American Peanut Butter Cookies with Russian Red Vodka Filling – The Americans

We interrupt our regularly scheduled Macaron Monday programming for this special presentation.

ProFlowers contacted me recently and asked if I wanted to participate in a fun challenge. To make something delicious and theme-y to serve at a viewing party of my favorite TV show. ProFlowers was the official floral partner of The Bachelor and they are hosting a viewing party on their blog  to celebrate the season premiere of The Bachelorette.

Bachelorette aside, my husband and I are a wee bit obsessed with The Americans. The most fascinating part for me, aside from the fabulous 80’s decor (Yay for my friend Andrew Baseman!) and the thrilling twists and turns of the plot, is how this beautiful all American couple, obviously living out the American dream in the USA are secretly KGB agents.

Keri Russell has come a LONG way from Felicity. Her character portrayal is sheer perfection. I’ve adored Matthew Rhys since Brothers & Sisters, another show I loved dearly and was sad to see go.

American on the outside, Russian on the inside, like this cookie.

So let talk about the cookie, the star of this post. What’s more uniquely American than peanut butter? It was the answer my German husband gave me when consulted.

I have fond memories of my mom making these cookies when I was little during my childhood. Along with Quaker’s Vanishing Oatmeal cookies and Tollhouse Chocolate Chip cookies, these made frequent appearances at our house. 

I used the Betty Crocker recipe because, hello, what’s more all American than Betty Crocker? However I revised the directions and used a cutter as I wanted the cookies to be the same size to create a cookie sandwich.

For the inside I used some soviet red buttercream spiked with Russian vodka. I have a good selection of vodkas in my freezers (all three kitchens in NYC, PA and Germany) but the only Russion one I had in PA was a Wild Cherry flavor. Not very 80’s, but it went well with the color of the buttercream.

An aside note: As I was placing the fork marks on the tops of the cookies, I thought, “Why am I doing this?” So I did a little research. Seems I’m not the only one who is curious of why the fork impressions are mandatory. 

Answers ranged from, to promote even baking to a warning for people with peanut allergies to religious significance. I tend to go with the first reason.

So here is my preferred treat I would serve at The American viewing party.

For the Peanut Butter cookies:
(Adapted from Betty Crocker’s Peanut butter Cookies recipe)

Ingredients:

• 1+1/4 cup AP flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/2cup Peanut butter
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Whisk together the flour, baking powder and soda and salt in a bowl and set aside.
• Cream sugars together with, butter, shortening and peanut butter.
• Add egg until just combined.
• Slow mixer down and gradually add dry ingredients until dough forms.
• Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate for two hours.
• Pat dough out on your workspace and use a round cutter to make circles.
• Press a fork into the top, first one way and then the other to create hatch marks.
• Bake for 6-8 minutes until edges just start to turn golden.
• Remove from oven and transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

For the Soviet Red Vodka Spike Buttercream Filling:

Ingredients:

• 1 stick butter at room temperature
• 3-4 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1 shot of vodka

Directions:

• Place the butter, 2 cups of the powdered sugar and the milk in a mixer and cream together.
• Mix in the vodka.
• Add the rest of the powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time until combined. If the mixture is too liquid, add more powdered sugar.
• Fit a pastry bag with a large round tip and pipe  buttercream on the bottom of a cookie and sandwich another cookie on top.