Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

So I have this "toadly" awesome sister...(all of my sister's are awesome, just for the record) who makes really yummy Peanut Butter Cookies.  They don't sit in the cookie jar for very long.  I love them and a couple of weeks ago I had the best idea ever!  I should ask for the recipe.  So I did and I have made them three times already!  They are so soft and moist and delicious!  And soooo easy!

Jason's grandma came to town last week from California.  We hadn't seen her since our wedding, so we were pretty excited for the visit.  We were asked to bring something to share for the little get together they were having.  And what better excuse to make my new favorite cookie?  But I didn't feel like I could take just cookies...I had to dress them up somehow.  That's when I remembered finding these peanut butter sandwich cookies featuring Nutella Marshmallow Cream Cheese Frosting on Pinterest, too bad I didn't have any Nutella or marshmallow cream.  But I did have cream cheese and cocoa powder, the two key ingredients for my favorite chocolate icing I use for cupcakes.  Done and done! Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting...goodness what a mouthful, but what a delicious mouthful it is!

(drum roll please)

Serves: about 52 Sandwiches

Ingredients:

Cookies:
1 1/4 c. Brown Sugar
3/4 c. Peanut Butter
1/2 c. Shortening
3 tbsp. Milk
1 tbsp. Vanilla
1 Egg
1 3/4 c. Flour
3/4 tsp. Salt
3/4 tsp. Baking Soda

Frosting:
4 oz. Cream Cheese at room temperature
2 tbsp. Butter at room temperature
2 c. Powdered Sugar
1/4 c. Cocoa Powder


Directions:
Cream together the brown sugar, peanut butter, shortening, milk and vanilla.  Add the egg and mix good.  In a separate bowl mix together the flour, salt and baking soda.  Slowly add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture.  The dough will be very soft and fluffy.  Roll into 1 teaspoon balls and place on pan.  Make the crisscross with a fork dipped in sugar to prevent the dough from sticking to the fork.
Bake at 375 degrees for 7-8 minutes.  Do not over bake.

Remove the cookies from the cookie sheet and place them on a sheet of tin foil to cool.  If you put them on cooling racks while warm they will fall apart.  This is what that makes them so moist!

While the cookies are cooling.  Make the frosting.  Mix the cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy.  Add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time.  Lastly, mix in cocoa powder.

Make the sandwiches by spreading the frosting in a thick layer on the bottom of one cookie, then top with another cookie.

Eat up and enjoy!

Store the sandwiches in an airtight container in the fridge.