peanut butter and nutella cookie sandwiches *

I LOVE nutella and the past few years I have been trying to make a least one Christmas cookie recipe with nutella. this is the recipe that I tried this year and it is really good!

2-1/2 cups smooth peanut butter, at room temperature
1-1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 large eggs
2 teaspoon frangelico (hazelnut liquor)
nutella (for filling cookie sandwiches)

1. preheat oven to 350 and line four cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer), beat the peanut butter, brown sugar, and baking soda on medium speed until well blended, about 1 minute. add the eggs and frangelico and mix on low speed until just blended, about 25 seconds.
3. shape level teaspoonfuls of the dough into balls. arrange the balls 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. (do not press down)
4. bake one sheet at a time until the cookies are puffed and crackled but still moist-looking, about 9 minutes.
5. transfer the cookie sheet to a rack to cool about 10 minutes. move the cookies to the rack and let cool completely. repeat with the remaining cookies.
6. turn half of the cooled cookies over so they are flat side up. spoon nutella (about 1-2 teaspoons) onto the center of each cookie. top with the remaining cookies, flat side down. press gently on each cookie to spread the filling almost to the edge. set on the rack until the filling is firm, 20 to 30 minutes. makes about 100 cookies or 4 dozen sandwiches.
   

the balls of dough may be frozen before baking for 1 month. thaw them overnight in the refrigerator before proceeding with the recipe.