just say that that resolution didn't stand a chance.  It was dead in the water.  That's a saying, right?

These whoopie pies are lip-smacking good.  Eat-two-or-three-of-them good.  They are really mini-whoopie pies, so go ahead and have two. Or three.  You get more frosting that way, but less guilt.

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies
for the cookies (makes 4 dozen mini-sandwiches):
3 1/2 C. all-purpose flour
1 t. salt
1 1/2 C unsweetened cocoa powder
1 T. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
1 C (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature *
2 C. sugar
2 large eggs
2 C. buttermilk, room temperature**
2 t. vanilla

* I used salted butter.  It was all I had.  They tasted just fine.
** I didn't have buttermilk, so I put 1 1/2 T. vinegar in a 2 C. measuring cup and filled it the rest of the way with milk.

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2) Sift together flour, salt, cocoa powder, baking soda and baking powder and then set aside.
3) Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl (a stand mixer works great, a hand mixer works, too) until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, buttermilk and vanilla and beat until combined.
4) Add dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
5) Using a cookie scoop, put batter onto lined (parchment or Silpat) cookie sheet.  Bake 10 mins (or until toothpick comes out clean).
6) cool completely on a rack

for the filling*:
3/4 C. butter, softened
1 1/2 C. peanut butter
4 1/2 C. powdered sugar
milk
chopped peanuts

1) mix together, add milk to medium icing texture
2) put about 2 T. of icing on half of the cookies, top with other half
3) roll in chopped peanuts to garnish (and add a little bit of salty crunch)

*This filling doubles as a delicious icing for cupcakes, cakes, brownies, or just straight out of the bowl.